Report: LSU OL Cole Smith enters NCAA transfer portal
It appears that LSU may lose some OL depth.
According to a report by 247Sports, OL Cole Smith (Pontotoc, Mississippi) has entered the NCAA transfer portal after speaking with Ed Orgeron. Smith signed with LSU in the class of 2018, and he was rated a 3-star prospect and ranked as the nation’s No. 8 center and the state of Mississippi’s No. 6 overall prospect, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.
The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Smith is projected to be the second-team center this season. Smith’s father played at Mississippi State and in the NFL with three different teams.
The redshirt freshman became the eighth LSU player to enter the NCAA transfer portal this off-season. It’s worth noting that Smith may eventually return to LSU, but entering the portal allows programs to have contact with him.
I had high hopes for his future. I guess he wasn’t progressing as hoped.
Obviously processed out of LSU. As they have been cross training Chasen Hines for the position.
Good. Cole Smith’s performance in the spring game proved he is far from ready for the SEC.
I’m curious…..why does Ed Orgeron look so much like Erk Russell?…
Well LSU did have to lose a bunch of players to get to the roster limit and if you and the coaches know you don’t stand a chance of playing then leaving becomes mutual.
The OLine is by far our weakest position group, and the 2020 commitment class has done nothing to improve that. This is concerning going forward.
Wow…you are acting like the sky is falling in and we need to panic and then run for our lives and every man for himself.
Nonetheless, just cause not many offensive linemen have committed thus far, it doesn’t mean that Coach O won’t get any to commit. As we have a lot of good offensive linemen in play. Unfortunately, though, Coach O has no power of when they will pull the trigger, but nonetheless, why even panic about it before the 2020 recruiting year ends in February 8 months away?
Not to mention, that even if the offensive line doesn’t improve one iota, the new RPO spread offense with its quick passing game is designed to take as much pressure off the offensive line as possible. As on RPO plays, the offensive line run-blocks, as opposed to pass-blocks and the offensive line last season was astronomically far better at run-blocking relative to pass-blocking. Not to mention, that new quick passing game is also designed to get the ball out as quickly as possible to also take as much pressure off the offensive line as possible.
Nonetheless, during the spring the coaching staff and many of the players said the offensive line was the one unit that had improved the most during the spring. Hence, I’m not saying the offensive line won’t be an issue again this season, but if it is, it won’t be nearly as big of an issue as it was in 2018. As the coaching staff recognized what our major weakness was from last season and therefore, logically made adjustments to help alleviate that weakness.
Coaches say a lot of things, and much of it really isn’t true. We don’t have any quality OLineman in a 20 person class so far. That needs to be the main focus from here on out. Hiding a weakness isn’t near as good as fixing it.
275 is just loo small for center at a big-time SEC school, especially after a year in the program. Center is often taking on 320-lb nosetackles or interior D-linemen. You can get away with it at 300 or a little under if you have great technique and leverage (David Andrews comes to mind), but a 275-lb center at LSU just isn’t ideal.
Wasn’t there the possibility of him moving over to DE or TE even…