LSU coach Brian Kelly messed up the timetable.

His first season was supposed to be the start of a gradual rebuild after he inherited a program that produced a 5-5 record in 2020 and a 6-7 record in 2021.

But Kelly’s first team won the SEC West title last season and finished 10-4. With that as a benchmark heading into Year 2, the expectations for the 2023 season are much higher that anyone would have projected when Kelly was hired.

The Tigers might be CFP contenders – or maybe being significantly better than last season is a bit unrealistic for a roster still in need of reinforcements.

Here are 10 burning questions as LSU opens camp:

1. How will the running back rotation evolve?

Suddenly what was once a thin position is a very deep one, especially if John Emery Jr. gets academically eligible, which Kelly said at SEC Media Days was his expectation.

Josh Williams, Noah Cain, Emery and Armoni Goodwin all had between 250 and 550 rushing yards, while quarterback Jayden Daniels led the team with 885 yards last season.

All 4 of those backs return and will be joined by Notre Dame transfer Logan Diggs, Oklahoma transfer Tre Bradford and highly touted freshmen Trey Holly and Kaleb Jackson.

There aren’t enough carries available for everyone to get involved so preseason camp will establish a pecking order and a rotation that should lessen the burden on Daniels as a runner.

2. Who will start at left guard?

The Tigers return all 5 starters on what should be a strong offensive line, but there is competition on the interior.

Garrett Dellinger is the incumbent at left guard, but figures to be pushed by Maryland transfer Mason Lunsford.

3. Who will start at center?

The center position shapes up in fashion similar to that of left guard.

Charles Turner III is the incumbent, but he figures to be pushed by veteran Marlon Martinez.

4. Will the special teams be better?

The special teams had recurring breakdowns throughout last season, ultimately leading to coordinator Brian Polian being moved to an off-the-field role before he was hired as athletic director at John Carroll University.

Kelly promoted senior defensive analyst John Jancek, who has been a defensive coordinator at 8 different colleges, to succeed Polian. But when defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey stepped away from the program to deal with “a personal health matter” on Wednesday, Kelly named Jancek to take on Lindsey’s role.

Bob Diaco, who had been a senior defensive analyst, took over Jancek’s duties as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. Diaco, a former head coach at Connecticut, has coached special teams at 4 schools, including Virginia. He worked on Kelly’s staffs at Central Michigan, Cincinnati and Notre Dame.

The arrival of Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson as a return specialist (in addition to being a wide receiver) should give a boost to the special teams.

5. How will the newcomers in the secondary fare?

The Tigers have dependable veteran starters at safety in Greg Brooks and Major Burns, but the cornerback, nickelback and backup positions are up for grabs, mostly among newcomers.

The group features transfers in Denver Harris (Texas A&M), Zy Alexander (Southeastern Louisiana), Duce Chestnut (Syracuse), JK Johnson (Ohio State) and Andre Sam (Marshall).

Additionally, the coaches are trying to find the best fit for promising true freshman Javien Toviano.

6. Which freshman tight end will emerge?

The Tigers have one of the best receiving tight ends in the SEC in Mason Taylor, but they don’t have a proven player behind him.

They brought in 3 true freshmen who will compete for playing time behind Taylor – Ka’Morreun Pimpton, Mac Markway and Jackson McGohan.

7. Are the edge rushers ready for SEC competition?

LSU feels good about the competition here, but none of the competitors has played a down in SEC.

Two transfers – Ovie Oghoufo (Texas) and Bradyn Swinson (Oregon) – as well as true freshman Shawn Womack will battle for spots on the depth chart during preseason camp.

8. How will Harold Perkins adapt to a new role?

Perkins had a significant impact as a true freshman last season, primarily by being disruptive in opponents’ backfields from his outside linebacker spot.

LSU thinks he can be even better by lining up some at middle linebacker and moving around so that opponents have an even more difficult time tracking him and slowing him down.

9. How much better will Jayden Daniels be?

Daniels got more comfortable and confident as last season went along and the expectation is that his growth will continue in his 2nd season in coordinator Mike Denbrock’s offense.

The former Arizona State quarterback is expected to be one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC, but the Tigers’ hopes of reaching the CFP will largely be tied to whether he can have an SEC Offensive Player of the Year/Heisman Trophy contender type of season.

10. Will the Tigers be better prepared to open the season against Florida State?

LSU opens the season against Florida State for a 2nd consecutive season, traveling to Orlando a year after playing Kelly’s 1st game in the Caesars Superdome.

The Seminoles won last year’s game 24-23 as the Tigers turned in a sloppy performance that didn’t hint at the success that the season would ultimately produce.

Both FSU and LSU enter this season with much higher expectations than a year ago.

A Tigers victory would strengthen a likely Top 10 ranking, but a similar outcome to last year’s opener would get the season off to a concerning start.