With the deadline to declare for the NFL Draft approaching in a matter of hours, LSU has announced two players will be returning to Baton Rouge next season. Linebacker Kendell Beckwith and cornerback Tre’Davious White will come back for one more season in 2016, providing LSU with a pair of solid starters on defense to rely on once more.
“These are special guys,” LSU head coach Les Miles said in a released statement. “They have a real fondness and enjoyment for this football team. They are leaders; Kendell makes all the calls from the Mike linebacker spot and Tre’Davious wears No. 18, which has always been the mark of a leader. Decisions like this aren’t easy to make. These guys took their time, got all of the information necessary to make a real educated and quality decision.”
Miles also noted the obvious. LSU is returning a pretty loaded senior class for the first time in a while. LSU has sent plenty of talent on to the NFL, and that will still be the case, but LSU has commonly been one of the schools sending off a decent number of underclassmen through the NFL Draft process. Beckwith and White join wide receiver Travin Dural, center Ethan Pocic, defensive end Lewis Neal, defensive tackle Christian LaCouture and defensive back Rickey Jefferson in deciding to return to LSU in 2016. In LSU’s entire senior class of 2016, 12 have started at least one game for the Tigers.
“Anytime that you have a senior dominated team, you recognize that you are going to play with leaders, and guys always play their best year of football when they are most mature,” Miles said.
Also keep in mind LSU will also return running back Leonard Fournette for his junior season. LSU all of a sudden once again looks to have the kind of team that can make some real noise in the fall, especially if it is motivated to finish the job it could not in 2015. After starting 7-0 last season, LSU ran into a wall against Alabama and lost three straight games to fall from College Football Playoff lock to the Texas Bowl against Texas Tech. LSU opens the 2016 season against Wisconsin in Lambeu Field and could have a decent shot at getting to the bye week with another perfect record, which would include home wins against Mississippi State and Ole Miss in addition to road wins at Auburn and Florida. Then a chance for redemption would come on November 5 when Alabama comes to town.
Start taking a hard look at LSU. With the senior-heavy roster returning, another year for Fournette and a schedule that sees Alabama coming to Baton Rouge, there should be plenty of reason to start throwing them in the way-too-early playoff conversation.