Previewing the Week 1 matchup between Florida State receivers, LSU transfer corners

Florida State and LSU facing off on Sunday in Week 1 provides one of the best rematches from last college football season, as two of the nation’s top-ranked teams to start the season will battle at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Both rosters are loaded with talent, but On3’s JD PicKell believes that the matchups on the outside will be a major determining factor in Sunday’s outcome.

“The first matchup, probably the most obvious matchup that’s gonna get the most buzz is the Florida State receiving corps versus these transfer portal corners of LSU,” PicKell said. “Now, it’s no secret they got the Monstars at Florida State. Keon Coleman transfer from Michigan State, I think he’s set to have an enormous season.”

Coleman joined Florida State this offseason after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors for the Spartans after posting 58 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns last season. But he also joined second-team All-ACC wideout Johnny Wilson as well, adding to the Seminoles loaded wide receiver room.

“His blend of size and go-up-and-get-it ability, it’s rare, they love what he’s done in fall camp so far. They said he’s just been phenomenal, so all good returns so far out of Tallahassee. Johnny Wilson, [I] get a lot of grief because I always say he’s like 10 feet tall. Dude is very very tall, I believe he’s about 6-foot-7, so good luck trying to guard that man-to-man,” PicKell said.

On the flip side, LSU’s secondary took care of business last season, holding opponents to just a 57% completion percentage last year. But they lost their two starting cornerbacks in Jarrick Bernard-Converse and Mekhi Garner, which they counteracted by adding five cornerbacks to their roster through the transfer portal.

“Now for LSU, like I said, two transfer corners. So it’s not like you’re playing two corners that have a boatload of experience in the SEC and they’re battle-tested,” PicKell said. “They’re battle-tested in their own right and they’re at LSU for a reason, I promise you that. Brian Kelly has confidence in those guys, but even so, I’m curious Duce Chestnut transferring from Syracuse and Zy Alexander transferring from the FCS level for LSU.”

Surely the Tigers should have two corners that can match up on the outside in Week 1 out of their influx of transfer portal additions, but PicKell is more worried about when they step up to the occasion versus if they do.

“How do they look early on in this one?” PicKell asked. “Because if Jordan Travis is able to kind of just get a rhythm and start putting the ball on the top shelf where the kids can’t get it for one of those wide receivers. I didn’t even talk about Jaheim Bell, I didn’t even talk about Kyle Morlock and what they could be. I start to worry about how this game could go for LSU, because that means that LSU would have to match scores.”

Pickell isn’t worried about LSU having the offensive personnel to potentially keep pace with FSU, but more-so worried about the Tigers offense getting to rhythm early. Which they may need to do if the LSU secondary gets exposed early and gives up some big plays or scores to the Seminoles’ wide receiver unit.

“Because I think it will be a close game, regardless of who we pick, I think it’ll be a close game. So if Florida State can put pressure on LSU to figure it out offensively and to be explosive and to be able to match scores, it would be because of what this receiving corps does,” PicKell concluded.