With less than 24 hours remaining until LSU football vs. UCLA, here are four players on the Bruins roster that Tiger fans should keep an eye on during the 2024 week four SEC-Big Ten matchup.
LSU football vs. UCLA: Four players to know on the 2024 Bruin roster
1. Junior RB TJ Harden
Letās start off by giving credit where credit is due. The LSU football defense is abundantly better than it was last year, and defensive coordinator Blake Baker has his group moving in a very positive direction.
With that said, run defense remains a concern, and if UCLA is going to get anything going offensively Saturday, itās going to be because they found junior running back TJ Harden some open space along the line of scrimmage.
As we look ahead to week four of the 2024 college football season, the purple and gold currently rank No. 89 nationally in rushing defense, allowing 154 yards on the ground per game. For the sake of comparison, UCLA currently ranks No. 122 overall in rushing offense, gaining just 83.5 yards per game in that aspect.
Even so, in the midst of his third season with the Bruins program, Harden has yet to rush for less than 5.3 yards per carry over the course of an entire season. If given the chance to properly utilize his bruising play style, heās certainly capable of making just about any defense in the country pay.
2. Senior DT Jay Toia
When looking at the UCLA defense in 2024, thereās not a lot to be excited about. Having lost the majority of their 2023 starters to the transfer portal, returning production was by far one of their biggest weaknesses, and in many ways, itās shown itself throughout the first three weeks of the college football season.
Luckily for the Bruins, not all was lost, and there were a few notable names who elected to stick around through the head coaching change.
Among those who chose to stick it out were veteran defensive tackle Jay Toia, who stands at a whopping 6-foot-3, 325 pounds and has largely been one of their best run stuffers since first arriving on campus in 2021.
Having recorded 67 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and three pass deflections over the course of his career, Toia hasnāt exactly been a stat stuffer by any means. What he has been, however, is an absolute force down low that makes life very difficult for opposing inside offensive linemen.
The talented California-based defender likely wonāt put up big numbers in Saturdayās game vs. LSU, but itās safe to say that heāll at the very least make life difficult on the Tiger running backs all afternoon long.
3. Sophomore WR Rico Flores Jr
UCLA isnāt the kind of team that will beat you all day long with explosive plays down the field. If the past two games have been any indication, they instead play things much slower, working through the ground game, while allowing the passing game to work as an extension of their running plays.
Still, itās not like they arenāt at least capable of taking a shot through the passing game here or there.
So far in 2024, the man to make it happen has been sophomore wide receiver Rico Flores Jr, who joined the Bruins over the offseason after beginning his career with a 27 reception, 392 yard and one touchdown freshman season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with impressive athleticism from top to bottom, Flores Jr is your prototypical deep threat pass catcher, and at the college level, that can be an incredibly dangerous thing for opposing defenses. In turn, it should come as very little surprise that heās currently averaging 26.6 yards per reception, even despite having caught just five balls through two games.
If UCLA wants any chance at leaving Tiger Stadium with a victory in week four, theyāll need to generate at least something through the air, and itās safe to assume that Flores Jr would play a significant role in it.
4. Senior LB Kain Medrano
Similar to last week with South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, itās not often that coach Brian Kelly identifies an individual player that he has his eye on, but when he does, itās likely something to take note of.
Well, it happened again.
While talking about the upcoming matchup vs. UCLA, the LSU head coach identified senior linebacker Kain Medrano as someone who could play a major role in the gameplan this week, and thatās probably a smart move if youāre the Tiger coaching staff.
Currently in the midst of his fifth season with the Bruins, Medrano has accounted for 138 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and seven passes defended. In short, he does everything for his defense, and heās understandably one of the biggest names that the Tiger offense will need to be aware of for this week four matchup.
Standing 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he isnāt the biggest linebacker out there, but with experience in the defensive backfield, heās an impressive cover man and should certainly be on the radar for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and the entire purple and gold passing game on Saturday.
LSU football will return to non-conference play this weekend, as Big Ten foe UCLA will travel to Baton Rouge, LA, for a battle vs. LSU in Tiger Stadium this Saturday, September 21, 2024. The game will take place at 2:30 p.m. CST and will be available to watch live on ABC or ESPN+.
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