Through five games of the 2024 college football season, the LSU Tigers are sitting at 4-1 going into their bye week. The 13th-ranked team in the country will have their hands full in the back half of the schedule as Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma come to Baton Rouge and road trips to Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Florida also loom large.
However, the Tigers have gotten a ton of help from some breakout players to start the season, including a true freshman that has taken the offense by storm.
Aaron Anderson, WR
The former Alabama transfer and Edna Karr star has settled into quite the role in Brian Kelly’s offense so far. After struggling to find a spot in 2023, Anderson has exploded as a top target for Garrett Nussmeier. The sophomore currently leads the Tigers with 27 catches for 371 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one of them coming this past weekend against South Alabama.
Anderson has gone for 50+ receiving yards in each of the five games to start the season, including 96 in a tough road win against South Carolina.
Caden Durham, RB
There’s a list in recent years of true freshmen that have exploded on the scene at LSU, like Harold Perkins, Derek Stingley Jr, Leonard Fournette, and others.
Safe to say Caden Durham can be added to that list.
The true freshman running back from Oklahoma City is currently the Tigers’ leading rusher with 244 yards on 29 carries to go along with three touchdowns in just two games of meaningful action. He ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the Gamecocks before dominating South Alabama’s defense for over 200 total yards and a pair of touchdowns last weekend. His first two touches totaled 157 yards and a touchdown as he had a career night and missed the second half with a foot injury.
Bradyn Swinson, DE
Swinson has stepped up in a big way in a spot that has had stars with BJ Ojulari and Mekhi Wingo in recent years. Swinson has recorded five sacks and two forced fumbles through the first five games as three of his sacks came at South Carolina and the other two at home against UCLA. With the loss of Perkins for the season, Swinson has had to step in as the main pass rusher for the Tigers.
LSU will return from their bye week to face # 12 Ole Miss in an SEC Primetime matchup. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on ABC. Pregame will begin at 4:30 p.m. and all the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.
