LSU Football Spring Game 2017: 5 things to watch for

Nov 12, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers running back Derrius Guice (5) runs down the sidelines for a 94 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU won 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers linebacker Duke Riley (40) celebrates as Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) looks on following a defensive stop during the second half of a game at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Mississippi 38-21. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Replacing Exceptional Production At Linebacker

Duke Riley and Kendell Beckwith will hear their names called at some point in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, they were suiting up for the Tigers last season and comprised the heart of the linebacking corps for LSU. The pair were the two leading tacklers on the defense, which is pretty phenomenal when you consider the amount of talent that the 2016 Tigers defense boasted. But with their departures comes a big hole left for someone to fill in said defense.

In terms of returning players, the likes Donnie Alexander is the veteran presence that will likely be heavily relied upon as a rising senior. Joining him at the spring game will be Devin White, a rising sophomore who also saw a great deal of action in his first season with LSU. Though Alexander has more time spent in the program, White’s experience could lead to him being the anchor of the unit, but he still has to prove it.

More importantly, the duo will actually have a great deal to prove because of the crop of freshman that the Tigers have arriving this summer. Among those players is the top-rated inside linebacker in the country (per 247 Sports), Jacob Phillips. Once he arrives in Baton Rouge, he will surely push Alexander and White for a starting job and Patrick Queen and Tyler Taylor could do the same when they arrive as freshmen as well.

Thus, the spring game will be huge for Alexander and White both in showing that they can help replace Beckwith and Riley, but that to also essentially get a leg up on the arriving freshman this summer.

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