The LSU Tigers will open their 2021 college football regular season on the road September 4 against the UCLA Bruins. Myles Brennan returns at quarterback for LSU but will be pushed by Max Johnson for playing time. Brandon played only three games last season before suffering an abdominal injury and must win back his job against Johnson. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is one of the nation's best receivers. Last season Boutte had 735 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
The LSU defense will be led by quarterback Derek Stingley Jr. Last season Stingley did not live up to expectations, but remains one of the elite cornerbacks in the nation and will bounce back. Last season LSU allowed an average of 323 yards passing per game and 34.9 points per game. The front four returns with all four starters. However at linebacker Damone Clark returns but several question marks remain for the other starting linebackers.
The UCLA Bruins have 19 starters returning from last season. The offense will be led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Last season the dual-threat signal-caller completed 65% of his passes for 12 touchdowns while being intercepted four times. Chase Griffin will back up DTR. Brittain Brown will start at running back behind a very strong offensive line. The leading receiver will be Kyle Phillips followed by Logan Loya and transfer Kam Brown.
The Bruins defense lost only one starter from last season. The defensive line lost its best overall player Osa Odighizuwa, but has talented replacements such as Mitchell Agude and Otito Ogbonnia. The linebacker corps will be led by Caleb Johnson and Bo Calvert, while Ale Kaho, a transfer from Alabama, is expected to see plenty of action. The secondary returns intact from last season and will be led by Qwuantrezz Knight, Quentin Lake and Obi Eboh.
