BATON ROUGE, La. -- The start of spring practice is about two weeks away, so this week we're looking at five players who could use a productive March in order to claim playing time this fall.
After discussing freshman safety Edward Paris Jr. and receiver Quantavius Leslie earlier this week, today we move to a candidate to fill the only open starting spot along what should be a solid offensive line.
Fehoko Fanaika (OG, Sr.)
2013 review: Fanaika's sheer size (he's listed at 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds) generated some buzz when he arrived as ESPN's No. 2 junior college guard prospect last year, but he joined an LSU offensive line that had two solid performers at guard. Vadal Alexander and Trai Turner started all 13 games at the two guard spots, leaving Fanaika and the other reserves to play only intermittently. Fanaika played in 12 games in that capacity.
Why spring is important: The talented Turner made a debatable decision to enter the draft after his redshirt sophomore season, creating the only opening along LSU's offensive line. Fanaika is not the only candidate to slide into Turner's spot at right guard, but he should rank among the leading prospects. His road-grader style certainly fits LSU's downhill running game, but he must prove he can handle the job.
Best case/worst case: Fanaika got an early vote of confidence from senior left tackle La'el Collins, who promoted him as the top candidate to replace Turner. Ideally, the massive lineman would step into a starting role this spring and be entrenched by the time the Tigers open preseason camp in August. If he struggles to claim the job, LSU should have other promising options available. For instance, the Tigers signed ESPN's No. 1 high school guard prospect, Garrett Brumfield, earlier this month. If Fanaika is not consistent enough this spring, perhaps Brumfield and some other guards will get a longer look in August.
