LSU (10-3) vs SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (8-5); Las Vegas; 7:30PM ET; ABC … LSU had a huge impact on the 2024 draft when former QB Jayden Daniels and WR Malik Nabers were both selected within the first half dozen picks. And the Tigers could be back for more of the same next April as OT Will Campbell (#66, 6-5, 325) has top 5 potential for 2025. LT Campbell, in fact, combines with RT Emory Jones (#50, 6-5, 320), who has some late first round potential of his own, to give LSU the top 1-2 OT combination in the country. The Tigers also have decent replacements for Daniels and Nabers in veteran QB Grant Nussmeier (#13, 6-2, 220) and transfer WRs CJ Daniels (#4, 6-1, 205), Zavion Thomas (#0, 5-10, 195) and Kyren Lacy (#2, 6-2, 195), although none of the new players have the kind of all-America skill of the guys they lost. The Tigers also have intriguing prospects on the other side of the ball starting with OLB Harold Perkins (#7, 6-1, 225), a terrific athlete with top 15 potential, who should be more comfortable at OLB this fall rather than AT DE where he is somewhat undersized. Pro scouts are also intrigued to see rising TE Mason Taylor (#86, 6-5, 255), one of the top prospects at the position this year, along with DE Sai’vion Jones (6-3, 290) a freakish athlete with first round tools who has yet to be that productive to date. Meanwhile, other Tigers with later round grades include S Major Burns (#8, 6-2, 200), RB Josh Williams (#18, 5-9, 210), OG Miles Frazier (#70, 6-4, 325), DT Jalen Lee (#92, 6-2, 295) and CB Zy Alexander (#14, 6-1, 195).
While it appears that LSU was pretty much able to just reload after losing QB Daniels to Washington with the 2nd pick at the 2024 draft, Southern Cal is closer to rebuilding after Caleb Williams was the 6th former Trojan selected first overall at the an NFL. In fact, it doesn’t appear as if USC will be anywhere near close to have a player chosen at any point in the upcoming draft, although DT Bear Alexander (#90, 6-3, 315) should at least get some later second day interest. USC also has several veteran players who could get some third-interest including LB Mason Cobb (#13, 6-0, 230, DE Jamil Muhammad (#10. 6-1, 260), C Jonah Monheim (#79, 6-5, 310), RB Woody Marks (#4, 5-9, 210), CBs Greey Vance (#21, 5-11, 170) and safeties Arnold Akili (#0, 6-0, 200) and Bryson Shaw (#27, 6-0, 190). However, USC also has a couple of real wild cards. One is QB Miller Moss (#7, 6-2, 205), a redshirt junior with one lonely college start, but what a start as he set several records in last year’s Holiday Bowl. They there’s sophomore WR Zachariah Branch (#1, 5-10, 175), perhaps the most electric player in college football, but who won’t be draft-eligible until 2026.
