by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
On the steamy September Superdome turf, LSU's All-American level DT Maason Smith is unthinkably writhing in agony, clutching his knee...
....instantly, the deluge of fan excitement from the packed crowd begins to extinguish...
....the nightmarish hush could be felt like a violent slamming of a hammer...straight at the gut level...
....only a handful of snaps into the Tigers' 2022 season, Head Coach Brian Kelly's inaugural game would be marred not only by their last play defeat on a blocked extra point, but the fact they'd be forced to go the entire season without one of the best defensive linemen in college football.
On a routine tackle at the line of scrimmage against underdogs Florida State, Maason Smith followed his teammates on the play and jumped a foot in the air to celebrate, throwing a fist in eternal ecstasy after his mere presence blew up the play....
....but when his leg landed with a harsh awkwardness, Smith unthinkably tore his ACL.
Everyone in the Superdome could feel it...the injury was non-contact, and big Maason Smith went from controlling the entire line of scrimmage to being forced from the field.
As he was gingerly helped off the Superdome , it would be the final time Smith would play in purple and gold for 2022.
Immediately, LSU Nation rallied around their fallen Tiger as he went under the knife for a quick surgery on his torn cruciate ligament.
The surgery was a success, but many wondered: would Maason Smith ever be the same imposing, bruising speed demon he was before?
Combining the agility and speed of an All-district running back within a 311 pound frame (running a 4.69 short shuttle), the Terrebonne graduate was unlike any interior defensive lineman any scout had ever seen.
His freshman year had been strong, grabbing 3 sacks in a single game vs Mcneese, before notching another sack vs Florida;
However, due to limited snaps and a shoulder injury that knocked him out for the Alabama, Arkansas, and A&M games, only offering a cameo vs Kansas St, most LSU fans expected Smith to take that next All-American step as a sophomore.
When he went down just minutes into the season, it wasn't only a devastating blow for LSU's chances at national title contention, Smith's absence threw a wrench in his own trajectory....maybe even development.
Maason would've terrorized offenses in 2022 alongside an interior of Jaquelin Roy, Mekhi Wingo (who would become an All-American in Smith's absence), and then-third year Tiger Jacobian Guillory;
An already savage Matt House defense would've become empirical utilizing Maason's athleticism and leadership within their already uncompromising front.
Flanked by future 2nd round pick BJ Ojulari (during his best campaign in purple and gold) and line of scrimmage attacking LB Harold Perkins Jr., there's no telling just how good LSU's front seven and overall defense could've become with Maason starting at full health, wire to wire.
While it may always be a case of "what if", regarding his potentially special sophomore season that never was, Smith is choosing to turn the page.
After a grueling rehab, Maason isn't lingering on the past; he's firmly focused on what could end up being his "money year".
The arrival of Spring 2023 brought good news for Maason, his teammates, coaches, and every fan wearing purple and gold:
The Southern Louisiana native dressed and practiced in a limited manner throughout Spring ball.
To make it possible, head trainer Jake Flint, nutritionist Matt Frakes, and everyone around LSU's strength, medical & recovery staff provided next level assistance to their cherished one of a kind Tiger.
Still, Head Coach Brian Kelly erred on the side of caution when it came to the L Club Spring Game, keeping his star defensive lineman out of the glorified scrimmage, alongside other priority players still recovering from a spell on the surgeon's table (Mekhi Wingo, Mason Taylor, Charles Turner, Dashawn Womack, Aaron Anderson etc).
LSU's staff are following an integrated plan to heal Maason back to 100% in time for fall camp, followed by yet another season opener against Florida State....this time in Orlando....far away from the Superdome turf.
“It’s just not something that is worth the risk,“ Kelly reiterated when explaining his decision to rest Smith for the Spring Game. "He’s in a position where he can do a lot of the drill work, but to put him into a spring game, there’s no advantage from that perspective. We’ll give him more time to get his leg stronger to the point where his first contact will be in August. That’s probably the prudent thing.”
Coach Kelly was excited as he discussed Smith within the context of defensive coordinator Matt House's dominant, versatile defensive setup.
“You put Maason on the inside, if you do that this year, I don’t know how many sacks you’ll have. You can’t single block him,” Kelly informed the LSU media, with this author in attendance.
Though the Tigers' coaching and recruiting staffers grabbed 4 defensive linemen from the transfer portal, Jordan Jefferson, Jalen Lee, Paris Shand, and Ovie Oghoufo, and while LSU's solid depth was on full display during the Spring Game (fielding a C team featuring Quency Wiggins, Guillory, Shand, with Saivion Jones and Oghoufo on the edges), no single defensive lineman at LSU, or anywhere else, can do what Maason Smith does.
He is one of a kind, and alongside versatile 2022 breakout Mekhi Wingo, featuring a cavalcade of DL riches, including an imperious Quency Wiggins, likely starting DE Saivion Jones, the special athletic profile & unquestioned potential of Dashawn Womack, there's a lot to like about new DL Coach Jimmy Lindsey's unit.
The return of Maason Smith would not only solidify the SEC's most talented defensive front, #0's game-changing, line of scrimmage-owning, offensive line-dictating, QB-destroying brilliance will push Brian Kelly's LSU to their ultimate competitive apex in 2023.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
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