Omar Speights believes LSU can accomplish big things in 2023

LSU has high expectations for this season after making the SEC Championship and a case for the College Football Playoff last fall. Transfer LB Omar Speights believes the Tigers can accomplish them too based on how he views their growth in fall camp.

Speights spoke about his new team’s potential this year during a media availability a week back. He said there’s a lot of anticipation for kickoff in Baton Rouge, especially considering how much better they are after competing against one another all offseason long.

“(There’s) a lot of excitement. I think we can do some pretty great things,” Speights said.

“On the offensive side of the ball? They look good. Every day the defense is out there trying to take over them,” said Speights. “I think, like, just the competition going against some of the best of the best? And them going against us? I think it’s going to prepare both sides of the ball for something big.”

LSU finished with Top-35 units on both sides of the football in 2022 as they went 10-4.

On offense, they averaged 34.5 points per game, fourth in the Southeastern Conference and 24th in the country. QB Jayden Daniels led that march with nearly 3,800 yards of offense and 28 total touchdowns alongside some other productive weapons.

Now, on defense, Speights, who posted over 300 tackles in his four-year career at Oregon State, joins a Tiger defense that allowed only 22.5 ppg., fifth in the SEC and 34th nationally.

Iron sharpens iron and that’s exactly the formula that Speights believes that the ‘Bayou Bengals have followed so far. They now just have to translate that onto the field against their opponents in order to have the season he thinks that they, and many others, think they’re capable of having.

Brian Kelly details what Speights brings to LSU’s defense

The LSU Tigers are legitimate threats to compete for the SEC crown and a College Football Playoff berth in 2023. That case is, in large part, thanks to the talent that the Tigers have brimming throughout their roster.

One of the key areas where LSU has elite-level talent is at the linebacker position with the likes of Harold Perkins and Omar Speights.

Brian Kelly recently detailed what Speights brings to the defense and how his unique skill set could be significant in unleashing Perkins this season.

“Omar, his physicality and his ability to play in space are a unique combination,” said Kelly. “Generally, you have a linebacker that is really good in space but lacks some of the physicality in the box. He brings both of those, which is a trait that is very difficult to find in college football.”

“You either have what is known as a box player, who’s a downhill run stuffer but sometimes struggles in space. He’s got both of those talents. And it allows us to move him around, expand, let him get out, and leave Harold in a consistent location. At the end of the day, if I’m on offense, I wanna get Harold out of the action and force him to cover down as much as possible. And Omar gives us that flexibility.”