BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU got considerable production out of its vaunted freshman class this season, but some members of the class are still waiting to contribute.
Today and tomorrow, we'll look at the freshmen who are in line to redshirt, as well as a couple who appeared in only a game or two. Today we begin with the players on offense.
Height/Weight: 6-4/309 pounds
ESPN prospect rating: Four stars, No. 54 overall prospect on ESPN 300, No. 1 offensive guard
2014 in review: The writing was on the wall when Brumfield and William Clapp signed in February in that LSU returned a wealth of experience along the line. Unless something catastrophic happened, they would most likely sit out the season and redshirt -- and that's what happened. Brumfield could be in line to play guard or center next season, particularly if one of the Tigers' underclassmen opt to enter the NFL draft.
Teammate's comments: "Brumfield is a very athletic guy. He kind of reminds me of Trai [Turner, a former LSU lineman and rookie with the Carolina Panthers] in a way. Clapp reminds me of maybe a little smaller P.J., if you remember [former LSU center] P.J. Lonergan. So those are two guys that played really good football at LSU, and they've gotten so much better from when they came in to now. I really like those guys. They're good guys and things like that, so they have a bright future." -- junior left guard Vadal Alexander
OL WILLIAM CLAPP
Height/Weight: 6-5/295 pounds
ESPN prospect rating: Four stars, No. 22 offensive guard
2014 in review: The son of former LSU captain Tommy Clapp worked behind veterans at guard and center during the season. Center might be where he eventually settles, however, with senior Elliott Porter completing his career and sophomore Ethan Pocic able to play multiple positions along the line.
Teammate's comments: "[Brumfield and Clapp have] both been working great at guard and center. They switch back and forth with it. They practice at center one day and they go back to guard the next day. They're going at it. ...I believe there's a little competition between them two -- like they're young, but they're always trying to see who can get it in." -- sophomore right tackle Jerald Hawkins
Height/Weight: 6-1/230 pounds
ESPN prospect rating: Four stars, No. 283 overall prospect on ESPN 300, No. 42 wide receiver
2014 in review: Of the four wide receivers LSU signed in February, Upchurch probably needed the most work. Trey Quinn and Malachi Dupre contributed immediately and D.J. Chark also appeared in a handful of games. Upchurch needed time to slim down a bit and learn LSU's offense. He'll have to compete for playing time with a number of young wideouts in 2015.
Teammate's comments: "He's grown a lot. From the first time I met him in the summer to yesterday, he's grown a lot. He's matured a lot. He was real heavy when he first got here and he's losing weight. He's growing as a person on and off the field. He's not doing some of the things he was doing when he first got here. He's more focused on football." – sophomore wide receiver Travin Dural
Height/Weight: 6-5/221 pounds
ESPN prospect rating: Four stars, No. 169 overall prospect on ESPN 300, No. 5 tight end (H)
2014 in review: As with the other offensive redshirts, Washington faced a logjam at his position when he arrived at LSU in the summer. The Tigers returned four tight ends who saw the field in 2013, plus they added junior college transfer Colin Jeter. Washington and the other young tight ends should have a much greater opportunity to play next season with seniors Logan Stokes and Travis Dickson completing their careers.
Teammate's comments: "I think Jacory's going to be a monster one day. He's big, tall, strong. Just coming here, they wanted him to put some size on and get used to the system and we had a lot of older guys in front of him, so they redshirted him. But it's definitely benefited him a lot. He looks a lot more comfortable out there at practice, especially blocking. I don't think he had ever blocked before he got here and he's actually going to be a very good blocker. Obviously y'all know about his receiving skills, so he's going to be very good." -- Stokes