Brian Kelly shared exactly what makes Emery Jones Jr. an elite talent at offensive tackle for LSU Tigers
It's tough to find elite offensive tackles in today's college football. Several of the best coaches from around the country have lamented the fact that there just doesn't seem to be as many big bodies that can move the way they need to right now. From Kirby Smart, to Lincoln Riley, to Brian Kelly, and […]
It's tough to find elite offensive tackles in today's college football. Several of the best coaches from around the country have lamented the fact that there just doesn't seem to be as many big bodies that can move the way they need to right now. From Kirby Smart, to Lincoln Riley, to Brian Kelly, and more. They all agree it's rare to find truly special offensive tackle talent. But LSU has two of them (and maybe more).
On Wednesday, Brian Kelly broke down in detail what makes Emery Jones Jr.–one of two potential first round offensive tackles starting for the team right now–such an elite talent for LSU.
He was asked about Jones specifically because he started as a true freshman for the LSU Tigers. Wilson Alexander (of the Advocate) wanted to know what made him so special that he had to start so early, and why he inevitably stuck at tackle instead of guard.
"You know, I think there's a couple of things. One, in the college game, the ability to pass protect. And that becomes an art that is so hard to duplicate, especially in the SEC with so many great pass rushers. When you have that art, the ability to move your feet, and the ability to stay between you and the quarterback it's so difficult to start to move somebody down inside [to guard]."
It's hard to imagine Emery Jones Jr. playing any position besides offensive tackle now, but believe it or not there were some size questions on him as a recruit. He arrived in Baton Rouge 6'4", around 340 pounds, so some who covered the team thought his mobility and perhaps length may even be an issue (somehow). Neither issue ended up amounting to anything. Kelly continued on his break down of Jones:
"[Emery Jones Jr.] showed that athleticism, that ability to protect as a true freshman, and so it's made it so difficult to bump him down inside until you find somebody that is equal to, or better. And I think we all know that this young man has a chance to be a first round draft pick, and they don't just grow on trees. So, it's really been about his ability to be an elite pass protector that has kept him at that position."
Emery Jones Jr. has been consistently written up by several experts across a variety of major sports media sites as a potential first round pick for months now. He and fellow offensive tackle Will Campbell are both expected to be taken among the earliest selections in the 2025 NFL Draft due to their incredible size, athleticism, and consistency in pass protection.
Some have questioned Jones' run blocking early this season as the team has struggled to find their footing there, but overall he has maintained his dominance on the field once again already this year. When asked about what truly sets Jones apart beyond just the physical gifts, head coach Brian Kelly couldn't stop speaking glowingly of the mental side to Jones' game:
"Certainly the physical gifts, right? He had the size. He came in with the ability to handle the moment right. As a freshman, you're thrown right into the fire, and we have to see whether you're able to handle the transition from high school to college. I've had four stars and five stars that have the athletic ability, but have a hard time with that transition because it requires not just physical ability, but the mental ability. [Emery]'s ability mentally to handle that transition, the grind of it, the success and the failures of playing that position extremely well, and that's what allowed him to play as a freshman."
Jones' ability to show up and immediately log nearly 900 snaps at right tackle for the LSU Tigers back in 2022 speaks volumes of his unbelievable ability to handle being "thrown into the fire" as coach Kelly put it. And that's what looks like is helping him take his game to yet another level this season.
Jones was already one of the best tackles in the country prior to the start of the 2024 season, but through three weeks he might just be the very best one in the nation. Jones has allowed exactly zero sacks and just two pressures so far on over 130 pass blocks according to both Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.
If that level of dominance in pass protection continues, Jones may help carry LSU to a berth in the very first 12-Team College Football Playoff.
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