1 day ago6 min read

LSU'S 2024 FRESHMEN DELIVERED THIS FALL (PT.I)

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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

While many LSU fans cast their eyes ahead to the possibilities of the upcoming 2025 campaign, including another top 10 signing class with some key 2025 freshman Tigers arriving next Sunday for move-in day, I feel it's only right & totally necessary that we all first celebrate an incredible debut season for LSU's 2024 freshman class (thank you to LSU assistant Bobby Barham for the inspiration to write this--- from one of his Twitter posts):

Running back Caden Durham truly broke out as an elite, dual threat weapon out of the backfield when LSU needed it most........linebacker Davhon Keys continues a streak of 3 straight years where a freshman Tiger linebacker started games & played a pivotal role right outta the gates........tight end Trey'Dez Green may just be unstoppable inside the red zone & becomes the 2nd elite freshman TE presence in 3 years under Brian Kelly.......place kicker Aeron Burrell is already one of the nation's best in touchback percentage......defensive tackles Dominick McKinley and Ahmad Breaux both supplied interior stopping power & backfield playmaking, cornerback PJ Woodland displayed hardnosed tenacity & ballhawking plays whenever he featured, Dashawn Spears' length at the backend make him an intriguing prospect for the future, and Gabe Reliford is an edge rushing conquistador waiting to be unleashed......let's geaux into a deep dive on each one of LSU's significant 2023 freshman performers:

CADEN DURHAM

📸 Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

753 RUSHING YARDS

140 CARRIES

6 RUSHING TDs

260 RECEIVING YARDS

28 CATCHES

2 RECEIVING TDs

Durham was an unstoppable force right off the Ponderosa assembly line, finding playing time early when LSU Assistant Head Coach / RBs Coach Frank Wilson threw him into the fire @ South Carolina in week 3, looking for any answer to the Tigers' bankrupt running game....

....Durham, the two sport track star freshman, responded by producing a huge performance on the day in a close, critical road win, but also an epic first year breakout campaign featuring over 1,000 total yards, 8 total TDs & 168 overall opportunities to make plays as a key cog within Joe Sloan's offense.

Rushing for 98 yards & 2 TDs from only 12 carries during his second ever collegiate appearance on the road @ South Carolina, Caden Durham announced himself as the running back for LSU's future and present...but few knew he had another surprise for us all:

Breaking into the top echelon of LSU's greatest ever offensive freshmen with 217 total yards (128 rushing, 89 receiving, 1 TD in each category), including two plays that each went for over 80 yards, Durham cooked South Alabama from the first touch of the game until his last......in fact, Durham scored twice & nearly hit 200 yards after the first 4 offensive plays alone, taking over the starting running back role in the process.....

However.......an injury would attempt to put a stranglehold on proceedings:

Suffering broken toes during the South Alabama game, the rest of Durham's freshman year hung in the balance of his pain tolerance....how much agonizing pain on his broken toes could he really take? All the cutting & planting on that foot, how could he still run with violence, power, his next level speed???

Well, it turns out Durham is blessed with an incredible pain tolerance that allowed him to fight game to game, contributing in the running game when LSU needed it most this past fall.

Alongside his strongest outing vs Arkansas, where he produced 3 rushing scores & 101 yards on the ground, the former Duncanville state champion in football & track recorded 95 rushing yards against Florida, 80 vs Oklahoma (with 32 receiving yards), and 60 on the ground during limited work vs Baylor (2024 Texas Bowl).

DAVHON KEYS

31 TACKLES

4 QB PRESSURES

3 PBUs

2 TFLs

2 DROPPED INTs

1.5 SACKS

1 INT (RETURNED FOR TD)

1 FUMBLE RECOVERY

Over just 245 snaps & 8 appearances (4 as a starter) LSU freshman linebacker Davhon Keys stepped in for LSU after the loss of Harold Perkins & West Weeks and defensive coordinator Blake Baker's abandoning of the star position altogether in favor of a three linebacker setup, promoting the versatile freshman out of Aledo High....and the kid responded with a breakout stretch of powerhouse outings.

Able to stuff the run & pull off dynamic plays in coverage, Keys was invaluable for Blake Baker, cobbling together 31 tackles, 2 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, making plays on the ball on 6 occasions (3 PBUs, 2 dropped INTs, 1 INT), pressured quarterbacks 4 times, and even recovered a fumble in such limited on field snaps......but his best moment arrived at the start of LSU's final game of 2024:

Stepping in front of a route in the flat, Davhon Keys introduced himself to the world by intercepting Sawyer Robinson's poor throw and racing past all comers 41 yards into the end zone for LSU's first and only defensive touchdown of 2024.

It was a critical game-turning play that forced Baylor to chase the Tigers' efficient offense all game long, while handing an extra two score distance for Baker's defense during the tougher, sloppier moments following Whit Weeks' fibula / ankle injuries.

Keys possesses (and has thoroughly demonstrated) his natural playmaking skills in the backfield, against the run, and in coverage, stuffing the box score with every appearance, only missing 1 tackling attempt, as well as having natural chemistry with Weeks, the Aledo High state champion is a Tiger all LSU fans should feel excited about for the future.

TREY'DEZ GREEN

101 RECEIVING YARDS

4 TDs (all inside the red zone)

19 TARGETS

13 CATCHES

Becoming the late season red zone finisher LSU should've utilized all year, the generational 6'5, 245 pound Louisiana native tight end started in the final game of the year vs Baylor, stepping into Mason Taylor's vacant shoes and delivering his finest game yet as a Tiger:

Hauling down more than half of his season yards total (58), nearly half of his catches (6), and half of his overall 4 TDs, Green scored a pair of critical touchdowns (including on the opening drive) to set LSU on their way to a dominant victory over Baylor.

Green may still be at his best when flexed out wide, yet he wants to prove he can play in line, traditional tight end for LSU...something that may not be necessary in 2025 with the addition of former Oklahoma TE Bauer Sharp & another target from A&M's roster, regardless, Green's strong performance in that role vs Baylor stands as a fantastic sign of a complete player who's in an embryonic state....and yet, he is still so dominant.

AERON BURRELL

1 TACKLE ON KICKOFFS

2ND TEAM ALL-SEC

71.4 YARDS PER KICKOFF ATTEMPT

25.7 AVERAGE FIELD POSITION

66 TOUCHBACKS

74 ATTEMPTS

Hitting 66 touchbacks from 74 overall attempts (70 achieving hangtime), with just 8.1% returns from his kickoffs (6 total), Aeron Burrell has quickly become the true heir to the throne of former 2019-21 kickoff maestro Avery Atkins....but as a Tiger who's natural talents are even more abundant than his predecessors, Burrell has become a generational kicking talent, proving that fact without a doubt across every appearance this past fall.

The freshman out of Parkway High boasts a hammer for a foot, pinning opponents deep & solidifying the Kelly-era's shaky to calamitous special teams, especially concerning return game coverage.

"He's a weapon because you almost don't have to worry about kickoff returns..." -LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly speaking about Aeron Burrell to the media on 10/21/24.

With stated ambitions of "doing it all" in the kicking game, including a desire to also kick field goals later in his LSU career, he told LSUOdyssey, Burrell is the weapon you don't notice....until he's not there, burying opponents deep every time, recording 0 penalties, 1 touchdown-preventing tackle, and near the nation's best kickoff numbers as a freshman.

There's no wonder Burrell earned 2nd Team All-SEC honors following the last games of the year....

Expect even higher honors & further opportunities where Burrell can expand his role over the next year or two.

PART II WILL BE POSTED ASAP, LOADED UP WITH THE FINAL FRESHMEN WHO REALLY IMPACTED 2024 & SET DOWN A MARKER....

PLUS!!!👀👀👀👇👇👇

TOP 10 TIGERS OF 2024 COUNTDOWN IS NOW AT #7.....#7 WILL BE ARRIVING OVER THE NEXT 25 HOURS.