BATON ROUGE, La. -- With more than three weeks to go until LSU opens spring practice on March 7, we'll use some of the down time to review the Tigers' recruiting efforts in recent years and to preview the upcoming series of spring practices.

We begin today with the first installment in a series where we examine five position groups with room to improve. Today's first group is the tight ends.

5. Tight end

Battling for No. 1: Based on offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's history, many expected LSU to make better use of the tight end as a receiving option in Cameron's first season with the Tigers. That was not to be, as the Tigers used the tight ends almost exclusively as blockers -- same as they had for the last few seasons -- while wideouts Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham contributed the vast majority of the catches and receiving yards. Rising senior tight end Travis Dickson ranked sixth on the team with 109 receiving yards, while rising junior Dillon Gordon (six catches, 88 yards) started 12 of 13 games. With Beckham, Landry and quarterback Zach Mettenberger departed for the NFL, it wouldn't be a big surprise to see the tight ends -- either Dickson, Gordon or one of the younger players on the roster -- play bigger roles as receivers in Year 2 under Cameron.

Strength in numbers: Then-freshman DeSean Smith (one catch, 14 yards) arrived at LSU with plenty of acclaim last year -- he was ESPN's No. 5 tight end and No. 141 overall prospect -- but was not ready to be a starter. He and junior college transfer Logan Stokes appeared in all 13 games, but Smith seems like the candidate to watch for extended playing time as he matures.

New on the scene: New signee Jacory Washington -- who is ranked No. 169 in the ESPN 300 and No. 5 tight end -- seems to have comparable upside to Smith. He could emerge as a receiving weapon in time but needs to add size and become a consistent blocker in order to earn playing time. With all of the key players back from last season, Washington will have to put together a great August to become an immediate contributor. But the athleticism that he and Smith bring to the position group might help the tight end become a more visible element in the passing game over the next couple of seasons.