Will Brian Kelly go with experience or the higher upside options week 1 at Clemson?

There is no debate, you go with the personnel that give you the best chance to win.

The same thing he's done his entire career. He'll go with experience because he knows the easiest way to lose a game is by making mistakes.

And for those who do have higher upside will get opportunities to play but the minute they make a mistake, they'll get yanked. Its his MO, and his success shows that.

It's Brian Kelly. He'll always go with experience.

There's no way to know this without being at practice. If there is a young CB that is really good 80% of the time, but has a busted assignment once a drive, I doubt he gets the start.

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Will Brian Kelly go with experience or the higher upside options week 1

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BK should take a page of out George Costanza's book and do the complete opposite of what he has been doing the previous three season openers.

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It's a Head Coach. He'll always go with who he thinks gives the team the best chance to win.

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Every coach. Every year. Every game. Since the beginning of time. They might not always be right. But zero coaches are going to play inferior players just because they are experienced. And I’m not using “inferior” or “best” in regards to talent. Completely separate issues. Pickett could wind up being better than Stamps and give LSU the best chance of winning. That might be the 12 game of the season, the 6th, the 3rd, the 2nd half of the 1st, the opening drive, or next season.

If 2 players are performing comparably in practice, will most coaches lean more conservatively and go with the experienced guy over the freshman because he knows what to expect from him when the lights come on in a huge road game? Of course.

But if Pickett is dominating practice all fall camp, shutting down our best receivers, baiting Nuss into picks and PBUs so often that he just quits going his way while Stamps is getting torched for TD after TD, then Pickett will start Game 1. But it’s not about who WILL be the best down the road, it is who IS the better player RIGHT NOW that gives us the best chance to win the game we are playing that week.

Because it’s the only one that counts. It’s not like baseball or basketball when you can afford some early season losses in order to be at your best down the road. LSU may be a better team in mid October if you start Pickett Game 1 and let him learn and take his lumps on the field in real game action. But we also might be 4-3 by then. Who gives a shite how you’re playing then if your season’s already basically over?

Dahvon Keys played ahead of West Weeks most of last season

This will be a very experienced team. There aren't a ton of spots that lack experienced players.

QB - check
RB - check (also the position where experience probably matters the least)
WR - check
TE - check
OL - only spot where some less experienced may be considered

DL - check
LB - Keys played quite a bit in the last half of the season, so I wouldn't say he's completely inexperienced

The secondary is the only places where there may be some real battles (outside of OL). Delane and Cooley played against Clemson last season. That, in and of itself may give them the nod

He needs to meet with Jay Johnson and figure out how the hell to properly evaluate talent and go with whoever gives you the best chances of victory. Johnson seems to know how to do that like a champ - literally. Brian Kelly can sometimes be a bit of a tard when it comes to recognizing talent on his own team.

He will go with experience especially on the road