The LSU Tigers will need these starts to step up in order to pull off a win against the Texas A&M Aggies this weekend.
The LSU Tigers return home this weekend against the Texas A&M Aggies, with a chance to put last weekend fully behind them and get things back on track. To do that, though, they're going to need some players to turn their performance around.
Throughout the week, there has been a lot of talk about the offensive line (for good reason). Most of that has been focused on the guards and the right tackle, but they aren't the only ones who need to be better. Here are some Tigers who need to be better this week:
QB Sam Leavitt
Dilin Jones and the run game have been fun this year, but they desperately need Leavitt's arm to wake up in order to open the field and make everyone's jobs easier. He has started games slowly this year and his best performance, against the Clemson Tigers, wasn't even that promising. He's been a game-changer with his legs, but six yards per attempt with three touchdowns and five interceptions so far is not going to cut it as they get deeper into SEC play. The Aggies have playmakers in their secondary who will take advantage of the mistakes that Leavitt makes.
LT Jordan Seaton
Seaton has been the highlight of the offensive line so far, but even he struggled a bit last week. It's not exactly fair to expect him to be perfect, but the play of his teammates and the investment made into him sort of call for it. The athletic tackle has been great against the pass, but hasn't been a huge help in the run game, especially last week. That has sort of been the story of his career, though.
WR Jackson Harris
Harris is a big play machine who could be someone who helps unlock the passing game. He averaged 19.7 yards per catch last season and that is up to 23.4 so far this year. The problem is that he also has a 28.6% drop rate. Leavitt, as mentioned before, hasn't been perfect but his receivers have also been letting him down. A dangerous combination. He had just a 5.8% drop rate last year on 73 targets, so perhaps he can turn it around with some confidence building catches this week.
All Cornerbacks
This is cheating, obviously, but it didn't feel fair to single out one specific cornerback while all of them really need to perform better this week. Between CJ Jimcoily, Tamarcus Cooley, DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland, they were targeted 22 times and allowed 16 catches for 208 yards per Pro Football Focus. Each allowed about 50 yards as well. This defense is talented, but they need more production from their corners.
