ALI GAYE 2021 PROFILE

by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

ALI GAYE (DE)

RED SHIRT JUNIOR

-6 PDs

-9.5 TFL

-1 INT (vs Ole Miss)

-1 FF (vs Ole Miss)

-1 FR (vs Missouri)

-2.5 SACKS

PRESSURES: 38 (11 vs Miss St, 7 vs Ole Miss)

QB HURRIES: 27

QB HITS: 7

Tied for the LSU lead with 6 PDs (hovering around Stingley / Ricks territory) while his tackles for loss statistically sets him apart from his teammates (9.5), JUCO transfer Ali Gaye crashed through the barriers which tried to keep this Gambian-born rock star back...in fact nothing could stop the edge rusher except for Bo Pelini's lunatic defensive setup.

From the first whistle of his LSU / division I debut, Ali came crashing out of the gate: destroying Miss State for 11 total pressures, a brilliant one-handed sack on 3rd & 2 inside the red zone (forcing a field goal when he nearly decapitated K.J Costello) and deflecting 2 passes (one of which he almost intercepted only a yard away from the end zone)....

His all world display stunned the SEC, college football and drew NFL scouts en masse....most importantly, Gaye's playmaking took LSU's pandemic-shortened crowd to new decibel level heights inside Tigers Stadium, energizing his teammates and coaches.

The attraction wasn't merely the numbers...Gaye's allure (to anyone who knows football) relies on the big man's effectiveness for his team:

Judging overall, LSU's D-Line reached the quarterback far more with Gaye on the field, while his pressures also forced incomplete passes or errant throws no other Tiger lineman could orchestrate....

...and on the downs without him?

Opposition quarterbacks ignored Stingley or Ricks, picked out the slot guy, running back or tight end, sat back and comfortably tossed the ball around without a care in the world...but when Gaye was in there, the former JUCO star was among a handful of LSU defenders most opponents simply tried to avoid at all costs, attacking our weaker defenders instead, on the ground or in the air...such was LSU's 2020 Achilles heel...

As for the pass rush, Ali was an extremely effective force of nature off the edge or when shedding inside to reach up and effect a pass or track a runner...

Though he could use some bulking up to his towering stature, Gaye is a leverage artist of the highest order; just imagine what he'll do if he packs on 20 more pounds...

Still, we would be false if we didn't point out the facts....Gaye also went MIA throughout some of 2020's biggest moments, adjusting to the SEC's robust physicality off the strong side edge;

There were many times his great pass rushing went to waste when covering the run game, lost in no man's land out of the play; sometimes Ali became a passenger in covering the run, losing contain or failing to quickly break on the gaps inside.

Rest assured, Coach O gave him some loafs...not many, although he received his share..

Regardless of any growing pains, Gaye was huge for LSU last year, his first in Division I, his first in the SEC....and he superseded the requirements:

Ali's length minimized some of the damage in the passing game (at least when he was on the field), those long arms affected numerous field goals or punts, and whether he was sacking Mac Jones vs Alabama or creating turnovers against big SEC rivals, Ali made some of the best individual or team plays on defense for LSU.

Not only will Gaye get better, stronger and faster this upcoming season, barring injury, Ali should find himself right around the awards lists and All-SEC / All-American honors, regardless of his sack total.

While only finishing at 2.5 total sacks last year, Gaye's tough work in the backfield created a staggering amount of chaos for opponents, producing the most tackles for loss of any Tiger across 2020, plus supplying 65 combined pressures / hurries to his resume....

Because of that number above, whether or not Gaye finishes with 0 sacks or 20, may not matter at all:

Simply put, if his continued pass-rushing brilliance attracts never-ending double teams, create lanes or avenues for Maason Smith, Jaquelin Roy, Neil Farrell Jr, B.J Ojulari, Andre Anthony, Bryce Langston, Landon Jackson, Jacobian Guillory or Joseph Evans, then it won't matter how many sacks he collects.

When pinning his ears back and driving at the right tackle, Gaye usually receives an opposition double team once he geauxs to make his first move....if this continues, there won't be enough blockers to shut down this "inside to out / outside to in" LSU pass-rush....a unit who's interior pass rush equals and may even top the Tigers' edge pressure.

I have an intense feeling about Gaye in 2021....

I have a vibe that his sack totals may not be as high as some were believing they'd be, yet on the other hand, his pressures, hurries and hits totals will all rise.

Instead of the defensive tackles "clogging gaps and kicking ass" to open a pathway for our DEs, I believe our edge rushers will be breaking up the OL protection schemes enough to allow our DTs to bulldoze up the middle.

Due to this, Ali Gaye is one of our most valuable defensive linemen for 2021....a tyrannical, athletic specimen who enters what should be his final season at LSU (before he hits up the first three rounds of the NFL Draft).

Enjoy him in purple & gold....while you still can!

PROJECTION:

44 Tackles

5 Sacks

11.5 TFL

1 INT

5 PDs

41 Pressures

28 QB Hurries

13 QB Hits

By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc

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