Fitzgerald West opens up on position change at LSU

Fitzgerald West is feeling comfortable as he gets set to move to a new position in his second season at LSU. West played five games on the offensive line as a true freshman but will make the switch to defensive line in 2023.

West played both offensive and defensive line as a three-star recruit out of Lafayette Christian Academy (LA) in high school, so the position won’t be entirely new to him. That being the case, the transition so far has been a smooth one.

“I like it,” he said. “I’m used to it. I’ve been playing it almost all my life so it’s natural for me. I’d say the transition learning plays and stuff though, it’s not too hard for me. I pretty much know the scheme, so I know my assignment every play.”

Fitzgerald West was listed as an offensive lineman coming out of high school before committing to LSU. He ranked as the No. 800 overall player and No. 62 interior offensive lineman in the 2022 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds according to the team website, West has already slimmed down some this offseason. Now has a goal to get stronger before the start of the 2023 season. He’ll have all summer to work hard to get in better shape before the season opener on Sept. 3.

“I want to gain a little more muscle,” he said. “Probably 10 pounds of muscle before the season. It’s not hard. I want to gradually do it, though. I lost a lot of body fat, but I want to gain some muscle before the season starts.”

On3 ranks LSU as fourth-best offensive line in 2023

West’s move to the defensive line likely came as a result of the number of options the Tigers have on the offensive line. LSU returns all five starters up front and projects as one of the top offensive line groups in the country next season.

In fact, On3 recently ranked the Tigers as the No. 4 offensive line for 2023 and second in the SEC behind only Georgia.

“The Tigers’ offensive line was viewed as a weakness before the 2022 season, but after a strong showing from a pair of now-sophomore tackles in Will Campbell and Emery Jones, the group projects as a team strength in 2023,” On3’s Jesse Simonton wrote. “LSU brings back all five starters and has some additive depth pieces in 5-star freshman Zalance Heard and Maryland tackle transfer Mason Lunsford, among others.”

The Tigers finished 10-4 and won the SEC West in coach Brian Kelly‘s inaugural season last year. With the returning talent on offensive line plus quarterback Jayden Daniels back, they’ll once again aim high in 2023.