BATON ROUGE, La. — Four years ago as a freshman at LSU, Ja’Marr Chase needed to take the next step. He had some nice moments that first fall, some big plays down the sideline with Joe Burrow, but he caught just 17 passes through 12 games. The game wasn’t slowing down for him yet.
Then came the Fiesta Bowl. He had three extra weeks of practice. He had time to work on the little things outside of game prep. And against UCF, he finally had his breakout game with six catches for 93 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown grab.
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It was the beginning of the offensive juggernaut that would soon come.
LSU’s Jan. 2 Citrus Bowl game against Purdue is not going to be the most riveting matchup. Purdue is playing without its head coach, Jeff Brohm, who left for his alma mater Louisville, and it’s without its star quarterback Aidan O’Connell and receiver Charlie Jones. The Tigers are 14.5-point favorites at BetMGM, meaning this game could get ugly.
But the value in these games in this day and age is often less about the on-field result and more about the chance for development.
LSU had five starters opt out of the game — BJ Ojulari, Ali Gaye, Jaquelin Roy, Jaray Jenkins, Mekhi Garner — before star receiver Kayshon Boutte declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday night, not long after the school said he’d be unavailable for the game. There will be lots of opportunities for younger players to get noticed. Add in this year’s redshirt waiver stating that bowls don’t count against the four-game redshirt limit, and multiple young LSU players can play without consequence. For others, the Citrus Bowl is simply a chance to prove themselves before reinforcements arrive this offseason.
So here’s a look at some Tigers who stand the most to benefit from the Citrus Bowl, if they make the most of it.
(Warning: Most the best candidates are on defense, in part because nearly the entire starting offense is returning next fall.)
Wiggins is maybe the most exciting player to watch Monday. The former top-100 recruit has been creating major buzz behind the scenes at LSU and is developing into a physical freak, growing and adding weight at a rapid rate. He’s listed at 6 feet 5, 275 pounds. One LSU staff source said the team is in the phase of basically letting Wiggins’ body go where it wants and it will figure out which position makes the most sense from there.
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Wiggins is redshirting this season, but the bowl waiver means Wiggins can play and not have it affect his redshirt status. And considering three of LSU’s starting front four are out, it’s the perfect chance for Wiggins.
Where Wiggins will play is up in the air, but that’s the fun part. He’s listed on LSU’s depth chart as a possible starter at both jack (outside linebacker) and defensive end. LSU defensive coordinator Matt House can get creative experimenting with his size off the edge or his athleticism inside.
But the main thing will be Wiggins getting major snaps in a Power 5 football game. That’s invaluable to a young lineman.
Assuming Micah Baskerville is off to the NFL Draft this spring, there’s a starting inside linebacker spot up for grabs. But it’s going to be a fascinating position to follow. Fellow freshman Harold Perkins will be the biggest star on the defense, but will he move back to a true inside linebacker spot this offseason once he has more time to develop with X’s and O’s? Or will he continue to be more of a free-flowing outside player who causes havoc like he did his fall?
Sophomore Greg Penn primarily started alongside Baskerville. He had some ups and downs in his first stretch of major time but turned the corner with some great performances down the stretch.
So maybe there’s no starting spot open at all and Perkins and Penn take it. But there are also no spots 100 percent locked down. Tolan is somebody who can make a statement against the Boilermakers and carve out a role. The staff is high on him, highlighted by Tolan getting playing time in some key moments against Ole Miss and making some key stops. He’s a major talent, and I wonder if LSU gives him more time against Purdue.
The quarterbacks
This has to be at least mentioned. Starter Jayden Daniels is returning for one more season, a surprise to some around LSU. Certainly Daniels is the assumed starter next fall after LSU won the SEC West and he improved each week as the season went on. Still, redshirt Garrett Nussmeier announced himself to the world with his highlight-filled 294-yard second half against Georgia. Nussmeier’s stock is rising, and his upside is off the charts if harnessed correctly.
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Brian Kelly is not the type to just blindly hand someone a starting job. He wants competition, and he has plenty of history at Notre Dame of benching starters or rotating quarterbacks even when there’s an established returning starter. As one team source put it, Kelly will push whatever buttons he needs to get the most out of the quarterback position.
This isn’t me implying drama. Daniels might just obviously be the quarterback and there’s nothing to it. Maybe Nussmeier is in the transfer portal in a week. But it will be interesting to see if Kelly gives both of them opportunities in the Citrus Bowl. Or maybe even five-star true freshman Walker Howard gets some reps. Regardless, it’s a chance for the quarterbacks to add to their resumes.
Will Garrett Nussmeier get a chance to prove himself in the Citrus Bowl? (John David Mercer / USA Today)Sophomore DL Sai’vion Jones
Of the players in this group so far, Jones has already earned the most notice. He’s rotated in consistently and even got a shoutout from Kelly after his big sack against Arkansas. This game will be his first chance to truly break out, though.
With starting defensive end Ali Gaye opting out, Jones will likely start at his strong-side end spot. Wiggins might be the sexy next young thing right now, but that was Jones a year ago at 6-6, 250 pounds. And he’s been developing well, looking like an SEC-ready lineman. Also, keep in mind LSU just signed Arizona transfer Paris Shand to compete at that end spot. LSU really likes Shand, so Jones could use a good performance Sunday to put himself ahead for that competition next year.
Redshirt freshman DB Sage Ryan
Ryan has been in the rotation and playing plenty all year. The former five-star prospect has been a perfectly solid backup nickel and safety behind Jay Ward and Greg Brooks. But has Ryan proven himself enough? He’ll be a third-year player next year, and while Ward is off the NFL, Brooks is back. Brooks is versatile enough to play safety, corner or nickel, which helps Ryan. But LSU has also signed five cornerbacks thus far through high school and the portal. Competition is going to increase there.
Ryan isn’t in danger of anything. He’s going to be in the mix regardless. But he also could use a breakthrough.
Thomas has proven himself to be a very good receiver over the past two seasons. He’s a massive 6-4, 201-pound target who wins most one-on-one situations. He also only has 27 catches this fall, and LSU just added dynamic Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson and two top-100 signees in Shelton Sampson Jr. and Jalen Brown.
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But Boutte leaving means Malik Nabers is the lone clear top pass-catcher for LSU. Thomas adds physicality and size, and Purdue has a weak big-play pass defense, as it gives up 20-plus yards on 11.9 percent of pass attempts — 109th in the country, per TruMedia. Boutte’s departure means even more of an opportunity for Thomas.
Much like Ryan, Thomas is going to see the field next year no matter what. But he also needs to take the next step, and the Citrus Bowl could be helpful for locking down the third starting spot.
(Top photo of Quency Wiggins: John Korduner / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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