LSU head coach Les Miles
By Brett Hudson
LSU head coach Les Miles took his time at the podium at SEC Media Days to update the world on the Miles family: his 10-year old daughter taking softball lessons with LSU head coach Beth Torina, the swimming and baseball efforts of his other children and even his own thrill-seeking adventures, like rappelling down a building.
While his own family prospered over the offseason, his LSU family took major hits.
“We had 11 juniors leave early for the NFL Draft and nine NFL draftees, a new school record,” Miles said.
Those that are NFL-bound do not include one more loss the Tigers suffered: running back Jeremy Hill, who is currently in a “legal entanglement,” and, according to Miles, has been indefinitely suspended from the team.
“We have routine visits with Jeremy,” Miles said. “He’s not in team meetings, not in workouts, not allowed in the team facility.
While other spots on the depth chart are taking hits, LSU starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger is being looked towards to carry the Tigers through growing pains.
“We expect the quarterback play to be much better,” Miles said. “Certainly the experience and want he has has all been seen.”
That transition would be a big one for LSU, a program that has been reliant on a runningback-by-committee approach to downhill running for several years now.
“We’ve always wanted to be a balanced team, and I think (new offensive coordinator) Cam (Cameron) certainly helps us do that,” Miles said.
