LSU OL Garrett Dellinger out vs. Auburn with hand injury
LSU offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger will miss the Auburn game with a hand injury, according to a report from The Athletic’s Brody Miller on Wednesday. There’s hope he’ll be available for the LSU-Tennessee game on Oct. 8 back inside Tiger Stadium.
“At first thought, we thought we could get him ready, but right now I’d say he’d be doubtful for Saturday,” head coach Brian Kelly told reporters Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference.
After starting the season at center, Dellinger moved to left guard, where he started the past three games. The sophomore played in 12 games last year, including four starts for LSU.
LSU could look to replace Dellinger with Anthony Bradford, who started two games this year, or Tre’Mond Shorts, who has not started a game yet this season.
Coming out of Clarkston (Mich.), Garrett Dellinger was the No. 115 overall prospect and No. 14 offensive tackle in 2021, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Garrett Dellinger helps strong LSU OL showing vs. New Mexico
Against New Mexico last week, LSU rolled up 633 total yards of offense. The Tigers averaged 7.91 yards per play with Dellinger at left guard and Charles Turner at center.
Against Auburn, it’ll be much tougher sledding in the road matchup on The Plains.
“I don’t know that it was our banner day this past weekend. That’s a tough defense,” head coach Brian Kelly said on Monday. “They’re standing up. They’re moving around. There’s so much movement. O-linemen want to know that what they see, they’re going to hit. That wasn’t the case on Saturday. The guy in front of you wasn’t going to be there on the snap of the ball. That takes a little bit of, I would say, the aggressiveness away from your offensive line.
“We won’t have that this weekend. They’re going to have to put their hand in the dirt. They’re going to have to get off the ball, going to have to move people against their will, and I think you’ll see a good indication over the next month of this offensive line really having to get after it.”
