By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE — Everything you need to know about how much importance LSU second-year head coach Brian Kelly places on tight ends in his offense is wrapped neatly in one simple stat.
In his 12 seasons in his previous job guiding Notre Dame, nine of his tight ends were drafted by the NFL — including five in the first two rounds.
Compare that to LSU’s barren wasteland of tight ends, viewed by past Tigers’ coaches like Les Miles as extra blockers who know had to catch an occasional pass. LSU has had nine tight ends taken in the past 41 NFL drafts with just one picked in the first two rounds.
Kelly’s renovation started last season when freshman tight end Mason Taylor started the last 13 games and finished with 38 catches, the second-best single-season mark in LSU history.
When Taylor now looks around the tight end meeting room, there’s even a dramatic difference from a year ago.
“Coach Kelly did a great job of getting some depth,” said Taylor, a preseason All-SEC first-team selection. “They’re freshmen, they’re young, but they all have a lot of potential and each of them has attributes.”
The one common bond between the tight end freshman trio of Mac Markway (6-4, 250 pounds), Ka’Morreun Plimpton (6-6, 242) and Jackson McGohan (6-4, 235) is they are athletic and have frames to add pounds without losing athleticism.
Then there was the late tight end addition of junior college transfer Connor Gilbreath, a 6-6, 268-pound behemoth who Taylor characterized as “an extremely good blocker who can put his hands on people.”
Taylor, who underwent off-season shoulder surgery, believes his blocking will improve this season from adding 10 pounds of muscle. The 6-6 son of Miami Dolphins great and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor increased his weight from 245 to 255.
“I played a little light last season,” Taylor said. “I wanted to be at 255 at the start of this season.”
Though Taylor was just a three-star rated recruit by 247Sports for the Fort Lauderdale-based high school powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas, he quickly showed in the Tigers’ 2022 preseason training camp he fits what Kelly wants in a tight end.
And that’s a big body with magnet hands who can line up and run block or in the slot and run routes creating mismatches against linebackers and occasional turns in wideout spots.
Kelly is seeing the same thing in this year’s newbies that he discovered in Taylor.
“You’ve seen Plimpton out there, he’s a big body guy with soft hands,” Kelly said. “He certainly has the tools. He’s much bigger, he’s up to about 245 pounds already. When he got on the campus, I think he was 222. He’s done a great job of taking care of himself and doing the right things, (paying attention to) nutrition.
“Markway is moving much better. He’s leaned out, much more agile, because he’s a big body guy that can help us. I think we’ve really built the depth there at the tight end position that we needed around Taylor. So, I think it’s going to be a good group.”
Having four tight ends with similar physiques and athleticism substance will give Tigers’ offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock more playbook options.
“That’s the plan for us this year,” said Taylor, whose freshman season was highlighted by his game-winning two-point conversion catch to beat Alabama in overtime in Tiger Stadium. “He’s going to dial some stuff for us offensively.
“I’m just playing my role. There’s only so much I can do and Coach Denbrock and the offensive staff is going to do a good job of putting me in a position to take advantage of the moment.”
CAMP NOTEBOOK: During a spirited 11-on-11 session in Monday’s preseason practice No. 4, a scuffle broke out between wide receiver Kyren Lacy and linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. Lacy apparently pointed at Perkins and kept talking trash and the two players had to be separated. Perkins was so angry that Kelly took him aside for a five-minute conversation. When 11-on-11 ended, Kelly gathered the entire team to address the fight. “It was hot, it was humid and people weren’t in their right mind,” junior defensive end Sai’vion Jones said of the brief melee. “He (Kelly) told us things like that are going to happen when you’re passionate about playing football. But we always need to remember we’ve got to respect the (team) brotherhood.”
A true freshman definitely turning heads is five-star offensive tackle Zalance Heard of Monroe Neville. The 6-6, 340-pound Heard is currently on the second team at right tackle. … Backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was 7 for 7 passing in a 7-on-7 drill and starter Jayden Daniels was 6-for-9. … LSU, which spent the first half of last season trying to find a punt returner who wouldn’t fumble, had five players Monday catching live punts and punts from the jugs machine. The best candidate might be Alabama freshman transfer wide receiver Aaron Anderson. The 5-8, 190-pound New Orleans Edna Karr product is an absolute blur when he heads upfield.
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com