4 LSU football breakout candidates emerging after spring practice

The LSU Tigers had a Heisman winner last year. The LSU Tigers also underachieved last year, especially by the lofty standards that are set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. So, in season two of Brian Kelly’s stint with the LSU football team, there were some highs and lows.

And that puts a little bit of pressure on Kelly heading into his third season. Whether that’s justified or fair or what have you, I don’t know. But LSU football fans want to win and they want to win at a high level and they want to do so on a regular basis. 

That means more than just 10 wins in a season (10 wins in a season is really good, by the way). But the Tigers want more. Will that happen this year? We’ll see. 

Here are a few Tigers to keep an eye on as LSU heads into this season.

4. Zavion Thomas, WR

While he hasn’t spent much time with the LSU Tigers just yet, Zavion Thomas does have plenty of valuable SEC football experience already. He started his career in Starkville, Mississippi with Mike Leach and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After Leach’s tragic passing, Thomas spent another season with the Bulldogs, but left after Zach Arnett’s disastrous 2023 season.

Now in Baton Rouge, Thomas might have to fight for playing time a bit more, but he’s got an interesting opportunity to showcase the incredible speed that he briefly demonstrated while at MSU. It doesn’t quite seem like he’s broken through in Baton Rouge just yet, but he definitely made it clear that he’s got plenty of talent and potential.

The spring game gave Thomas a chance to catch a couple passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. And that touchdown came on a 45-yard reception, which is worth noting.

Thomas’ biggest demonstrated strength up to this point has been his agility and breakaway speed. He’s fast. Really fast. He’s not exactly the most physically imposing wide receiver, but he’s difficult for defenders to catch and that makes him dangerous. If LSU can scheme properly, the Tigers’ offense can benefit. From what we’ve seen out of LSU’s offense in recent years, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

3. Shone Washington, DL

Oftentimes, due to the nature of college football spring games, it’s hard to evaluate much of what’s going on with the defensive side of things. Sometimes, in the more conventional scoring systems of spring games, it can be a little tricky trying to figure out if the offensive is thriving because things are just spectacular with that side of the ball or if the defense is struggling.

But, well, it seems like LSU might have an intriguing defensive lineman in Shone Washington. Washington got his college career started in Athens with Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs and then transferred to the junior college ranks to play for East Mississippi Community College. 

Now back in the SEC, Washington has a chance to show off just how talented he is.

Again, take everything with a slight grain of salt. We are basing some of these things off of what happened in a spring game and spring practices, but Washington looked pretty good. In addition to recording one of LSU’s seven spring game sacks, Washington also got involved in a tackle for loss alongside Kimo Makane'ole. 

LSU’s defense wasn’t spectacular last season. The Tigers will need someone like Washington to help step up and get things moving in the right direction. He started to show his potential in the spring game. Will he continue to do that this season?

2. Kaleb Jackson, RB

If you’re interested in seeing a bit of an old school, bruising running back, then it might be worth keeping an eye on what Kaleb Jackson accomplishes for the Tigers this LSU football season. Weighing in at 6-foot and 225 pounds (according to LSU’s roster, that is), Jackson can present a physical rushing attack for the Tigers.

Jackson hasn’t broken through for the Tigers so far, but he did get 31 carries for 165 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and four yards per carry. That’s not the most remarkable stat line ever, but it became pretty clear during the spring game that Jackson might have a chance to make a bit more of a mark during this coming season.

In LSU’s spring game, nobody got anywhere near the 14 carries that Jackson had in LSU’s spring game. With those 14 carries, Jackson ran for 59 yards (32 of which came on one run) and a touchdown. Again, not the most impressive stats ever, but they should remind college football fans of the way running backs used to produce and perform.

And he can provide an intriguing element to LSU’s offense as the Tigers seek to keep defenses on their heels in 2024. 

1. Garrett Nussmeier, QB

The LSU Tigers ended up losing one heck of a quarterback after last year’s Heisman winner ended up heading on to the NFL, but that doesn’t mean Garrett Nussmeier can’t find a way to thrive in a system that still features plenty of exciting, talented skill position players. 

And given how disastrous things were for the Tigers’ defense last season, it’s fair to expect that the LSU football team certainly needs an exciting offense to find a way to keep winning this season. That’s where Nussmeier comes in.

Nussmeier faces the unenviable task of being the quarterback to follow Jayden Daniels’ thrilling Heisman Trophy season, but he does seem to be talented and it’s clear that he’s experienced given how long he’s been a backup quarterback for the Tigers. On top of all of that, he’s got a solid cast of wide receivers to toss the ball to. 

In LSU’s spring game, Nussmeier thrived, completing all seven passes that he attempted for 187 yards and two touchdowns. No interceptions. No sacks. Just effortless, smooth, efficient, surgical passing. If Nussmeier can play like that, and routinely connect with guys like Zavion Thomas, then LSU football fans are going to have a lot of fun this fall.