LSU fans, grab a chair and maybe a stress ball, because the tea is piping, and Brian Kelly’s seat might just be melting after going curving the playoffs for 3 straight years. Picture this: It’s a sweltering Louisiana summer, the kind where the air feels like gumbo steam, and Baton Rouge is buzzing with expectations. Playoff dreams, revenge arcs, and big-time energy fill Tiger Stadium. The future of LSU football might just hinge on a kid who can’t decide what side of the line he wants to wreck—and a quarterback who’s trying to fill shoes he may never grow into.

Let’s talk about Lamar Brown—the human wrecking ball from University Lab School, chilling just down the road from Death Valley. The kind of recruit that gets entire SEC staffs sweating through their polos. ESPN just slapped the No. 1 overall ranking on his name, no cap. He’s 6’5”, 290 pounds, runs a freakin’ 4.85, and dominates both sides of the line like it’s backyard pickup. But instead of just picking a school and locking it down, Lamar’s out here undecided like it’s a love triangle—offense or defense, LSU or not. And guess who’s smack in the middle of it all? Brian Kelly.

On April 10, Lamar Brown dropped by Matt Moscona’s ‘After Further Review’ and, boy, did he leave more questions than answers. “So, I didn’t think I was that good at offense… until I actually played it. Yeah, so that’s how it started with the both-ways situation.” Lamar spilled. He flipped from D-line to O-line mid-high school and still cooked everyone like it was light work. He straight-up admitted he doesn’t even know what position he wants to play in college. “I always wanted to play defense… played it my whole life,” he said. But then came the curveball: “Now I’m lookin’ back like… do I really want to?”

That’s like being handed the aux cord at a party and not knowing if you wanna drop Drake or Ed Sheeran. And when asked if LSU was trying to bag him for both sides? “Mostly defense,” Lamar said. That could be a problem if he’s leaning offense down the line. Especially since every other blue blood in his top four—Miami, Texas A&M, Florida State—is sliding in with more flexible pitches.

Here’s the kicker: the kid’s not just top-tier talent, he’s local. Born and bred in Baton Rouge. This is a backyard battle for Brian Kelly, and losing a dude like Lamar to a rival? That’s the kinda L that haunts recruiting coordinators at night. Even worse, he’s set to visit LSU on June 20 but won’t announce till July 4. Independence Day for him, maybe implosion day for LSU. Let’s be real. Kelly can’t afford to fumble this bag. He’s coming off a 9-4 season, with zero Playoff appearances in three years. The pressure’s boiling, the boosters are lurking, and the fans? Already side-eyeing every move like it’s the last dance. If LSU can’t figure out how to use a generational talent, how the hell are they gonna get to the playoff?

And speaking of figuring things out—Garrett Nussmeier. LSU’s next-gen QB had his breakout in 2024 with 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. Sounds like a baller, right? But the vibes heading into 2025 ain’t exactly Heisman-worthy. Nussmeier’s got a cannon, but that LSU run game last year? Straight-up ghosted. And when defenses know you’re dropping back every snap, you end up playing Madden on All-Madden mode.

Brian Kelly feels the heat after tough news on Garrett Nussmeier’s struggles

Ari Wasserman from On3 didn’t sugarcoat it: “I think Garrett Nussmeier needs, and it’s not something Garrett Nussmeier can control, LSU to not abandon the run game so that it will allow Garrett Nussmeier to be a more efficient quarterback and face defenses that are playing him honestly instead of knowing he’s going to be dropping back to throw and calling plays accordingly. LSU abandoned the run game in critical situations over and over and over again last season… Nussmeier can throw the hell out of the ball, but they don’t need to be a 59% pass team.” Translation? LSU was so pass-heavy last year, it was like watching air raid meets panic mode. The Tigers only converted over four yards on 43.5% of their rushes—yeah, they didn’t even crack the top 100 nationally. That’s tragic, considering they had a top-10 rushing attack the year before.

The backfield trio of Caden Durham, Kaleb Jackson, and Josh Williams? Let’s just say they were still cooking in the oven. None averaged more than 2 yards per carry. Short-yardage plays? Cool. Everything else? Nah. It left Nussmeier exposed—out there throwing bombs with no real good balance. And guess what? Opposing DCs picked up on that quick.

And Nussmeier knows he ain’t Jayden Daniels. “Jayden and I are different football players. One of his premier abilities was his ability to run,” he said. “I’ll run when I need to, but my goal is to find the open guy and deliver the football.” Look, honesty’s cool, but defenses smell that fear like sharks in water. LSU’s system needs to protect him, not put the whole offense on his shoulders. He can sling it, sure—but he ain’t Houdini in cleats like Daniels was.

The pressure’s on Kelly to prove 2024’s 9-4 season wasn’t just more purple and gold mediocrity. They haven’t touched the playoff since the great Joe Burrow era. And if Nussmeier crumbles? It’s gonna get ugly in the Bayou for the coach and the quarterback. Bottom line? Brian Kelly’s playing chess with half the pieces missing, and his king’s already in check.

Between Lamar Brown’s indecision and a QB who’s still leveling up, LSU’s 2025 season is teetering on the edge. And the fans? They ain’t exactly the patient type. So yeah, Death Valley’s about to be loud—but if things go sideways, it won’t be from cheers. More like boos, hot seats, and the sound of playoff hopes slipping through tiger-striped fingers.