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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
With just 8 combined sacks from his returning players and numbers (as well as bonafide star power) at a minimum across Bo Davis' defensive front, one of the biggest talking points is a deserved worry....not just heading into Spring camp, but also the entire rest of the calendar year:
Ahead of a brutal schedule that will require elite bodies up front to compete, the depth on LSU's 2024 D-line may be at a rock bottom moment.
Luckily under the best defensive line coach in the game, Bo Davis, the Tigers will attempt to navigate a slew of spring-fall practices & a long, murderer's row schedule carrying just 5 defensive tackles, including a former offensive lineman, Kimo Makaneole, who just switched trenches to help fill the gaps, and a limited number of defensive ends.
Still, there is some returning talent for Davis to rely on, Tigers like Saivion Jones who's been chomping at the bit to rebound from an underwhelming 2023, the high-performing Paris Shand, veteran Jacobian Guillory as an anchorman at DT, while Kevin Peoples will bring solid edge rushing support via 2023 standout Bradyn Swinson and impressive second year Tigers Jaxon Howard & Dashawn Womack.
Although, any way you look at LSU's D-line roster, there is no way around it:
Despite a few solid walk-on or JUCO pickups like Jalen Thomas and Shone Washington, Davis will either need to engineer a brilliant portal pursuit of elite grad transfer talents (keep an eye on prospective additions from his prior school, Texas) or the 3x National Champion DL Coach must rely on true freshmen as adequate depth support this season.
If that is the case, on paper, you can't go wrong with highly lauded freshmen Gabriel Reliford, 5 star Dominick McKinley, and versatile edge man Ahmad Breaux, a power trio of exquisite power and pedigree, yet once again, like many position groups on Kelly's 2024 LSU roster, Davis' defensive line room will heavily lean young & inexperienced.
Some may be more concerned about the secondary in 2024, yet D-line proves to be the position group that frightens most Tiger fans.....however....there is one key factor in LSU's favor:
Ahead of what could be a long, frustrating, and worrisome spring and summer as the Tigers' defense tries to find solutions on roster, via the portal as they attempt to avoid injuries, Head Coach Brian Kelly hired the #1 DL Coach in America at the perfect time.
Only development, heart, and a hell of a lot of creativity will get the Tigers' 2024 D-line to where it needs to be for the fall...and with Bo Davis at the helm, LSU's D-line always has a chance to be great...
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
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