DEFENSIVE LINEUP & DEPTH CHART PROJECTIONS
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
OUR OFFENSIVE PREVIEW
Now we continue with the LSU defense, led by first year coordinator Daronte Jones, a former protégé of Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati, before following the DB specialist head coach to the Minnesota Vikings; This will be his first coordinator gig since his time at Maryland's Bowie State, back in 2005.
His first division I coordinator job, his first time in the SEC....can Daronte Jones erase the horrors from Bo Pelini's 4th to last "defensive" disgrace?
2020's squad played the worst defensive football in LSU history, all while boasting future NFL players across their entire roster.
While almost all of the same players return from 2020, surviving the humiliation and vulnerability of Pelini's historically horrendous defensive setup, this unit appear rejuvenated and energized, fully repping a near 180 turnaround vibe:
Shutting down or at least hampering LSU's skill position threats during nearly every scrimmage, Daronte Jones' defense are announcing themselves as a swaggering, violent group of hard-charging street fighters ready for their revenge....
Will we see defensive justice committed this year?
Yes....I am buying in.
Daronte Jones isn't afraid to make adjustments, he is orchestrating LSU's defensive staff in the best way possible, utilizing the greatest attributes of DBU impresario Corey Raymond, LBs Coach Blake Baker, DL sergeant Andre Carter to improve their players.
No one on that defensive set up looks afraid of their destiny....
There doesn't seem to be much in the way of hesitation or anymore fear of making mistakes....
While this unit is aggressive in its 4-2-5 base (sometimes eschewing a true nickel for a 3 safety look, or shifting to a typical 4-3-2-2 formation depending on the opponent), the defense's true power will lie in how much they can restrain themselves, play smart, take far better angles than last year, actually communicate pre-snap, and avoiding a circus-like confusion across the board.
Every Tigers defender has indicated that Daronte Jones "can relate to them" and has "made them into better players", repeating those slogans ad nauseum....and while these Tigers may feel 100% confident in those beliefs, appearing far more comfortable around Jones than Pelini, we still need to see all of this progress come together on the gridiron, starting on Saturday, September 4th at the Rose Bowl.
Let's dissect this defense, baby:
D-LINE
Andre Carter's unit are America's premier defensive line, battling Clemson or Ohio State for the #1 spot and looking like they could end up as winners:
The depth is outrageous, top to bottom, not to mention there are names on this list who grabbed sacks in National Championship Games (Glen Logan), 3 guys who've collected multiple sacks in a single game (Ojulari, Anthony and Roy), our last two leading DL sack artists return (Anthony and Farrell Jr), plus there exists a litany of primal athletes alongside the interior and edge....more than enough powerhouse pass-rushing, QB-disrupting, ball carrier-busting pack of whoop ass.
STRONG SIDE DE
Ali Gaye
Zavier Carter
Soni Fonua
Jarell Cherry
Landon Jackson