Sixteen means more than 14

By: TONY MARKS
Editor

DALLAS, Texas - Billy Cannon returning a punt for a touchdown against Ole Miss on Halloween night. Peyton Manning directing the Tennessee marching band after a win against Alabama. Larry Munson announcing, “Run, Lindsay, Run!” These are just some of the moments showing why things mean more in the Southeastern Conference.
A new round of expansion from 14 to 16 institutions with the addition of storied programs Texas and Oklahoma only adds to that list of moments not only on the football field but also on the basketball court and the baseball and softball diamond.
“We know who we are, and the Southeastern Conference, we’re the one conference at this level where the name still means something, the southeastern part of the United States, where when we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience,” said Commissioner Greg Sankey on the opening day of SEC Football Media Days.
About his team joining the SEC, first-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said, “It goes without saying, the SEC is a deep, incredibly competitive league, unlike any other in college football, and everything, everything, again, about this league is about parity. It’s about competitive depth. And it’s a one-possession league, as we’ve looked at it outside-in. You’ve got incredibly challenging venues. Every member of this conference, top to bottom, is committed to the excellence that this conference represents. And so as a football program, being in our first year, we are really looking forward to the challenge.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian expressed,
“As far as our transition into the Southeastern Conference, I think the key word is respect. We have a ton of respect for this conference. We have a ton of respect for the teams, the coaches, the players and the fans. This is the elite conference in college football, and we’re fortunate enough to be part of it.”
He continued, “We won’t do anything without having a level of respect of who we play, where we’re playing them, the types of players that they have, the coaching that they have, and I think on the flipside of that, we have to go earn their respect. We’re not going to get anything in this deal. Nothing is going to be free. We’re going to have to go earn the respect of our opponents, the opposing coaches, the opposing fans, and that’s going to be kind of on the forefront of what we do.”
As for LSU’s Brian Kelly, he said, “I want to welcome Texas and Oklahoma into the SEC, making this, in my opinion, the premier college football conference in the country. Deep, and competitive, and certainly now an incredible challenge from top to bottom.”
Tigers’ quarterback Garrett Nussmeier commented, “I think both OU and Texas are storied programs. I think adding them into the SEC only does good for the game. It creates a more competitive environment in the already most competitive conference in college football. I think it’s great for the conference and I think it’s great for the game.”
While the conference is now at 16 members, Sankey balked at any prospects of future expansion. He said, “We’re focused on our 16. I’ve said before at Media Days, I’m not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis. That attracts interest. It’s done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They’re not the only phone calls I’ve ever had, but I’m not involved in recruitment.”
He went on to say, “We’re focused on our 16, period. You’ve seen how we’ve made decisions over the last decade plus for contiguous states to join. I think that’s incredibly wise and provides remarkable strength. I’m not going to guess about what happens next.”
There was also talk about how LSU would replace a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback and first-round draft picks Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers.
Getting the starting nod behind center is Nussmeier, who waited for his chance to play at LSU instead of transferring to another institution.
“I love playing the game of football,” he said. “So, obviously, I wanted to be playing on Saturdays. But what kept me there was I felt like when I was making my decision out of high school where to go to school, I felt like there was a lot of prayer involved. And God brought me to LSU for a reason. I did not feel it was my time to just pack up and leave. I felt like it was my duty to just keep my head down and trust in His timing, just work. I know God’s timing is always right. Sometimes we want things right away, and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. So hopefully it will pay off in the long run. So I would say I just felt like I had to trust in Him and keep my head down.”
Regarding his team’s receiving corps, Kelly said, “I think when we look at our football team in its totality, there will be a number of players that we’ll count on. Kyren Lacey, he will certainly be a player that we lean on. But I think at the wide receiver position, there are probably six to eight players that will get the opportunity to contribute and make an impact.”
“We brought in CJ Daniels,” he continued. “I think he will help us. Zion will help us, the transfer from Mississippi State. I think we brought in the right mix of players to give us the depth necessary inside and out to make up for that lost production.”
Nussmeier said about his targets, “I think our receiver group as a unit, they’ve really stepped up. They understand the standard that they’re going to be held to being a receiver at LSU. And obviously we just had two first-round draft picks and two first-rounders in the past few years of Jensen and Lamar, and you look at the history of LSU receivers. It’s special. There’s a standard you’re held to playing receiver at LSU. I think our entire room and entire unit, they accept it and view it as a challenge. They view it as their opportunity to be that guy now. I think they’ve all stepped up really, really big this off-season into those shoes.”
Returning, though, is Mason Taylor. As Kelly said, he has been “our starting tight end since his freshman year when he caught the winning two point conversion against Alabama. He has only been one of the most consistent players for our football team, both on and off the field.”
Taylor said, “I think we lost some production this year with BT and Malik leaving, and I think there’s definitely room for opportunity. And I think the receiver group has done a great job of stepping in. As a tight end group and tight end unit, I think it’s really important for us to step in and show the coaches what we can do and it starts within practice. So we’ve got to prove that we can make those types of plays and that we can fill in these holes for this offense.”
Questions were also asked and answered about LSU’s defensive unit. As Kelly stated, his team’s goal this year is to “play the kind of offense and defense and special teams that complement each other. So the challenge this year for us going into the off-season was to make the kind of strides that bring our defense up to the standard necessary to play for a championship.”
He continued, “We feel like we’ve done that. Obviously we’ve got a little bit more work to do with our pre-season, and our opener will certainly test us when we open up against USC in Las Vegas, a game we’re certainly excited about.”
That defense now includes a beefed-up Harold Perkins, who moved from outside linebacker to inside linebacker.
“The transition has been wonderful,” he said. “Like I said previously, I trust the coaches to put me in the right position to be successful. The rest is on me. I trust in my abilities and my quality that God has blessed me with to go out and make a play. So I’m excited to where this year is going to go.”
To run the defense, LSU brought in Blake Baker as coordinator.
Perkins said about Baker, “Coach Baker is a joy to have around the building. He’s the DC, but obviously he’s my coach. He’s my position coach. So my first time meeting him, he came out to practice with some cleats on. It made me laugh a little bit because it speaks to the testament of what he’s saying. He comes out here wanting you to work, but obviously he’s working, too. He’s not just telling you what to do, he’s showing us how to do it. That’s one thing I love about him.”
Also brought in was Bo Davis as new defensive line coach.
Kelly said about Davis, “He has an incredible experience with success. He’s won national championships within the SEC, so players immediately identify with his success because it’s real. That carries onto the recruiting trail. Somebody that has done it, been there. I think we’re seeing that come to fruition early on in his tenure here at LSU.”
While eyes were on LSU in Dallas for the opening day of Media Days on Monday, July 15, the school was being represented on a broader stage about 15 miles to the west in Arlington on the following day as former LSU pitcher Paul Skenes started the MLB All-Star Game for the National League.
As Nussmeier said, Skenes “has done an unbelievable job, and he’s obviously represented the brand of LSU very, very well. You look at what Louisiana State University has been able to put out as far as professional athletes but also people who represent the brand, it’s pretty special.”
He continued,
“I think the three letters ‘L’ ‘S’ ‘U’ have grown into something more than just sports. I think it’s become almost like a brand, and I think LSU is one of the most special brands in the country. I don’t know that there’s anybody else in the country that has the power of the brand that we do right now.”
When asked if Nussmeier could hit off of Skenes, he quipped, “Absolutely not. No shot.”