Next year, LSU is going to be right there with Bama and UGA. Let's look at a depth chart.

I'm not going to lie - both of those teams are absolutely loaded with big-time football players for next year even with Bryce Young and Stetson Bennett, and a host of first-round picks from both teams, moving on.

But LSU is not-so-quietly building a roster of exceptionally good college players, and we're going to be a lot closer to Georgia and Alabama (and head and shoulders above the rest of the SEC) in aggregate talent.

Consider...

Offense (38 scholarship players)

WR (X)
Brian Thomas (Jr. 6-4/205)
Chris Hilton (So. 6-1/185)
Jalen Brown (Fr. 6-1/175)

WR (Y)
Malik Nabers (Jr. 6-0/200)
Aaron Anderson (So. 5-9/185)
Kyle Parker (Fr. 5-10/180)

LT
Will Campbell (So. 6-6/325)
Bo Bordelon (RFr. 6-6/300)
Tyree Adams (Fr. 6-5/290)

LG
Garrett Dellinger (Jr. 6-5/325)
Kimo Makeanole (So. 6-3/305)

C
Marlon Martinez (Sr. 6-4/330)
Charles Turner (Sr. 6-4/300)
D.J. Chester (Fr. 6-5/310)

RG
Myles Frazier (Jr. 6-6/325)
Kardell Thomas (Sr. 6-3/345)
Paul Mubenga (Fr. 6-4/290)

RT
Emory Jones (So. 6-6/330)
Zalance Heard (Fr. 6-6/315)

TE
Mason Taylor (So. 6-5/250)
Jack Mashburn (Sr. 6-3/240)
Ka'Morreun Pimpton (Fr. 6-6/240)
Mac Markway (Fr. 6-4/245)
Jackson McGohan (Fr. 6-3/230)

WR (Z)
Kyren Lacy (Jr. 6-2/220)
Shelton Sampson (Fr. 6-4/190)
Landon Ibieta (RFr. 5-11/195)
Khai Prean (Fr. 6-0/190)

QB
Jayden Daniels (Sr. 6-3/210)
Garrett Nussmaier (So. 6-2/200)
Walker Howard (RFr. 6-1/200)
Ricky Collins (Fr. 6-2/190)

RB
Josh Williams (Sr. 5-9/205)
John Emery (Sr. 5-11/220)
Noah Cain (Sr. 5-11/225)
Armoni Goodwin (Jr. 5-8/200)
Kaleb Jackson (Fr. 5-11/225)
Trey Holly (Fr. 5-8/190)

Defense (38 scholarship players)

DE
Paris Shand (Jr. 6-5/290)
Quincy Wiggins (RFr. 6-6/280)
Jaxon Howard (Fr. 6-4/250)
Dylan Carpenter (Fr. 6-4/245)

DT
Masson Smith (So. 6-5/315)
Jalen Lee (Jr. 6-3/300)
Tygee Hill (RFr. 6-3/295)
Bryce Langston (So. 6-3/290)

NG
Mekhi Wingo (Jr. 6-0/300)
Jordan Jefferson (Jr. 6-3/305)
Jacobian Guillory (Jr. 6-2/315)
Fitz West (RFr. 6-2/320)

JACK
Saivion Jones (Jr. 6-6/260)
Brayden Swinson (Jr. 6-4/235)
Da'Shawn Womack (Fr. 6-5/245)
Zavier Carter (Jr. 6-4/210)

WILL
Harold Perkins (So. 6-2/225)
Whit Weeks (Fr. 6-2/215)

MIKE
Greg Penn (Jr. 6-2/235)
West Weeks (Jr. 6-2/240)
Christian Braithwaite (Fr. 6-1/215)

CB1
Duce Chestnut (Jr. 6-0/200)
Sevyn Banks (Sr. 6-2/205)
Jeremiah Hughes (Fr. 6-1/185)

CB2
Denver Harris (So. 6-1/180)
J.K. Johnson (So. 6-1/180)
LaTerrance Welch (So. 6-2/190)
Ashton Stamps (Fr. 6-1/185)

NICKEL
Greg Brooks (Sr. 5-11/185)
Sage Ryan (So. 5-11/205)
Jordan Allen (RFr. 5-11/195)

SS
Major Burns (Jr. 6-2/195)
Kylin Jackson (Fr. 6-2/200)
Ryan Yaites (Fr. 6-0/190)

FS
Zy Alexander (Jr. 6-3/200)
Javien Toviano (Fr. 6-1/190)
Matthew Langlois (So. 6-0/205)
Michael Daugherty (Fr. 6-1/185)

Four special teams scholarship players:
P Jay Bramblett (Sr. 6-2/205)
P Peyton Todd (So. 6-5/245)
PK Nathan Dibert (So. 5-11/200)
LS Slade Roy (Jr. 6-2/230)

You have, based on this and assuming nobody leaves after the spring, four more scholarships left to give out. It's fair to assume you'd spend two on linebackers and two on offensive linemen to fill out depth there.

But outside of a couple of spots, some of which (particularly on the offensive line) you really don't have the holes you think because if somebody goes down you can simply slide somebody over, this is going to be one of the deepest and flashiest collections of talent LSU has had in a long time. Kelly talked about getting younger as a team, but the 2023 LSU lineup is going to be a bunch of grown-arse men.

And they will play on the same level as Alabama and Georgia. Mark it down.

We could very, very easily be playing this time next year. We just need the ball to bounce right for us a few times over the course of the season. Again, outside of Bama and Georgia there isn't a team in the country who can match this depth chart.