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College football rankings: Post-spring Top 25 – Clemson, Alabama vie for top spot

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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Alabama vs. LSU
BATON ROUGE, LA – SEPTEMBER 08: LSU Tigers safety Grant Delpit (9) celebrates during a game between the LSU Tigers and Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 8, 2018. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
  • Notable Losses: Greedy Williams, Devin White, Nick Brossette, Garrett Brumfield, Foster Moreau, Ed Alexander, Terrence Alexander
  • Notable Returners: Joe Burrow, Grant Delpit, Rashard Lawrence, Justin Jefferson, Jacob Phillips, JaCoby Stevens, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Michael Divinity Jr.
  • 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 5th

There’s no question that the strength of the LSU Tigers for many years has been their defensive prowess. Subsequently, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Ed Orgeron’s team is losing two top-tier talents from the 2018 season as cornerback Greedy Williams and linebacker Devin White are heading to the NFL. Those will be tough players to replace, but LSU remains in a good position to make serious noise on a national scale in 2019.

For one, the big step LSU took last season was landing Joe Burrow at quarterback. Though he wasn’t perfect and will need to improve if the Tigers want to have viable College Football Playoff hopes, he was a massive upgrade from the quarterback play they’d seen previously. Moreover, this is still a team with defensive leaders and studs on the roster in safety Grant Delpit and defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence.

On top of that, LSU’s recruiting class should — or could — help them fill some holes that might otherwise cause them issues. Derek Stingley Jr., a 5-star cornerback, could come in and fill a hole left at cornerback, while John Emery, a 5-star running back, could step in for the departed Nick Brossette in the Tigers offense.

However the depth chart shakes out, though, LSU is in a position where they should be a top-10 team to begin the 2019 season and to also stay there for most of the year.

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