In 2023, the LSU Tigers didn't get much production out of their tight end room. Mason Taylor sprained his ankle early in the season and finished with 348 yards and one touchdown. Behind him, Mac Markway and Ka'Morreun Pimpton combined for four catches, 17 yards and one score. But, despite all of that, the Tigers expect to get a ton of production from their TEs this season.
Heading into fall camp, there seemed to be a clear pecking order; Taylor was the starter, Markway and Pimpton would rotate in with/behind him, and freshman Trey'Dez Green would be the fourth option. However, that didn't last very long as Markway entered the transfer portal a few days after the start of camp, and honestly, I can't blame him.
14 practices into camp, Pimpton and Green have been dominating. Taylor is still very obviously the No. 1 option, but those two youngsters have come along quite nicely. They've not only made plays in the passing game, but they've dedicated themselves to improving as blockers, which has allowed Brian Kelly, Joe Sloan and Cortez Hankton to feel very confident in the freshman and sophomore.
"They're young. Trey'Dez was standing around the pile and got rolled up. You can't be standing around, but they're learning and are so talented," said Brian Kelly. "I think Pimpton has really taken that next step to where he's really sticking his nose in there aggressively, run blocking and catching the ball. I see Trey'Dez making progress as well, so I'm excited about them, and who wouldn't be excited about those two guys? They are unique individuals in terms of what they can do in the passing game, and they're really coming along in the run game."
By having three tight ends that can come into the game and be productive in both the run and pass game, it opens up a whole new world of formations and plays in the offense. Joe Sloan talked about running more 12 and 13 personnel earlier this fall, and Brian Kelly echoed his statement on Saturday.
"Without question I think you'll see 12 personnel, I think you'll see 13 personnel. Just from watching the scrimmage, you can't help but notice [Ka'Morreun Pimpton] and [Trey'Dez Green]. We know about Mason Taylor, but those two guys in particular really show."
For those of you that don't know, 12 personnel means there are two tight ends, two receivers and one running back on the field at the same time. 13 personnel means there are three tight ends, one receiver and one running back.
Last year, we hardly ever saw more than one tight end on the field at a time, and that was okay due to the Tigers having two elite receivers and very mobile quarterback. Their offense is going to feature a more traditional run game this season, so being able to throw two or three tight ends on the field at a time also opens up a lot more run designs.
LSU's offense has the pieces in place at every position to be elite this season. They have a "veteran" quarterback, who doesn't have a ton of playing experience, but has been at LSU for three seasons with virtually the same offensive coaching staff. They have an elite offensive line to protect and block for him and their explosive running backs. They have a trio of talented receivers with good depth. And they have a tight end room that could be one of the best in terms of pass catching in the nation.
The Tigers don't have the top-end talent to rely on three guys to gain 70+ percent of their yards like last year, but this team is deep and has a ton of options. They might not be 40 points per game good, but they should be one of the premier offenses in the nation if everything pans out.
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