GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
MOBILE, Alabama – LSU football coach Brian Kelly mixed in some new recruiting with some old Thursday afternoon here at the Senior Bowl practices.
Kelly ran up to and high fived former LSU defensive end Sai’vion Jones toward the end of practice and visited with the other ex-Tigers who will play for the American team vs. the National team on Saturday (1:30 p.m., NFL Network) at Hancock Whitney Stadium in the premier college all-star game in the country played here since 1951.
Jones, a senior from St. James High, and the other four Tigers here are all expected to be selected during the NFL Draft on April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Those are junior tight end Mason Taylor, junior offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr., senior guard Miles Frazier and senior guard Garrett Dellinger. Red-shirt juniors who had graduated have been eligible to play in the Senior Bowl since 2013, and juniors who declare for the draft, such as Taylor and Jones, have been eligible since last year.
Kelly signed Taylor and Jones to his first LSU recruiting class in 2022. Frazier transferred to LSU after his 2020 and ’21 seasons at Florida International.
After practice, Kelly made the four-mile drive from Hancock Whitney to St. Paul’s Episcopal High to visit four-star prospect Anthony Jones (6-foot-3, 240 pounds), who is the No. 4 prep edge rusher in the nation by 247sports.com for the Class of 2026.
Jones is the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 2 player in Alabama. LSU is listed as “warm” by 247sports.com among the schools that offered him scholarships along with Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. Listed among the schools he has a “cool” interest in are Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Texas, USC, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Clemson, Florida and Florida State.
Kelly said he has heard great things about Taylor, a three-star prospect in 2022 from St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, and Jones, a four star from Catholic High in Baton Rouge that year, while at the Senior Bowl.
“Mason Taylor is what we all thought he was,” Kelly told Tiger Rag after the practice “And that is a extremely talented tight end who shows himself against the very best. And we all knew that coming in.”
The Senior Bowl, particularly over the last 20 years, has routinely produced high draft choices and a tremendous volume of picks. A total of 110 players from the 2024 Senior Bowl were drafted last year – 43 percent of the draft.
LSU OFFENSIVE LINEMAN MILES FRAZIER HAS BEEN A SENIOR BOWL STANDOUT
“I think the guy who really helped himself? Miles Frazier,” Kelly said. “His ability to play tackle, play guard, his sets. And versatility is so important on an NFL roster, particularly on the offensive line.”
In addition to the quality competition, the eyes are at the Senior Bowl. More than 900 personnel from all 32 NFL teams, including most general managers, coaches and scouting directors, have been in town for the practices and player interviews. Kelly knows what they will be getting from his LSU contingent.
“Emery is an incredible athlete and one who is going to continue to get better,” he said. “I think his best football is in front of him. Garrett Dellinger is consistent. Every single day you know what you’re going to get from him, and look, when you’re talking about the offensive line, you want a guy who you can count on every day. And Sai’vion Jones, again when you’re talking about versatility? He played the 2, played the 3, played the 4, played out at the 5 on the defensive line. He’s got great versatility.”
LSU senior wide receiver Kyren Lacy was invited to the Senior Bowl, but he was taken off the roster shortly after his arrest for felony negligent homicide and hit-and-run after allegedly causing a fatal accident near his hometown of Thibodaux last December that killed former Marine Herman Hall. A State Police investigation later led to a warrant being issued for Lacy’s arrest on Jan. 10. He was bailed out of jail on Jan. 12 for $151,000. Lacy was considered a mid-round selection in the seven-round draft, but that status is obviously in jeopardy, depending on what happens in an upcoming trial or plea bargain.
“What I’m proud of the most with these guys is they don’t care. They’ll play wherever you ask them to play,” Kelly said. “They’ll move around. They’re great teammates, and they’re going to be successful in the NFL.”
Kelly says he has always gone to the Senior Bowl.
“It’s important to show your support for your guys as they go on to that next step,” he said. “It’s always been about my players being here.”
LSU TO HAVE QUIET SIGNING DAY PART 2 WEDNESDAY
As far as his Class of 2025, Kelly has no plans to sign anyone on Wednesday, which is the second national signing day. He signed 23 back during the early signing period in December for a No. 7 ranking in 247sports.com. And Kelly has the reigning No. 1 Transfer Portal class by 247sports.com with 16.
“Nobody,” he said. “We’re not signing anybody. We’re focused strictly on our 2026 class right now, and the guys who are on campus. So, it’ll be nice when it goes dead at LSU on Sunday (recruiting dead period begins through Wednesday). Zero. We have zero. We’ve got 16 who came in with the portal, and another 12 or 15 who came in early as freshmen. So, we’re focused on those guys and ready to go.”
Kelly said the team will be virtually completely healthy entering spring practice, which is expected to start the first week of March.
“We have all of our guys,” he said. “We have a couple guys who might be limited in terms of drills, but it’s a healthy football team and looking forward to an exciting year.”
BRIAN KELLY NOT DISCUSSING COLIN HURLEY’S CONDITION
One of the LSU players who may be limited if he practices over spring is freshman quarterback Colin Hurley of Jacksonville, Florida. A 2024 signee, Hurley was hospitalized at Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge after driving his car into a tree at about 3 a.m. on Jan. 16. Since he is only 17 and a minor, Kelly and LSU officials will not be discussing Hurley’s health status at this time.
“We are confident that Colin will make a full recovery from this terrible accident,” a statement from Hurley’s family released via LSU said on Jan. 16. “Colin would like to thank the first responders, the incredible doctors and nurses at Our Lady of the Lake, and the many Tiger fans for their care and compassion.”
Hurley was in stable condition at the Lake and undergoing tests, the statement said at the time. His condition has since not been updated by the family or by LSU.
COLIN HURLEY WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE
“Since Colin is a minor, we are working through the proper protocols with his family before we can have any comment,” LSU athletic department spokesman Zach Greenwell told Tiger Rag at the time of the accident.
“We’re deferring to the family for any updates on his condition,” Greenwell told Tiger Rag on Thursday.
Efforts to reach Hurley’s family in recent days by Tiger Rag have been unsuccessful.
LSU’S HIRE OF FLORIDA STATE ASSISTANT TO BE OFFICIAL SOON
As of Friday afternoon, LSU still had not officially hired former Florida State offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Alex Atkins to be its running game coordinator and tight ends coach, but was still going through the process. He is expected to be named over the weekend or early next week.
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