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Monday marked the kickoff of SEC Media Days in Dallas, where Brian Kelly, LSU’s head coach for the past three years, spoke and answered questions on a variety of topics.
Kelly was accompanied by three LSU players: quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, tight end Mason Crosby and linebacker Harold Perkins.
Here are some of his words.
Kelly on expectations still high at LSU: “The easiest way for me to answer that question is to say that I’m not interested in expectations. I’m part of a process that reflects how we do things every day.
“We don’t deal with these expectations on a daily basis, but we do what is necessary to stick to our process. Because it’s not the results that matter to us, but rather our progress towards our ultimate goals.
“Our mission is of course to win championships. I understand how we came to that conclusion. We haven’t won a championship. This is our third year, it’s the biggest responsibility the group has ever had. There’s a trust within the group.”
Kelly on improving defense after a tough 2023 season: “The 2024 LSU football team is one that, as we enter our third year, was built on accountability and confidence, but it was built knowing that we have to be able to play a much more balanced game of football. We obviously had a record-breaking offense last year, but we didn’t play to the level that we needed to play defensively at times.
“And that’s certainly going to be the goal this year, to play with an offense, defense and special teams type of team that complements each other. So the challenge this year for us, going into the offseason, was to make the necessary strides to get our defense to where it needs to be to play for a title. We think we’ve done that.”
Kelly on Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference: “I welcome Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, making it, in my opinion, the premier college football conference in the country. A deep and competitive conference, and certainly now an incredible challenge from top to bottom.”
Kelly on the transfer portal: “I think the transfer portal is what I always thought it would be, in the sense that it can’t be strictly needs-based. If you’re in the transfer portal based on needs – in other words, to fill your needs – you didn’t do something right during the natural recruiting season.
“Last year it was based on need and that’s never a good situation to be in when it comes to the development of your football program. I think you have to use the transfer portal to fill the tank so to speak, right? You can add something at a particular position and almost one that’s not necessary but becomes a luxury.
“When you get to that situation, I think the transfer portal becomes an effective tool. If it’s just based on need, you risk finding yourself in a difficult situation.”
Kelly on Nussmeier’s patient wait before starting: Coming from a football family, you know, his dad being in the business, I think in a lot of ways you don’t want to chase something you don’t know, where you know where you are and you know your opportunity is going to come, and you’re going to get that opportunity at the place you want to be.
“I think growing up in a football family and seeing the negative effects if you pursue something you don’t know, I think that helped him in his decision-making process.
“I think he saw that we were going to develop our quarterbacks at LSU and we clearly developed our quarterbacks and he would continue to develop while he was in the backup position.
“So I think those things played a huge role. And now he’s got the keys to the car. I couldn’t be happier for him and for our football program that he leads.
Kelly on the defense’s evolution under new coordinator Blake Baker:
“Look, beyond the pattern, I think everyone has their own idea of what the pattern looks like. Blake certainly has a comfort level established within a particular pattern.
“But it’s the relationships that matter, you have to have players excited to get on the field. You have to have players who really want to be part of those 11 guys running, hitting, being part of that unit.
“Blake’s ability to orchestrate all of this, to bring all of this together, is what’s really evident.”
Kelly on Nussmeier’s common traits with former QB Jayden Daniels: “Oh, there are definitely some common traits. I think the first one is definitely the ability to throw the ball. If you’re just talking from the neck up, it’s definitely the ability to translate. In other words, taking the offense, taking the things that are taught in the classroom and being able to translate them onto the field.
“That was one of Jayden Daniels’ best assets. You could watch him, talk about it, he could recite it. You could be in a meeting and come out of it and be like, unbelievable. His recall, his ability to go through all the progressions, his ability to know everything in terms of blitz protection, and then in a game, he could do it.
“That gift, that ability, that’s what makes great quarterbacks great, and Garrett was able to do that, too. Now he’s got to do it in games like Jayden did. But that’s the first thing we’re looking for, the ability to take the meetings, the film study, the walk-throughs, the practice and apply it to the game in real time. I think Garrett will be able to do that, too.”
Nussmeier on the temptation to transfer while being a substitute: “I mean, obviously there’s temptation. I love playing football. So obviously I wanted to play on Saturdays. But what made me stay was when I had to make my decision after high school, I felt like there was a lot of praying to do.
“God brought me to LSU for a reason. I didn’t feel like it was my time to pack up and leave. I felt like it was my duty to keep my head down and trust His timing, just work. I know God’s timing is always good. Sometimes we want things right away, and that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. So hopefully it will pay off in the long run. So I would say I just felt like I had to trust Him and keep my head down.”
Nussmeier on the influence of his father, former NFL QB Doug Nussmeier: “It’s huge. Our relationship has been very important to me. Just being able to give him feedback and bounce ideas off of him has been incredible. He’s been able to accomplish everything I’ve ever dreamed of. To have someone like that in my life who can guide me, I guess you could say it’s special. And I’m very, very grateful for our relationship.”
Nussmeier on the new receivers stepping up after Malik Mebers and Brian Thomas Jr. left for the NFL: “I think our receiver group as a unit, they’ve really stepped up. They understand the standard that they’re going to be held to as a receiver at LSU. And obviously, we just had two first-round draft picks and two first-round picks in the last few years, Justin (Jefferson) and Ja’Marr (Chase), and if you look at the history of LSU receivers, it’s special. There’s a standard that you’re held to as a receiver at LSU. I think our whole room and our whole unit, they embrace it and see it as a challenge. They see it as their opportunity to be that guy now. I think they all really, really took a big step forward this offseason in those shoes.”
Taylor on Nussmeier: “He’s had a tremendous offseason. I mean, he’s established himself as a leader from Day 1 and he’s done a great job of getting our team on the right track. He’s done a great job learning from Jayden’s experiences and things like that, so he’s definitely waited his turn, he’s been patient and I think he’s poised to have a big year this year.”
Perkins on “playing between the tackles and being used in other positions depending on the situation”: “I trust my coaches and my teammates, who put me in the right position to succeed and make plays. I have confidence in myself. I like to move.”
Perkins on what new coordinator Blake Baker brought to the team: “I would just say a warm work environment. Coach Baker is a pleasure to have in the building. He’s the DC, but obviously he’s my coach. He’s my position coach. So the first time I met him, he came in to practice with cleats on. I laughed a little bit about that because it speaks to what he says. He comes in here to make you work, but obviously he works too. He doesn’t just tell you what to do, he shows you how to do it. That’s one thing I like about him.”
Perkins on the defensive line: “We’re big up front. That’s something I like. They’re aggressive. They’re not passive. We took a hit losing Maason (Smith); he’s my brother too. I’m excited for the guys we have there because they’re big, you know what I mean? And if you add in the addition of coach Bo (Davis), you know what they can do. I don’t have to talk about coach Bo. You all know his work.”
Perkins on what success means to him: “Just knowing that everything’s not going to be perfect, you know what I mean? Nothing’s going to be the way you want it to be. Just be prepared to face adversity, you know what I mean? Just be prepared to face it and not shy away from it.”
