Baton Rouge, La. — One of the main takeaways from LSU’s first spring football practice on Thursday, was that the team is significantly further along this year than at this time last spring. Returning key players and keeping most all the coaching staff together is a big reason why.
“Continuity. Trust,” said LSU Head Football Coach Ed Orgeron. “We hit the ground running. We don’t have long staff meetings. I give them the plan. We might be in there 15 minutes. They meet– offense, defense and special teams. They get it done. They work all day. We work as a unit. We’re one family. We know each other. We know what to expect. I think we’re a lot further ahead than we’ve even been.”
One change in the coaching staff was the addition of former Saints assistant coach Joe Brady. He’s come on-board with LSU as their passing game coordinator and receivers coach, working alongside LSU offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Steve Ensminger to develop their new-look offense.
“Steve still coaches the quarterbacks,” Orgeron said, “but we’re implementing the run-pass options that Joe brought in. We’ve implemented the Saints’ passing game that Joe brought in, so it’s a big effect. Any time you show Drew Brees running a route, the guys get motivated. Our guys believe in Joe. They believe in Steve. I think it’s a tremendous combination.”
With Brady and Ensminger leading the offensive unit and returning Joe Burrow at quarterback, the optimism is pretty high on what they can accomplish in the fall.
“Spreading the ball around, running our run-pass options, making the right reads,” Orgeron said. “I remember going into 7 on 7 and I said Dave, what do you think? He says, the quarterback knows exactly where to go with the ball. Those guys are prepared. Last year we didn’t have Joe with us at this time so having Joe there, obviously we can’t touch him or nothing like that. He’s still nursing his injury. But I thought we did good. The addition of Joe Brady and the way him and Steve Ensminger are working is fantastic. This is a new offense from last year. You’re going to see it. We spread the ball around, different formations. I thought they were on fire today.”