Everyone knows that LSU’s 2015 season hinges on quarterback play.

As Anthony Jennings was ineffective in 2014, and as his backup (then-freshman Brandon Harris) couldn’t wrestle the job away from him, last fall became a lost season for the Tigers.

All spring, Les Miles and Cam Cameron talked about the strides that both Jennings and Harris have made. That’s great, but we heard many of the same platitudes from those two last season. Until the season gets here, we won’t know whether the player who grabs the starting job has actually made major improvements.

Outside of the quarterbacks, LSU does have other keys to the season. Miles has proven before he can win without an above-average quarterback — just look at 2011 — and he may well have to do it again this season.

Leaving Jennings and Harris out, here are the biggest keys to LSU finding success in 2015.

  1. Interior line development — LSU is totally reshuffling its offensive line heading into the season and will have new full-time starters at all five spots. The tackles shouldn’t be an issue, with Jerald Hawkins and Vadal Alexander both bringing plenty of experience. Ethan Pocic, who will start at either guard or center, is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the conference. Who else plays in the middle is still up for grabs, though, and those positions will be manned by players with little experience. LSU will be reliant on its run game, and that will hinge on how quickly the interior can get up to speed.
  2. Backfield depth – Speaking of that running game, LSU is thin on veterans. Both Leonard Fournette and Darrel Williams saw plenty of action as freshmen, but they shared the backfield with two departed seniors. In place of those vets will be two freshmen, Derrius Guice and Nick Brossette, as well as freshman fullback David Ducre. Fournette is going to be a workhorse, and you can likely pencil him in for close to 250 carries. That still leaves a lot of carries for his backups to soak up, and those freshmen will have to be ready to play in the SEC for LSU to maintain its ground dominance.
  3. Juicing up the pass rush — Ed Orgeron is one of the most highly regarded defensive line coaches in the nation, and he has a tall task in his first year at LSU. The Tigers had one of the worst pass rushes in the conference last fall, generating just 19 sacks and 37 quarterback hurries. They also lose their starting defensive ends from 2014, Jermauria Rasco and Danielle Hunter. Orgeron will be turning to a new group of ends to supply that pressure, and most of them have little experience at the position. Two of the potential starters, Maquedius Bain and Lewis Neal, both played defensive tackle last year. Orgeron does get back a strong pair on the inside in Davon Godchaux and Christian LaCouture, and those two will have to work in concert with the defensive end rotation to generate consistent pressure.
  4. Wide receivers stepping up — LSU is oozing with talent at receiver. Travin Dural was one of the most frightening deep threats in the country last year, while Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn both flashed huge potential as freshmen. They’ll be joined by several elite recruits this fall, giving LSU as much firepower out wide as any team this side of Texas A&M. Those receivers will be crucial in helping the quarterbacks along. Dural was a one-trick pony in the passing game last year, and it took running sweep plays for him late in the season to get the ball in his hands; he’ll need to improve his abilities on patterns other than deep routes. Dupre blossomed in spring as a threat playing in the slot, which could provide a new outlet for LSU to move the ball through the air. If Quinn has ironed out his issue with drops and if D.J. Chark builds on his spring performance, we could be looking at a dangerous group.
  5. Thin linebacker group in a new scheme — After not signing any linebackers in 2015, LSU will have just seven scholarship ‘backers on the roster this fall. That group has a clear leader in Kendell Beckwith, who brings plenty of experience, but they’ll have to master Kevin Steele’s scheme quickly, since there’s no one to fall back on at the position. LSU will still run a 4-3 scheme, but will mix in multiple fronts, giving the linebackers more roles and responsibility than in years past. The rest of the defense is brimming with talent, and the LBs will have to be the lynchpin to keep the Tigers at the top of the SEC’s defensive rankings.