COACHING STAFF
Notable names
BRIAN KELLY, head coach
This is certainly stating the obvious, but no new arrival is bigger to LSU than Kelly’s. He brings with him one of the most impressive resumes in college football, lacking only a national championship. It’ll be fascinating to watch how he pieces together his program in pursuit of that prized possession.
MIKE DENBROCK Mike Denbrock, offensive coordinator
Denbrock comes to Baton Rouge to reunite with Kelly after working with him from 2010-2016 at Notre Dame. LSU’s new playcaller most recently helped lead Cincinnati to its first ever College Football Playoff, and he’ll inherit a full cupboard of talent as he looks to repeat that same success in purple and gold.
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MATT HOUSE, defensive coordinator
The Tigers’ new defensive coordinator may not have been the flashiest name in the eyes of LSU fans, but anyone who comes with the amount of experience as House does—as well as a ringing endorsement from local legend Tyrann Mathieu—warrants some excitement. House has coached every position on the defensive side of the ball, both in the NFL and the SEC.
FRANK WILSON, associate head coach/running backs coach
A familiar face is back in Baton Rouge. Wilson, who coached for the Tigers from 2010-2015, returns to his home-state school for a second stint after a pair of head coaching gigs at UTSA and McNeese State. The New Orleans native was one of the first hires of the Brian Kelly era, and he’ll be a pivotal piece to LSU’s in-state recruiting efforts.
INCOMING FRESHMEN
Notable names
WALKER HOWARD, quarterback
Remember the name Walker Howard. He may not win the starting job his first year on campus, but he has all the makings to be the next great LSU quarterback. He led St. Thomas Moore (Lafayette) to back-to-back Division II state titles in 2019 and 2020, throwing for 3,430 yards and 42 touchdowns in his junior season. His dad, Jamie, was a signal-caller for the Tigers from 1992-95 and still ranks in the Top 10 in school history for passing yards (6,158), passing TDs (34), and total offense (6,010).
HAROLD PERKINS, linebacker
Perkins will likely be the first member of this 2022 class to see the field for the Tigers. He leaves high school as the No. 9 recruit in the country, and 247sports.com has him rated the 16th best prospect LSU has ever landed. Perkins is originally from New Orleans but played high school ball at Cypress Park in Cypress, Texas, where he also featured as a running back.
WILL CAMPBELL, offensive tackle
It’s not often that true freshmen can crack the starting lineup on the offensive line, but Campbell will surely make a name for himself in Baton Rouge in due time. He was unanimously rated as one of the nation’s best offensive tackle prospects and already boasts an SEC frame, standing at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds.
QUENCY WIGGINS, defensive end
Wiggins has already made waves in Baton Rouge, having helped lead Madison Prep to its first-ever football state championship in 2020. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder will now head to LSU as one of the nation’s top defensive linemen and another top-100 ranked prospect in this 2022 signing class.
TRANSFERS
Notable names
NOAH CAIN, running back
With Ty Davis-Price off to the NFL and Corey Kiner transferring to Cincinnati, LSU could use a little extra support in the backfield. And it’ll be a warm homecoming reception for Cain, who is a Baton Rouge native that was high on LSU’s list as a recruit. He’s spent the past three seasons at Penn State and will bring a wealth of experience to the Tigers.
JAYDEN DANIELS, quarterback
It’s not an LSU preseason until there’s a quarterback controversy. Myles Brennan announced in late 2021 that he was returning to LSU for his senior season, and three months later Daniels decided to leave Arizona State to come to Baton Rouge, meaning the two will duke it out for the starting role. Daniels has thrown for more than 6,000 yards and 32 touchdowns as a Sun Devil, adding 1,288 rushing yards and 16 more touchdowns on the ground.
MILES FRAZIER, offensive lineman
More help on the offensive line is never going to be a bad thing, especially when it’s a linemen as talented as Frazier. The former Florida International standout chose LSU over schools like Ohio State, Florida State and Texas A&M, and could be an immediate contributor for the Tigers. Frazier, who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 304 pounds, played 648 snaps as a redshirt freshman for FIU.
JOE FOUCHA and GREG BROOKS JR., defensive backs
Foucha and Brooks both leave Arkansas to return to their home-state Tigers for their senior seasons. The defensive-back duo comes to LSU with a combined 64 starts under their belts, including 343 tackles, 8 sacks and 9 interceptions. Thanks in part in Foucha and Brooks, the Razorbacks gave up 24.0 points, 371.4 total yards and 215.1 pass yards per game last—all numbers better than the Tigers.
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This article was originally published in the August 2022 Tiger Pride issue of 225 magazine.