During his weekly interview on 104.5's "Off the Bench" with Jordy Culotta and T-Bob Hebert, LSU head coach Ed Orgeron gave an update on early enrollees, players returning, new offensive hires and the defensive coordinator search.
Read everything Orgeron had to say below:
On Austin Deculus returning: "We needed that. Austin's been a great young man from Houston, Texas. His mom and dad have Louisiana ties. Austin has been a great leader for us, a great young man. It goes to show our whole offensive line is coming back and it should be the strength of our football team next year."
On new offensive coaches Jake Peetz, DJ Mangas: "We went hard on Joe Brady's recommendations. While we were going through the season we had constant contact with Joe and finding out who was the best fit for us here at LSU. We are so excited about Jake and DJ coming back. They've already been meeting and rave reviews from the players they talked to. We going strictly to the offense we had two years ago and I know our fans are going to be excited about it."
On offseason schedule: "Coaches are meeting on offense and I'm handling defense right now obviously we only have one full time coach on defense and our analysts, but we're still doing our work from last season. ... There's no mandatory lifting until next week and Monday is Martin Luther King Day so everyone is off then Tuesday we start football school. We ready to go."
On the defensive coordinator search: "We have a lot of great candidates. It's about getting the right fit. Hopefully we can get him within the next week, but we're going to take our time to get the right people in here. I wanted to get the offense first. Defensively, I can handle it. I've coached defense all my life. We can take care of it until we get the right guys and I do believe the right guys will come along."
On DL returning and the defensive potential: "I think we can be one of the top defenses in the conference, at least a top 20 defense, which would be a big improvement from last year. You don't want to put too much on them. Our defensive line knows they have some positives and some strengths and hopefully we can get in better shape. We got to lose weight, we got to be quicker and faster. I'm so glad that these guys are coming back and I'm also excited about the young guys that we signed; Maason Smith, Bryce Langston, Landon Jackson, Zavier Carter and there's still a couple out there we have to sign. We're going to be stacked on the defensive line for years to come."
Goals for backup OL this offseason: "We have meetings with Tommy Moffitt and we're going over everybody's strengths and weaknesses. What they need to get better at. What weight they need to be at. Where they need to get stronger at. It's a tremendous meeting, especially for these young guys. For example, Anthony Bradford came back yesterday a slim 347 and he may have left here at 370 so he's got an idea that it's his time and he's got to get bigger and stronger. It gives these guys coming back another year to develop and hopefully get more playing time as the season goes on."
On the early enrollees adjusting to college: "We had a meeting on Saturday and it was the first time I met some of these guys. I recruited them on Zoom. I felt awkward. I never been in their homes. It was different, but we laughed about it.
"Garrett Nussmeier, Garrett Dellinger, Maason Smith, Navonteque Strong, first time I ever met him, Deion Smith, Derrick Davis, first time I ever met him in person all the way from Pennsylvania, Landon Jackson, Peyton Todd, who looks great from West Monroe High School and Zavier Carter. What a great group of guys."
Are you looking for any particular in interview process? 3-4, 4-3? "We can play. You got to be multiple nowadays. I don't think you can only play one or the other. All the great defenses I've been around, I don't know if you're seeing any great defenses right now, but the better defenses are playing both. Play 3-4 to stop the run and play some nickel packages and most nickel packages are 4-3. I think if you can remain flexible, which we have, the talent on the defensive line can play both. I think you need to remain flexible there."
Any idea when camps can happen or opening recruiting up? "No, it's April 15. We don't know and haven't asked. I don't know what's going to happen after April 15. Hopefully, we can go, but it still remains to be seen."
On early return from Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas: "In the interview process, obviously those guys knew Joe Brady's offense especially the empty packages and passing game out of it ... the teaching of the quarterback, the teaching of how to read defenses and the multiplicity to which we can do things. I think you're going to see a new offense similar to the one we had with Joe (Brady) but these guys are going to expand on it and they have free rein to go after it. I told them what I wanted to see. I want to see an offense that scores a lot of points, a spread offense that gives the ball to our playmakers in space and let them go make plays."
Is this QB room the best LSU has had? "I think it's a good room. I don't know if we'll ever replace Joe (Burrow), hopefully we do. He holds a special place here at LSU, but I think some of these guys have the makings of Joe and what he did. Overall, this is a great quarterback room. Look at the guys coming in and the guys committed to us, so since I've been here this is the best overall room -- no question."
On coaches who remain stable and loyal to LSU: "Very loyal. Recruiting over the holidays. We had three weeks off. We never have three weeks off during this period, but those guys were on the phone with me; helping me recruit coaches, talking to the players; helping me recruit players to come back. James Cregg did a great job getting his whole offensive line back. They were recruiting graduate transfers. We still have a couple scholarships left to go. We got 2021 we have to finish and we also have 2022. We have a great start to 2022."
