Apr 5, 20213 min read

LSU NEWS ROUND-UP

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

OFFENSIVE ANALYST / QBs GURU RUSS CALLAWAY LEAVES LSU, ACCEPTS OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT JOB WITH THE NEW YORK GIANTS

One of the Tigers' best assistants has left the team:

Russ Callaway, one of LSU's most trusted assistants & tireless workers has departed to take a job at the NFL level, leaving LSU after only a single season.

Should we be surprised?

Callaway's name was one of the first obvious candidates for the vacant offensive coordinator role, although he was passed over understandably I suppose; but when it came to the passing game coordinator role, perhaps the Tigers made a dangerous move when they opted to bring in D.J Mangas and Jorge Munoz while declining to promote Callaway.

Munoz is still only an analyst himself, however with Munoz & Mangas' familiarity alongside Orgeron and the other long-time staffers, as well as the lack of success last year, maybe Russ felt like he was being passed over...ignored potentially.

Callaway had a great year with Brennan, helping him to Burrow-esque numbers (literally, Myles was only 5 yards away from Joe Burrow's 2019 totals through 3 games: 1,117 yards and 11 touchdown passes compared to Joe's 1,122 yards and 11 TDs). He also did well to navigate a pair of freshmen quarterbacks to 4 more wins, both operating without LSU's top 3 receiving targets entering summer camp (Ja'Marr Chase just before the season, Terrace Marshall after 7 games, Arik Gilbert after 8) while throwing behind a torturous Tigers offensive line.

Russ was an unbelievable influence at LSU and one which will be sorely, horribly missed as he heads up the ladder into the NFL.

We wish him nothing but the best, although like most things LSU....there's such a tinge of "what coulda been" to Callaway.

HIRES:

As this site reported first and accurate, former UGA DL Carson Hall joins the staff.

Hall was a member of the 2018 SEC Champion / National Championship team who fell just short to our common enemy Alabama, although Georgia toppled Oklahoma the week prior in one of the greatest games in college football history, the 2018 Rose Bowl. Carson Hall was there that day and he was there again when the 2018 CFP title game went to overtime.

He's an intriguing hire to attempt to replace GA Christian LaCouture, a Tiger Legend.

I've heard Hall is a "nonstop workaholic" who "flies around" with wild energy and intensity. He's also been known to be a funny guy, someone who the young Tigers can lean on and bond with due to his humor.

INJURIES / RECOVERIES

-WR Trey Palmer is slightly banged up, wearing a non contact gold jersey.

-LB Josh White just recovered from an unnamed injury, switching from a gold jersey to purple today.

-RB Ty Davis-Price returned to the fold through the thud scrimmage as this site first reported, looking really good

-RB John Emery participated in the thud scrimmage as well

PRACTICE NOTES

-Interestingly, Carter The Power pointed out how it appears QB Myles Brennan is wearing the flack jacket to protect his lower abdominal / hip / rib injury which was so rare it is known as the "Myles Brennan Injury".

It looked as if he had hidden a large wheel of cheese or some type of long intestine-shaped chain of summer sausages under his jersey, but it appears it's extra padding due to the seriousness of his prior injury.

-While WR Koy Moore has received some awful tweets, comments and messages sent to him over the last few months concerning his complaints about the Baton Rouge Police Department....plenty of hatred in the world at this moment....and still, through the attacks, he continues to not only solidify his spot as the #2 receiver, he's beginning to challenge Kayshon Boutte for the top spot altogether.

He's caught everything in every piece of footage from every single practice I've seen, everyone I've asked "has he dropped any?" always say "no" or "hell no".

-Over the last week, before and after LSU's Pro Day, many Tigers addressed the team and gave them words of advice, from Terrace Marshall, Racey McMath, Kary Vincent Jr or Tory Carter along with former Tigers like Justin Jefferson & Ryan Clark....Coach Orgeron wanted former Tigers to speak to his 2021 squad at such an early stage in their preparations.

LSU's newest star-studded speakers come right after Clyde Edwards-Helaire returned to campus for the second straight year, inspiring the team as he talked.