The 2017 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff will feature LSU vs BYU. The Bayou Bengals are starting the season ranked 13 in the AP poll, while BYU is coming into the season unranked. This game will feature 32 players with ties to Texas High Schools: 22 for LSU while BYU has 10 players from the Lone Star State on their roster.
Starting off the season in Houston will be a nice welcome home experience for these players, as well as a recruiting magnet for each team to use in the hotbed of Houston and the State of Texas. The game kicks off on Saturday, September 2 from NRG Stadium and will be televised on ESPN.
The LSU roster features 12 players from the Houston area alone including:
LB- K’Lavon Chaisson- Galena Park North Shore
S- Grant Delpit- Houston Lamar (IMG Academy)
CB- Kary Vincent Jr.- Port Arthur Memorial
DB- Eric Monroe- Galena Park North Shore
RB- Carlton Smith- Houston Lamar
OL- Leon Pinto- Houston Lamar
OL- Justin Mikush- Klein Oak
OL- Toby Weathersby- Spring Westfield
OL- Austin Deculus- Cy-Fair
WR- Mannie Netherly- Crosby
WR- Jonathan Giles- Fort Bend Elkins
LB- Corey Thompson- Fort Bend Elkins
Other players from Texas High Schools on the LSU roster include:
WR- Dee Anderson- DeSoto
QB- Justin McMillan- Cedar Hill
S- Ed Paris- Mansfield Timberview
WR- Justin Jones- Dallas St. Mark’s
K- Cameron Gamble- Flower Mound
LB- Ray Thorton- Killeen Shoemaker
LB- Kody Hall- Burnet
OL- Michael Smith- Killeen Ellison
OL- Edward Ingram- DeSoto
The BYU roster doesn’t feature any players from the Houston area, but this game could help get some players in the area for future rosters.
Texas High School players for BYU include:
WR- Akile Davis- DeSoto
RB- Trey Dye- Abilene Cooper
QB- Koy Detmer Jr.- Somerset
DB- Trevor Brent- West Mesquite
DB- Tanner Jacobson- Southlake Carroll
LB- Scott Huntsman- Coppell
OL- Tejan Koromoa- Allen
OL- JJ Nwigwe- Rockwall-Heath
OL- Jacob Jimenez- Pflugerville
WR- Tariq Buchanan- Elgin
Last season LSU had to overcome a lot of adversity with the firing of Head Coach Les Miles and Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron. Ed Orgeron took over as the interim head coach in November as the Tigers to an 8-4 overall record, 5-3 in SEC play. The Tigers defeated Louisville and Heisman Trophy winner QB Lamar Jackson in the Citrus Bowl 29-9.
BYU went into the 2016 season with a new Head Coach Kalani Sitake and new Offensive Coordinator and BYU legend Ty Detmer, as well as new Defensive Coordinator Ilasia Tuiaki. The Cougars finished the season 9-4, defeating Wyoming 24-21 in the Poinsettia Bowl.
This will be the first time these two teams have faced off and should be very physical matchup. LSU has 778 all-time wins, while BYU has 564; the Tigers also have 328 NFL draft picks compared to BYU’s 141. This game should make for a great nightcap on opening weekend of the College Football Season.
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