LSU Football Defense Preview 2024: STOP ... THE ... RUN

LSU Football Preview 2024: Defense

LSU Football Preview 2024
- LSU Preview 2024
Offense | Keys To Season
What Will Happen, Win Total

- More on this in a moment, but how bad has the LSU run defense been under Brian Kelly? It gave up over 2,000 rushing yards in each of the last two years after giving up that many … never?

(Forgive the laziness, but I quit looking this up somewhere around the early 1990s. Just assume there’s no way LSU allowed two-bills two years in a row considering there were fewer games back in the day.)

The run D has been awful for a place known for loading up with elite tackles and playmaking linebackers.

Kelly took Blake Baker away from Missouri to be his new defensive coordinator. Those other Tigers allowed 3.8 yards per carry and gave up eight scores.

- Size is hardly an issue up front. Tackles Jacobian Guillory and Jalen Lee each blow past 300 pounds, and Sai’vion Jones is a 6-6, 280-pound end who can hold up. There’s more bulk from the transfer portal coming in for the interior.

The linebackers have enough talent to be a strength on a defense that needs more big stops. Harold Perkins is one the nation’s elite pass rushers - the future top 20 overall pick made 147 tackles, 13 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in his first two seasons - and Greg Penn was second on the team with 89 stops.

- This is supposed to be DB U, or in the running for the honor. Last year’s pass defense was the second-worst in the SEC and 118th in the nation. Major Burns led the team with 93 stops, Sage Ryan is okay at one safety, and in comes Jardin Gilbert from Texas A&M to take things up a notch.

These two top corners are really young, really talented, and LSU really needs more third down stops from the position. The pressure is on freshman PJ Woodland to be a factor right away at one corner on the other side of Ashton Stamps.

LSU Football Preview 2024
- LSU Preview 2024
Offense | Keys To Season
What Will Happen, Win Total