Brian Kelly's opening statement and key points at SEC Media Day

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was the first head coach to take the podium in Dallas, Texas at the SEC Media Days. The Tigers’ leader talked about various topics throughout his lengthy time at the podium, which we will have covered throughout the day on our site, but here is Kelly’s opening statement and a couple key questions he had to answer in his open press conference.

Opening statement…

BRIAN KELLY: Good morning, everyone. Six weeks we’ll begin the 2024 football season. For me, 33 years and I’m still as excited as I was that first year that I was named the head football coach at Grand Valley State, when I clearly had no idea what I was getting into.

But as we go into the 2024 season at LSU, we’ll be celebrating 100 years of Tiger football. We’re excited about the things that we’re going to be able to showcase this year. We feel like Tiger football has a great history and tradition. Our stadium has been refurbished to take advantage of the pageantry of Tiger Stadium. I think it’s going to be an exciting football venue for everyone.

It’s been a challenging season. A lot has gone on, as we know, with NIL and transfers, and the college football playoffs; it’s certainly upon us now, and we’re excited about that change that I think brings a new form of excitement in particular to our new conference.

I want to welcome Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC, making this, in my opinion, the premier college football conference in the country. Deep, and competitive, and certainly now an incredible challenge from top to bottom.

And so when we talk about playoffs, you’re certainly going to be seasoned playing in this conference week in and week out.

I brought three of our players here today that I’m very proud of, and you’ll get an opportunity to spend some time with them today. Garrett Nussmeier, who has waited for his opportunity to be our starting quarterback. His persistence, his patience, his leadership. I’m excited to watch him lead our football team in 2024.

Mason Taylor, our starting tight end since his freshman year when he caught the winning two point conversion against Alabama. Has only been one of the most consistent players for our football team, both on and off the field.

It’s hard sometimes when you’re surrounded with three first-round draft picks to kind of get the notoriety and publicity, and I thought it was only fitting to bring him here today and get his due recognition for the kind of football player he’s been for us over the past two years. The expectations of him really being the kind of two-way player both as a blocker and pass receiver.

And then Harold Perkins who has been a mainstay for us as a playmaker on defense going into his third year. Excited to watch what he’s able to bring both at the inside linebacker position. Blake Baker will be able to move him around. Really why I brought him is I want you to see the man outside the jersey. He’s one of our top student-athletes. He’s got an incredible personality. I think you’re going to love getting a chance to meet Harold Perkins the man instead of talking about Harold Perkins the football player.

So those are the players you’ll get a chance to meet today.

The 2024 football team at LSU is one that as we go into year three, has been built on accountability and trust, but it’s been built knowing that we have to be able to play much more balanced football. We had obviously a record setting offense last year, but we didn’t play to the standard that we needed to play at times defensively.

And certainly that will be the goal this year, to play the kind of offense and defense and special teams that complements each other. So the challenge this year for us going into the off-season was to make the kind of strides that bring our defense up to the standard necessary to play for a championship.

We feel like we’ve done that. Obviously we’ve got a little bit more work to do with our pre-season and our opener will certainly test us when we open up against USC in Las Vegas, a game we’re certainly excited about.

So all of those things in 2024 have been exciting opportunities for our growth at LSU, and can’t wait to get started.

Q. Obviously you guys lose Brian Thomas, Jr. and Malik Nabers to the draft. How do you plan on replacing that productions?

BRIAN KELLY: I don’t think you look towards one player. I think when we look at our football team in its totality, there will be a number of players that we’ll count on. Kyren Lacey, he will be certainly a player that we lean on. But I think at the wide receiver position, there is probably six to eight players that will get the opportunity to contribute and make an impact.

I think that’s what I like about our receiving corps more than anything else, is the depth. I think we’ve got speed on the perimeter. Chris Hilton showed that in our bowl game against Wisconsin, his ability to track the ball down the field.

I think we’ve got the ability to play inside out at the slot receiver position. I think we’ve got great depth there.

We brought in CJ Daniels. I think he will help us. Zion will help us, transfer from Mississippi State. I think we brought in the right mix of players to give us the depth necessary inside and out to make up for that lost production.

Q. You [Brian Kelly] had immediate success in the SEC during your first season. What do you think was one of the biggest keys into parlaying your success at Notre Dame into immediate conference contention in year one?

BRIAN KELLY: Clearly being the No. 1 offense in the country was not good enough. I think you have to have much more balance. So I the balance that we need is offensively and defensively we have got to be able to complement each other. We didn’t do that last year.

What we’re going to need is that complement on defense; going to have to play better defense this year. I think we’ve made the necessary strides in the off-season to continue on that growth.

So again, complementary football, offense and defense. I know that sounds like coach speak, but the numbers prove it out. You can’t have the No. 1 offense in the country and not play the kind of defense necessary to get you to the next level.

Playing better defense quite frankly.