LSU Football 2022 Site Visit

As I am traveling down to NSCA Coaches conference 2025 down in New Orleans I am reminded of the last time I flew into Louisiana. Back in the spring of 2022 I was fortunate enough to visit Coach Jake Flint and the football S&C staff at LSU. This was the first site visit I did to a power house football facility but was not the last. In the summer of 2024 I visited Coach Kaz Kazadi and the TCU football staff you can click here to learn about that experience.



The spring of 2022 was the first spring for Jake and his staff with LSU. You see Jake had the difficult task of coming into LSU and replacing a legend S&C in Coach Tommy Moffitt. From my perspective on what I read and heard - there was a lot of criticism to Head Football Coach Brian Kelly for not retaining Moffitt considering the success he had winning 3 national championships with three different head football coaches. Not to mention the fact that Jake was “only” an assistant at Norte Dame. I say only in quotes because people often minimize that role as an assistant - sure there are situations when someone is the #2 on staff and they have NO business being a head S&C coach - I have personally seen this happen. Jake Flint is NOT that and the talent at LSU should prove that.



Let’s just start with the fact that LSU has a Heisman trophy winner in Jayden Daniels (who by the way has his first day on campus when I was visiting LSU - so Jake and Co if you want another Heisman, just have me visit during orientation/recruiting and you will have one!) Outside of the Heisman let’s take a look at the WR room and Malik Nabers. Just caught over 100 balls in the NFL for the Giants. Yes Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, and Joe Borrow were before Flint - but JD, Malik Nabers, and Kyren Lacy were with Flint and look at that success.

What about on the OL - take a look at Will Campbell and that massive human who is a top 5 pick at LT. Will is leaving after THREE years and will be a top 5 pick. Read that again. Things like that don’t happen by accident - they happen by action. Yes action by Will and his sport coaches, but also to Jake and the development that the whole staff provides. While I talk about the whole staff it is important to note them all: Kyle Seger, Ike Brown, Shawn Facione, Zaviar Gooden, Scott Kuehn, Jordan Pennella, plus a host of interns. I have seen this crew coaching on the floor, in staff meetings, and interacting with one another outside of lifts and meeting - this is a true team. Oh and speaking about a team - seeing how the S&C staff collaborates with nutrition is NEXT LEVEL. Sure I am skewed because at Iowa we did not have a nutritionist (PS - they still don’t and I still don’t understand why - I spoke about this atrocity of Iowa Football not having a nutritionist on the Washed Up Walkons Podcast click here to listen). The way Jake and Dr. Matt Frakes collaborate needs to be highlighted and become the norm - PS thanks for letting me learn about what y’all do nutritionally and be able to apply it at Towson when I got back from my visit.



Ok, back to the players and their development. What about ANOTHER player leaving early from LSU to be a first round draft pick. TE Mason Taylor is ALSO leaving after 3 years. Yes he won the genetic lottery, but I have seen and we all have heard of kids with genetic potential and yet they never amount to much. Not at LSU, not on Jake’s watch. How about Harold Perkins Jr who went from a hybrid is he a DB to LB after his BREAKOUT true freshman year when he had 4 sacks and essentially singly handedly won the Texas A&M game for LSU. This kid would have also been able to leave for the NFL after 3 years - but with the huge $ for NIL he decided to stay. Credit again to Jake and his staff for their development on helping Perkins add the requisite lean body mass to move inside the box in the coveted SEC (I am not here to pick sides and say what conference is best….but which conference has the most teams in the final 4 of the 12 team play off :) but I digress).

All this to say that in three years LSU football has been able to move on from a prior legend S&C coach. Kudos to Coach Kelly for knowing he had his guy in Jake. Kudos to Jake for knowing he could do this after ALL his patience at Notre Dame and for being with Coach Kelly ever since he practiced football for him at Central Michign (that is what Jake says about his playing days - he doesn’t say he played for Coach Kelly - he says he practices because he was on the roster but barely played - add sense of humor to Jake’s resume). Also, shout out to how Jake hired his staff and helped PAY them. Yes Jake wants to be paid well but has told his staff and worked with his staff to get them more money - I have also seen when this does not happen.



Has LSU won the natty yet? No, but in this new 12 team playoff I would put money on them making the playoffs this year. Same goes for the other school I visited TCU. I bet they both get into the playoff this year - in fact if there is a parlay I can bet on this happening I will put money down on it. Since getting to Batton Rouge Coach Kelly’s Tigers have beaten Alabama, added another Heisman trophy in the building, continue the legacy of being WRU, and have a bright future with Coach Jake Flint and his staff of ___ working hand in hand with Coach Brian Kelly.

Thanks again for letting me visit, especially Scott for being the reason I was able to visit and ALL of your hospitality and to Jake for allowing me to see into y’alls world. Geaux Tigers