What will LSU football’s depth chart look like vs FSU? Our final prediction

BATON ROUGE - LSU football entered coach Brian Kelly's first preseason with question marks up and down the depth chart.

Who was going to be the starting quarterback? What would the starting offensive line be? Which linebackers were going to earn the most playing time?

But after 15 preseason practices, the Tigers' depth chart has begun to figure itself out. Here's a look at The Advertiser's projected depth chart for LSU heading into the season opener against Florida State on Sept. 4.

Quarterback

Starter: Jayden Daniels, Sr.

Reserves: Garrett Nussmeier, R-Fr., Walker Howard, Fr.

Breakdown: Daniels gets the starting nod thanks to his 29 games of starting experience and elite mobility. But his leash will be short given Nussmeier's talent and how well he played during the spring and this preseason.

Running back

Starter: Noah Cain, R-Jr.

Reserves: Armoni Goodwin, So., John Emery Jr., Sr., Josh Williams, R-Jr.

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Breakdown: According to The Athletic, Emery will be suspended for the first two games of the season for academic issues stemming from last season. Expect Cain and Goodwin to split reps the first two weeks in his absence.

Wide Receiver

Starter: Kayshon Boutte, Jr., Malik Nabers, So., Jaray Jenkins, R-Sr.

Reserves: Jack Bech, So., Kyren Lacy, Jr., Brian Thomas Jr., So., Chris Hilton Jr., R-Fr, Landon Ibieta, Fr.

Breakdown: Boutte will be the leader of the group but the rest of the depth chart is fluid after him. Nabers earns the No. 2 role after having a standout preseason even amongst LSU's deepest and most talented position corps.

Tight End

Starter: Kole Taylor, Jr.

Reserves: Mason Taylor, Fr., Jack Mashburn, R-Jr.

Breakdown: Kole Taylor will likely start but expect Mashburn and Mason Taylor to have noticeable roles. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has a long history of using tight ends and the first-team offense this preseason has rarely run a set that didn't include at least one of them.

Offensive line

Starters: LT Will Campbell, Fr., LG Tre'Mond Shorts, R-Sr., C Garrett Dellinger, So., RG Miles Frazier, R-So., RT Anthony Bradford, R-Jr.

Reserves: Marcus Dumervil, R-So., Charles Turner, R-Jr., Cam Wire, R-Sr., Emery Jones, Fr., Marlon Martinez, Jr., Xavier Hill, R-So., Kardell Thomas, R-Jr., Bo Bordelon, Fr., Fitzgerald West Jr., Fr.

Breakdown: There could be a lot of shuffling with this starting group during the first couple of weeks of the season. Dumervil, Turner and Wire are the three reserves most likely to see the field coming off the bench.

Defensive line

Starters: BJ Ojulari, Jr., Jaquelin Roy, Jr., Maason Smith, So., Ali Gaye, Sr.

Reserves: Mekhi Wingo, So., Jacobian Guillory, R-So., Sai'vion Jones, So., Quency Wiggins, Fr., Desmond Little, R-Jr., Zavier Carter, So., Tygee Hill, Fr., Bryce Langston, R-Fr.

Breakdown: The starting lineup is set but expect Wingo and Guillory to see plenty of the field this season. Kelly was worried about LSU’s depth at the Jack hybrid position behind Ojulari but Little has stepped up into that spot with a strong preseason performance.

Linebacker

Starters: Mike Jones Jr., R-Jr., Greg Penn III, So.

Reserves: West Weeks, So., Harold Perkins, Fr., Micah Baskerville, Sr., Kolbe Fields, R-Fr., DeMario Tolan, Fr., Jared Small, R-Sr., Hunter Faust, Sr.

Breakdown: Jones and Penn have consistently been with the first team since spring practices began and when the defense has gone to a three-linebacker formation, Weeks is the third man. Perkins, the former No. 8 overall recruit in the nation, has also impressed.

Safety

Starters: Major Burns, R-So., Jay Ward, Sr.

Reserves: Joe Foucha, Sr., Matthew Langlois, So., Todd Harris Jr., R-Sr., Derrick Davis Jr., So., Jordan Allen, Fr.

Breakdown: Foucha, a former starter at Arkansas, will find some playing time but Burns has passed him on the depth chart. Kelly and defensive coordinator Matt House have both raved about Burns' intelligence and awareness on the field.

Cornerback

Starters: Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Sr., Colby Richardson, R-Sr., Greg Brooks Jr., Sr.

Reserves: Sevyn Banks, Sr., Mekhi Garner, Jr., Sage Ryan, R-Fr., Latterance Welch, Fr., Jaelyn-Davis Robinson, Fr., Damarius McGhee, So.

Breakdown: House and Kelly have said that they feel a lot better about LSU's cornerback room, especially after the emergence of Richardson who is earning first-team reps over Banks. The Ohio State transfer was expected to be a starter but has dealt with some soreness this preseason.

Special teams

Starters: K Damian Ramos, R-Fr., P Jay Bramblett, Sr., LS Slade Roy, So.

Reserves: Nathan Dibert, Fr., Trey Finison Sr., Ezekeal Mata, So., Peyton Todd, R-Fr., Jonathan Ferguson, R-Fr.

Breakdown: Finison has the only in-game kicking experience but Kelly told reporters on Tuesday that Ramos had the lead in the competition. Bramblett and Roy should be locked in as starters at punter and long snapper, respectively.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football roster: Depth chart prediction vs FSU for Brian Kelly