Andre Sam;

LSU football was in a tight spot on a steamy September evening in Tiger Stadium. The explosive offence of the Tigers was faltering. After scoring scores on its last drive, Arkansas’s offence was beginning to gain confidence when Jayden Daniels threw an interception, ending a potentially successful drive. Arkansas made the decision to try its luck in an attempt to profit. Anxiously, the 100,000-person crowd rose to their feet as veteran gunslinger KJ Jefferson launched a pass over the middle, changing the course of the game.

Raucous cheers swiftly replaced nervous breaths. Tyrone Broden was impeded from establishing an early lead in the game by Andre’ Sam, who moved ahead of him to intercept the ball. Sam had no choice, but the play was big. The sixth-year senior and former walk-on didn’t let those situations phase him; he had to make the play.

Walker Howard

Walker Howard, a former quarterback for LSU, will be playing for head coach Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford. Howard will be a redshirt freshman in 2022 and will have four more years of eligibility at his new school. After his lone season in Baton Rouge, Howard—a former 5-star prospect in the 2022 class—was highly praised by the LSU coaching staff. All indications were that Howard would play a larger part when Jayden Daniels’ tenure in Death Valley concluded in 2023, with the LSU legacy being “up next,” but things swiftly altered.

Brian Kelly, the head coach, frequently mentioned the progress Howard has made since coming to the university in the spring: Because I attend the quarterback meetings, I would say that our knowledge base grows each day that he is here. He knows a great deal about football. He has a powerful mind. It’s fantastic that he thinks he is superior to every quarterback we have. That’s amazing, Kelly remarked. He just wears that style of makeup, which is what you want. I don’t mean that in any other manner. Everyone in the room is respected by him. However, he is still growing and we feel positive about him.

An early enrollee in the spring, Howard sat behind Daniels, Brennan and Garrett Nussmeier while he learned the ropes. Clearly Brennan elected to hang up his cleats, but for Howard to have some time to soak in the knowledge of a quarterback like Brennan, who has been around for quite some time, is crucial.

Now, the Louisiana native will take his talent to Ole Miss for the 2023 season as he competes for starting duties against returning signal-caller Jaxon Dart.

Jaelyn Davis-Robinson

Jaelyn Davis-Robinson, a former cornerback for LSU, revealed on Twitter on Thursday that he has committed to SMU. The explosive defensive back, who had an unofficial visit to SMU in December, will play for the Mustangs in 2023. The Texas native, who has spent just one season in Baton Rouge, is going back to his home state with the intention of making an early impression. In 2022, Davis-Robinson will still be eligible to play for SMU for four more years if he keeps his redshirt status.

Prior to bowl preparation, Brian Kelly gave the young player high marks and said that getting him on the pitch would have been essential to his growth. While preparing for the bowl last month, Kelly stated, “We protected some guys this year (Quency Wiggins and Jaelyn Davis-Robinson), there’s some young guys that need some work that I think this is going to be an effective first couple of 4-5 practices where we can really lean on them.”