These two standouts made names for themselves in the LSU Tigers' 51-10 win over the Clemson Tigers.
The LSU Tigers ushered in the Lane Kiffin era with a 51-10 blowout over the Clemson Tigers. They looked like the faster, stronger and more talented squad in most aspects.
Almost all of the big names on this team lived up to the already high expectations. Sam Leavitt led them to victory with his legs, flashing as a passer. Whit Weeks looked back to full health and potentially better than ever. Princewill Umanmielen had 1.5 sacks.
But it wasn't just the established stars who stood out, LSU also enjoyed breakout games from some of their newcomers as well. Here are three Tigers who made a name for themselves right away:
RB Dilin Jones
Reports out of training camp were that Jones had run away with the job, but even then, few expected just how much of a workhorse role he was in. Harlem Berry and Caden Durham didn't even appear until it was garbage time.
Jones showed why he won the coaches over on the field with great vision, balance, the ability to fight for yards and blocking whenever he doesn't get the ball. There was a beautiful block he laid on the outside to open up space for a 14-yard Winnie Watkins Jr. run.
The former Wisconsin Badger looks like he could be in for a Kewan Lacy-level role in this offense. He finished his first game with 23 rushes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. If he can perform like this consistently, paired with the potential in the passing game, this offense could be just as dominant as the defense was.
EDGE Jordan Ross
Ross was a five-star pass rusher coming out of high school back in 2024. He started his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers, where he never really looked like that elite talent. He had 1.5 sacks and five total TFLs over two seasons.
In his first appearance at LSU, he completely changed the game. He came up with a pick-six, showing off his athleticism, and then followed it up with his first sack. It looked like he had two at first, but they called it a tackle for a loss.
Ross looked like a perfect fit for this defense. That interception wasn't an accident; he was able to drop back and make an impact. Having Umanmielen on the other side certainly helps out as well.
It was said all offseason that the pass rushers were going to be X-factors for this defense. That was one of the only things that the Tigers lacked last season, ranking 10th in the SEC with 27 total sacks last year.
