MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER
LB Lionel Turner -- He's the middle linebacker on a rugged defense that returns seven starters and must set the tone for the Tigers early in the season.

BREAKOUT STAR
FS LaRon Landry -- He stepped into the starting lineup as a true freshman and came through with an outstanding season. Now watch and see what he does with some experience under his belt.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH
DL Claude Wroten -- LSU needs someone to replace the significant loss of Chad Lavalais at defensive tackle, and Wroten, a juco All-American, is expected to be first in line.

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Offense -- QB Marcus Randall, RB Justin Vincent, FB Kevin Steltz, WR Skyler Green, WR Dwayne Bowe, TE David Jones, LT Andrew Whitworth, LG Rudy Niswanger, C Ben Wilkerson, RG Brian Johnson, RT Nate Livings

Defense -- DE Marcus Spears, DT Claude Wroten, DT Kyle Williams, DE Kirston Pillman, LB Ali Highsmith, LB Lionel Turner, LB Cameron Vaughn, CB Corey Webster, CB Travis Daniels, SS Jesse Daniels, FS LaRon Landry

HEAD COACH
Nick Saban, fifth year at LSU, 39-13.

INJURY IMPACT
Strong safety Joe Lawrence, a 27-year-old former professional baseball player who walked on the team last spring, suffered an ACL injury during the spring game but could return during preseason practice. Saban told the Baton Rouge Advocate that Lawrence is "doing great, far ahead of schedule. He's already working on dry land stuff and could be ready to practice and play early in the season." ... Redshirt freshman WR Amp Hill sat out last season after suffering a knee injury during preseason practice and remains questionable for the start of this year's preseason camp. "He seems to be doing better," Saban said. "But his problem has been workload over time and consistency without having swelling. It's not resolved."

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