Monday was the start of SEC Media Days in Dallas. Up first was LSU third-year Head Coach Brian Kelly, who spoke and answered questions on a variety of topics.
Accompanying Kelly were three LSU players — quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, tight end Mason Crosby and linebacker Harold Perkins
Here is some of what he had to say.
Kelly on the always high expectations at LSU: “The easiest way for me to answer the question is that I don’t deal in expectations. I deal within a process of how we do things on a day-to-day basis.
“I mean, so we don’t deal on a day-to-day basis with those expectations as much as are we doing the things necessary that allows us to stick with our process. Because we’re not about the results as much as are we making progress towards our ultimate goals.
“Our mission is certainly to win championships. I get how we get to that conclusion. We didn’t win a championship. We’re in year three, this is the most accountable that group has been. There is trust within the group.”
Kelly on improving the defense after a tough 2023 season: “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.”
Kelly on Texas and Oklahoma joining the 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.”
Kelly on the transfer portal: “I think the transfer portal is what I always thought it would be, in that it can’t be strictly need based. If you’re in the transfer portal for need based — in other words, your filling needs, you haven’t done something right in the natural recruiting season.
“Last year it was need based and that’s never a good situation when it comes to the development of your football program. I think you need to use the transfer portal to top off the Tank so to speak, right? That you can add to a particular position and almost one that it’s not needed, but becomes a luxury.
“When you can get to that situation, I think that the transfer portal becomes an effective tool. If it’s strictly need based, you’re probably in for some rough seas.”
Kelly on Nussmeier’s patient wait to start: Coming from a football family, you know, his dad being in the business, I think in many ways not chasing something that you didn’t know about, where you knew where you were and you knew your opportunity was going to be coming, and you were going to get that opportunity at a place that you wanted to be.
“I think being brought up in a football family and seeing the adverse effects if you’re chasing something that you don’t know I think helped him in his decision making process.
“I think he saw that we are going to develop or quarterbacks at LSU and that we clearly have developed or quarterbacks and that he would continue to develop while he was in a back-up position.
“So I think those played a huge role. And now he’s got the keys to the car. I couldn’t be more happy for him and for our football program that he’s leading us.
Kelly on evolution of the defense under new coordinator Blake Baker:
“Look, scheme aside, I think everybody has their flavor of what the scheme looks like. Blake certainly has an established comfort level in a particular scheme.
“But it’s relationships, it’s getting players excited about stepping on the field. It’s about players truly wanting to be part of those 11 guys running, hitting, being part of that unit.
“Blake’s ability to orchestrate that, bring that together, is what has been the piece that is really evident.”
Kelly on common traits between Nussmeier and former QB Jayden Daniels: “Oh, there is certainly common traits. I think the first one certainly, if we’re talking outside of the skill factor, right, the ability to throw the football. If you talk about just from the neck up, the ability to certainly translate. In other words, take the offense, take the things that are taught in the classroom, and be able to translate those things to the field.
“That was one of Jayden Daniels’ best assets. You could watch it, talk about it, he could recite it. You could be in a meeting and you would walk out of that meeting and go, amazing. 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 is what makes the great quarterbacks great, and Garrett has been able to do that as well. Now, he has to go do it in the games like Jayden did. But that’s the first thing we look for, the ability to take it from the meetings, film study, walk-throughs, practice, and apply it to the games real time. i believe Garrett will be able to do that as well.”
Nussmeier on the temptation to transfer while being a backup: “I mean, there’s obviously temptation. I love playing the game of football. So obviously I wanted to be playing on Saturdays. But what kept me to stay was I felt like when I was making my decision out of high school where to go to school, I felt like there was a lot of prayer involved.
“And God brought me to LSU for a reason. I did not feel it was my time to just pack up and leave. I felt like it was my duty to just keep my head down and trust in His timing, just work. I know God’s timing is always right. Sometimes we want things right away, and that’s not how 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 in Him and keep my head down.”
Nussmeier on the influence of his father, former NFL QB Doug Nussmeier: “It’s been huge. Our relationship has meant the world to me. Just having him to be able to give feedback and bounce different ideas off of has been unreal. He was able to accomplish everything that I’ve dreamed of accomplishing. Getting to have somebody like that in my life who can guide me, I guess you could say, that way, it’s special. And I’m very, very thankful for our relationship.”
Nussmeier on new receivers stepping up after the departure of Malik Mebers and Brian Thomas Jr. to 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 being a receiver at LSU. And obviously we just had two first-round draft picks and two first-rounders in the past few years of Justin (Jefferson) and Ja’Marr (Chase), and you look at the history of LSU receivers it’s special. There’s a standard you’re held to playing receiver at LSU. I think our entire room and entire unit, they accept it and view it as a challenge. They view it as their opportunity to be that guy now. I think they’ve all stepped up really, really big this offseason into those shoes.
Taylor on Nussmeier: “He’s had a tremendous offseason. I mean, he stepped in as a leader from day one, and he’s done a great job of getting our team on the right path. He’s done a great job of learning from experiences from Jayden and stuff like that so he’s definitely waited his turn, he’s been patient, and I think he’s fit to have a great year this year.”
Perkins on “playing between the tackles and used in other positions based on the situation”: “I’m confident in my coaches and my teammates putting me in the right position to be successful and make plays. I’m confident. I love to move.”
Perkins on what new coordinator Blake Baker has brought to the team: “I’d probably just say a loving working environment. Coach Baker is a joy to have around the building. He’s the DC, but obviously he’s my coach. He’s my position coach. So my first time meeting him, he came out to practice with some cleats on. It made me laugh a little bit because it speaks to the testament of what he’s saying. He comes out here wanting you to work, but obviously he’s working, too. He’s not just telling you what to do, he’s showing us how to do it. That’s one thing I love about him.
Perkins on the defensive line: “We’re big up front. That’s something I love. 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 that we’ve got in there because they’re big, you know what I’m saying? And you add the addition of (line)Coach Bo (Davis), you know what they can do. I don’t have to speak on Coach Bo. You all know his work.”
Perkins on what success is for him: “Just knowing that everything is not going to be perfect, you know what I’m saying? Nothing is going to play or pan out the way you want it to. Just be ready for adversity, you know what I’m saying? Just be ready to deal with it and not move from it.”