LSU 2020 D-LINE PREVIEW (PROLOGUE)

By

LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

@LonnPhillips

         All along 2020's new, re-tooled four man defensive front we see a group of hard-nose, recklessly chaotic pass rushers, magnetic run stoppers, towering gap cloggers: veterans looking to prove a point, newby freshmen aiming to remove human face and future legends forgotten by the stars of yesteryear...

           Is now the time for guys like Tyler Shelvin, Andre Anthony, Justin Thomas, Glen Logan and Siaki Ika to shine brightest for Bo Pelini's four man wrecking crew up front?

          Better time now than any...

          What else could be more satisfying than the end of the global pandemic followed by LSU's front seven demonstrating their knack for turning 5 Star quarterbacks into Jonathan Lipnicki???

For anyone still roused by a pulse, nothing else should be higher on the post-pandemic list, save for a My Morning Jacket show at Red Rocks or the first Myles Brennan-led, high octane offensive drive of 2020.

           This is an astoundingly atrocious defensive line in terms of depth, quality, versatility and adaptable pieces, all usable across multiple Pelini formations.... they're all so young and possess a mountain of improvement in their way...regardless of the obstacles, they're on the cusp of approaching the summit. 

            Other than our elite, best secondary in college football or G.O.A.T WRs corps part II, I don't think there exists another roster containing a single unit more physical, more multi-dimensional or as deep as our D-line. 

            There may be other lines boasting bigger names or higher profiles, but for anyone really paying attention, we all recognize that Tigers such as Tyler Shelvin, Jaquelin Roy, Glen Logan, T.K McLendon B.J Ojulari could be the best group in the country...and by the end of the season, Bill Johnson's unit could be the most productive D-line ever.

Recently, Coach Orgeron as well as Bo Pelini both made extremely positive statements about returning National Champions (Junior) Justin Thomas and (Senior) Andre Anthony, two tweener ends who found themselves on the outside looking in throughout Aranda's 3-4 set-up of 2019.

             Describing the previously cast aside linemen as fighting tooth and nail for the starting defensive end positions, and in fact standing as their current choice for the position alongside T.K McLendon and freshmen sensation B.J Ojulari, Orgeron and Pelini both admired Thomas / Anthony's tenacity and work ethic.

             There were other surprises during their statements, such as both Pelini and Orgeron viewing Georgia-native DE/LB hybrid Phillip Webb as a fixed linebacker, jettisoning him from contention along the line of scrimmage, although we guarantee we'll see him zooming off the edge in cheetah or zero blitz packages throughout the season.

 The main shockers were really the personnel favorites of Orgeron and Pelini, both using Anthony's name on dozens of occasions, promoting Justin Thomas as a preseason starter, calling Jaquelin Roy a potential starter, relishing in the knowledge that their tyrannical depth could throw the rest of the SEC into a Bayou stranglehold...

Although the sacks record is what? 54? Something to that degree?

LSU's 2020 defensive line could amass 40-45 sacks themselves...and that's not a joke...

Freshmen such as Eric Taylor, Jacobian Guillory, B.J Ojulari or Jaquelin Roy all ring true as future Tiger greats in the making, although if you think they'll be waiting their turn until 2021, you will be grossly mistaken.

(Want more???)

BY LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN

GEAUX TIGERS

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