Brian Kelly says there’s “no doubt” his 2024 LSU Tigers can contend for a national championship.

Pardon us, but we have some doubts.

Start with: How much better is LSU’s defense? LSU led the nation last season in scoring while finishing 10-3, but it lost three offensive stars to the NFL Draft's first round, including quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The offense is almost bound to regress. To become a true championship contender, the defense must not only be better, it must be substantially better.

On today's episode, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams discuss Kelly’s comments about the direction of LSU’s program during Toppmeyer’s wide-ranging in interview with Kelly.

Kelly’s tenure started impressively enough, and he thinks LSU is better positioned than at any point since his arrival. That includes better depth, more veterans, and less reliance on youth and newcomers.

So, when is that national championship coming? We take a closer look at the realistic timeline.

Later in the episode, which SEC quarterback will be the first selected in the 2025 NFL Draft? We examine three candidates.

Stay connected on Twitter with Blake (@btoppmeyer) and John (@JohnAdamsKNS) and stay up to date on SEC football news by subscribing to KnoxNews: knoxnews.com/subscribe.