Last season, freshmen ended up being some of the most important players on Brian Kelly’s roster. Stars like linebacker Harold Perkins Jr, tight end Mason Taylor and offensive tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr made a significant impact all season long. Now, as we look ahead, the question is, which LSU football freshmen take that jump in 2023? Today, we’ll examine three candidates: Ka’Morreun Pimpton, Da’Shawn Womack and Whit Weeks.
LSU football freshmen: TE Ka’Morreun Pimpton
Of all the LSU football freshmen on this roster, few have been praised more than tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton.
The former four-star signee wasn’t exactly the best pickup in the class of 2023, but he was at least the tallest. The 6-foot-6, 242-pound freshman has incredible height and immediately creates a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders.
Coming out of high school, he weighed just 220 pounds, so the fact that he’s already made the jump to nearly 245 is very impressive. Additionally, it could lead to much more playing time than many expected.
Coming into the year, the only tight end on roster with significant experience is sophomore Mason Taylor. That bodes well for the entire LSU football freshmen in the position room.
However, with Pimpton’s size and ability to go up and grab a jump ball, he has the potential to be the go-to target behind Taylor.
EDGE Da’Shawn Womack
Everything about Da’Shawn Womack screams star potential. Whether it happens this year is yet to be seen, but expect him to at least be given an opportunity.
The former five-star out of Baltimore, MD, has both the size and athleticism to be an impact player at the college level. Standing 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, he already has college-level edge rusher size.
Furthermore, he displays some impressive hip flexibility, which could allow him to slip past offensive tackles.
One of the biggest reasons we could see him get some early playing time is the need for proven depth at edge rusher. Aside from junior Sai’vion Jones, most of the position group is filled with new faces in 2023.
If Womack can show an early ability to compete against some top offensive lines early on in the season, it would set him up for a very productive freshman season as a whole.
LB Whit Weeks
Linebacker might be the most top-heavy unit on this LSU football team in 2023. Stars such as sophomore Harold Perkins Jr, junior Greg Penn III and senior Omar Speights lead the way and could make up one of the best position groups in the country.
However, that’s about where significant experience comes to an end. The next most experienced player in that position group is junior West Weeks, who recorded just 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2022.
Naturally, this opens the door for potential young stars. That’s precisely where the brother of West Weeks, freshman linebacker Whit Weeks, comes into play.
Already, Weeks has begun to make an impact on the roster, having claim to one of the biggest plays of the 2023 spring game. He managed to tip a pass from fellow freshman, quarterback Rickie Collins, intercept it, and run for a touchdown. That kind of playmaking gets you snaps early in your career.
Whit Weeks joins the Tigers as a former four-star out of Watkinsville, GA. He ranked as the No. 8 linebacker and No. 98 overall player in the class of 2023.
Last season, coach Brian Kelly played several true freshmen throughout the year. While I don’t anticipate seeing quite as many in 2023, getting at least a few would do big things for the future of LSU football.
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