Les Miles casually leans back and bounces from one subject to another, seamlessly and effortlessly talking about an LSU program that is now undoubtedly his.

Whether it’s breaking down a depth chart for an amazingly talented team or rehashing how close the Tigers came to battling Florida for the SEC championship, it’s clear that Miles is more comfortable in his LSU skin than he has ever been.

The Tigers go into the 2007 season with lofty and realistic expectations of battling for the national championship. And perhaps it’s not a coincidence that Miles’ stamp on the Tigers is more obvious now than it was in his first two seasons — both years ended with 11–2 records and lopsided bowl victories over perennial powerhouses.

This season was already destined to be a crossroads for Miles. Florida State lured offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher away, and offensive line coach Stacy Searels departed for Georgia. Those were the last leftovers from the staff Miles took over in 2005, and he plugged the holes with proven offensive coordinators Gary Crowton and Greg Studrawa.

Crowton is known for operating a spread offense, but Miles says he will merge his offensive philosophy with Crowton’s to produce a hybrid.

“We will still be multiple as we have been, but there will be wrinkles without question,” Miles says.

A third straight top-10 recruiting class and the revamped coaching staff are big parts of Miles’ new outlook.

“We’re going to have a very good football team,” Miles says. “We’re looking forward to this season and feel like we’ve got a chance to do special things.”

Quarterbacks
This spot is LSU’s most glaring hole to fill, and under normal circumstances might be an area of concern. JaMarcus Russell produced one of the biggest seasons in program history last year, passing for 3,129 yards and 28 touchdowns — numbers that vaulted him to the No. 1 spot in the 2007 NFL Draft. The Tigers appear to be well-stocked to weather Russell’s departure, though. The heirs apparent are fifth-year senior Matt Flynn and sophomore Ryan Perrilloux, who have one career start between them. Flynn is the frontrunner and has patiently waited behind Russell for this chance. When Russell missed the 2005 Peach Bowl with thumb and shoulder injuries, Flynn took over and passed for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Tigers’ 40–3 romp past Miami.  Perrilloux is one of the most decorated prep players in Louisiana history. He got on the field only five times last season but may be better-equipped to run Crowton’s spread offense than Flynn.

Running Backs
There is no shortage of options in the backfield. Four backs return who rushed for at least 277 yards and four touchdowns last season: Jacob Hester (team-high 440 yards), Keiland Williams (436), Alley Broussard (281) and Charles Scott (277). Hester is listed as the starting fullback but also operates at tailback and is the most versatile of the group. Williams seemed to take over as the top go-to runner late last season and bulled through Notre Dame for 107 yards in the Sugar Bowl. Broussard arrives at the final chapter of a checkered career with NFL potential, but he has battled weight woes and off-field problems. And Scott showed flashes of battling Williams for the long-term starting job with a 101-yard outburst against Tulane. Redshirt freshman Richard Murphy emerged in the spring to muddle the situation even more. Murphy may be the fastest LSU back and led all rushers with 85 yards in the spring game. Last season Miles relied on the hot hand, leaning on whichever individual seemed to be more effective against a particular defense. Miles says he’s likely to settle on three backs with different skills, and that theory sits well with the players battling for playing time.

Receivers
Senior Early Doucet could be LSU’s most dynamic player. He headlines a talented but unproven corps of receivers. Doucet was the third part of the Tigers’ talented receiving trio a year ago, grabbing 59 receptions for 772 yards and eight touchdowns. He saved his biggest game for the Sugar Bowl: eight catches for 115 yards. “It’s pretty obvious whenever he catches the ball something big is going to happen,” Miles says. Filling the holes around Doucet will be an important task. Sophomore Brandon LaFell could blossom into a home run threat after averaging 28 yards on five catches (two TDs) in his first year. Chris Mitchell and Jared Mitchell (no relation) will also vie for time, and newcomers Terrance Toliver and Demetrius Byrd will also push the veterans to get on the field. Another variable will be Trindon Holliday, a 5'5" speedy playmaker who will run the ball, catch passes and return kicks. The tight end spot will be shared by three veterans who have all had their moments the last two years: Keith Zinger, Mit Cole and Richard Dickson.

2007 Schedule
A. 30	at Mississippi State	W
S. 8	Virginia Tech	*
S. 15	Middle Tennessee	W
S. 22	South Carolina	W
S. 29	at Tulane	W
O. 6	Florida	*
O. 13	at Kentucky	W
O. 20	Auburn	W
N. 3	at Alabama	W
N. 10	Louisiana Tech	W
N. 17	at Ole Miss	W
N. 23	Arkansas	W
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
Center Brett Helms, left guard Herman Johnson and left tackle Ciron Black return to form the nucleus on the offensive front, and all three are All-SEC caliber blockers. The right side will have to be reconstructed with four players in the mix: sophomores Lyle Hitt and Andrew Decker at guard and Carnell Stewart and Mark Snyder at tackle. The o-line will also have to adjust to Crowton’s scheme, which could require linemen to protect in more wide-open spaces. “The offensive line had to be re-geared,” says Miles, a former tackle at Michigan. “Without question, that will be an area where we need to make progress quickly.”

Defensive Linemen
LSU has produced several NFL-caliber defensive linemen over the last five years and is loaded up front again. Senior tackle Glenn Dorsey and junior end Tyson Jackson form one of the most dominant tandems in the country and will anchor a front four that will set the tone for a defense expected to be among the best in the country. Dorsey was named an All-American last season after recording 64 tackles, three sacks and 8.5 stops for a loss. Jackson led the Tigers with 8.5 sacks. Junior Charles Alexander is also a returning starter at tackle.

Linebackers
All three starters return — Luke Sanders, Darry Beckwith and Ali Highsmith — to provide the backbone of LSU’s defense. That trio combined for 163 tackles and eight sacks among them last year. Linebackers in coordinator Bo Pelini’s defense will play a major role this season because of a rebuilt right side of the line and two new safeties. Without LaRon Landry and Jessie Daniels roaming the secondary, Sanders, Beckwith and Highsmith will be leaned on to clean up more completely and more often. “We’re going to be very tough to handle front to back, but we feel like our linebackers are as good as anybody in the country,” Pelini says. “Going into our third year, we’re going to be a little more multiple with blitzing and stunts and we feel like we can do that because of how good we are in the middle.”

Defensive Backs
The Tigers’ secondary is a half-and-half proposition, with battle-tested seniors back at both starting corner spots but neither full-time safety back. Jonathan Zenon is back at the right corner and Chevis Jackson on the left side. Those two have blossomed into top-notch cover men the last two years and should facilitate as much man-to-man coverage as Pelini wants to use. Senior Craig Steltz will finally be the starter at strong safety after filling in there much of last season when Daniels was injured or in nickel and dime formations. Steltz matched Zenon for the team lead in interceptions with four. Curtis Taylor will likely step into Landry’s free safety spot, with Harry Coleman and Danny McCray filling out the rotation.

Specialists
LSU’s special teams will take on a different look in the punting game and returns. Senior Patrick Fisher takes over as the punter after Chris Jackson handled the duties the last three seasons. Doucet and Holliday will tend to the bulk of return duties, giving the Tigers lightning-in-a-bottle potential whenever they set up in return formation. Junior Colt David returns as the primary kicker after connecting on 8-of-13 field goals and 50-of-51 extra points a year ago. Incoming freshman Andrew Crutchfield could push David and may handle kickoff duties.

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