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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
Former 5 star recruit Dashawn Womack is yet another LSU Tiger star from the Washington DC area (Angel Reese, Greg Penn III, Tyrell Ward to name a few), rising on to the scene in a hurry as a true freshman, making plays & imprinting his name upon the minds of the fans, leaving Death Valley rocking and clamoring for more.
No sane person doubts why a palpable thrill races through the Death Valley crowd every time he lines up.....and much like our rabid fanbase, that excitement now extends to LSU's 2024 defensive staff.
Dating back to the first few weeks of his freshman season, there have been continued calls for the second year Tiger to see increased playing time. Simply put, whether or not you agreed with playing Womack as a freshman, his on-field results speak for themselves:
Womack appeared in a criminal amount of snaps last fall: just 79 snaps while earning 1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFLs, also adding 8 overall QB pressures, beating experienced tackles off the line with finesse before driving them out of his way through sheer power & quicksilver skill.
Against Arkansas, Womack incredibly registered 3 pressures, 2 tackles, 1 sack (without his helmet) and 1 TFL in just 5 overall snaps.....still, former defensive coordinator Matt House refused to believe in his debutant star.
This season, things are different.
All throughout Spring practices, Womack produced, impressing Edge Rushing Coach Kevin Peoples, DL Coach Bo Davis & defensive coordinator Blake Baker:
Flying around with calculated fury, earning multiple touch sacks against starting QB Garrett Nussmeier's strong pocket manipulation & movement away from pressure, as he displayed increased strength when attacking the backfield via the middle on stunting actions.
Within a defensive front that was devoid of impact pressure & backfield insurgency for long stretches of 2023, a group now shorn of three key All-American level defensive tackles Mekhi Wingo, Maason Smith, and Jordan Jefferson, a weapon like Dashawn Womack should not be taken for granted or under-utilized....this is a player and a skill set through which our defensive staff can get creative, searching for any way to generate backfield disturbances & play disruption up front.
Because of these depth factors, the kid's infinite swagger, aggressive mentality, abominable length, and athletic thoroughbred profile must be premiered this fall.
With Bradyn Swinson locking down one edge rushing wing, the only ways Womack won't receive significant reps in 2024 will surely be down to injuries or the rise of a veteran rusher like Paris Shand, Saivion Jones (who's due for a monster year), or a possible usurper in true freshman prodigy Gabe Reliford chewing away snaps; Such is his boundless ceiling as a backfield disruptor off the edge, Womack is a potential weapon that must be utilized.
The only worry???
At 255 pounds, will the red shirt freshman be able to shed blocks & overcome the savage girth of opposition O-linemen???
Or, could we see a situation where his blinding speed off the line overwhelms even the most bruising, burly offensive linemen???
Perhaps Peoples, Davis and Baker foresee Womack as an ultimate 3rd down menace, sporting the length to swat passes or block passing lanes, the speed to beat blockers, the fury to near-automatically reach the pocket???
There's only one way to find out....
....Play him....
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
This young man is a vast talent. As a freshman he showed his ripped frame could wreak havoc. What he lacked was defensive coaching. He has it now. I think those guys ahead of him better really step up because he’s right on them.