LSU players had their heads hung low after their disappointing defeat in the BCS National Championship, but it didn’t take them long to turn their attention to 2012.
Most players expressed high hopes for next season in their postgame interviews, vowing they would return to the title game. The “MIAMI2013” hashtag even became popular on Twitter, representing the championship’s location in Miami in January 2013.
“Sorry for letting [Tiger Nation] down,” junior kicker Drew Alleman posted on Twitter after the game. “This will NEVER happen again. NEVER…We will be back for revenge. Get ready MIAMI.”
Reporters asked LSU coach Les Miles several times leading up to the championship if he expected the Tigers to return to the big stage next season. Miles shrugged off those questions, saying he’d wait until after the championship game to discuss the 2012 campaign.
But three days after the game — during a press conference to announce the departure of defensive tackle Michael Brockers and cornerback Morris Claiborne for the NFL — Miles hinted that LSU will not experience a dropoff next season.
“Defense and special teams fall together pretty comfortably,” Miles said. “Offensively, graduating two quarterbacks, there will be a definite shift in philosophy. It will be a great challenge. It’s something our coaching staff is looking forward to, as well as a great segment of our team.”
LSU will lose 12 players who started games in 2011 — six on offense and six on defense — and three players will depart early for the NFL, including Brockers, Claiborne and wide receiver Rueben Randle.
Randle’s departure leaves some questions at wide receiver as rising junior Zach Mettenberger is expected to take over the quarterback position.
Mettenberger, who played in five games in 2011 and completed eight of 11 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, will replace senior quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee as the LSU signal caller. The inconsistent quarterback play through the last few seasons has had fans eagerly awaiting Mettenberger’s opportunity to start.
LSU will return all its running backs from 2011 and will only lose Will Blackwell and T-Bob Hebert from an offensive line that paved the way for the Southeastern Conference leaders in total rushing yards.
Rising junior Josh Williford is the front-runner to replace Blackwell, and the Tigers will likely be aided by the return of offensive guard Josh Dworaczyk, who missed 2011 due to injury but is expected to receive a medical redshirt and sixth year of eligibility.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed and hoping everything works out,” Dworaczyk said. “It looks good right now, and I have a lot of confidence.”
Along the defensive line, LSU must replace Brockers, who had 54 tackles and two sacks last season, and defensive end Ken Adams, who added 12 starts and 22 tackles. Miles said Josh Downs, Ego Ferguson and Anthony Johnson should compete for Brockers’ spot.
“We’ve got talent all around the board,” Brockers said. “In the spring, those guys have to fight for position, because they can start anywhere in the country, on any team.”
The Tigers also graduate three linebackers from the 2011 squad — Ryan Baker, Stefoin Francois and Karnell Hatcher — but rising juniors Kevin Minter, Tahj Jones and Lamin Barrow, who all received significant playing time, are expected to fill the void.
In the secondary, LSU will need to replace Claiborne, a Thorpe Award winner and potential top-five draft pick. Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu and fellow rising junior Tharold Simon started opposite Claiborne in 2011.
“We have a lot of depth on this team and we have a lot of talent,” Claiborne said. “This team’s going to be good for years to come. The talent we have on this team is unreal.”