WillCampbell

LSU coach Brian Kelly could use a lot of words to describe offensive tackle Will Campbell. But one word he uses the most is "trust." Kelly said he can trust Campbell to protect his quarterback. In fact, Kelly trusted Campbell so much so that he threw him into the fire as a freshman – the first ever true freshman in LSU history to become the everyday starter at left tackle. "You know with Will out there, you don't have to worry about a thing," Kelly said during the 2024 SEC Media Days. "He's so strong, athletic and physical. But most importantly, he's just so reliable. You can count on him. Trust him." Kelly respected Campbell so much ahead of the 2023 season that bestowed on him the No. 7 jersey number – something normally reserved for one of the Tigers' top skilled players. “The (No.) 7 has an interesting history that starts with Patrick Peterson,” Kelly said when presenting Campbell his jersey. “He was an outstanding player. Prolific playmakers have worn (No.) 7. I wanted to take a spin and make it about Louisiana. That’s my spin. This year we wanted to highlight the group that doesn’t get much notoriety. We went with Louisiana bred Will Campbell. I like the significance of the left tackle because he is a playmaker who must protect the quarterback every play.” As an offensive lineman, the rules of college football prevent Campbell from actually wearing the No. 7 jersey so instead his No. 66 jersey wears a No. 7 patch.