In the upcoming season for the Louisiana State Tigers, the defense is expected to have a much bigger impact than last year. Bo Pelini is out as defensive coordinator and Daronte Jones replaces him. For the Tigers to have a major impact, their defensive line needs to be much more disruptive in the 2021 season.
Recently the Tuscaloosa News broke down the top 10 defensive linemen in the Southeastern Conference. They were voted on by a group of 19 sports writers across the network. Current defensive end Ali Gaye came in at No. 6 overall.
Ali Gaye, 62 points
Gaye led LSU with 9.5 tackles behind the line and was second with two sacks on a bad defense in 2020. He will be key for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, who inherits the worst unit in school history.
In his first full season as a starter, Gaye finished out the year with 32 total tackles. He played a major role with 9.5 coming behind the line of scrimmage and added two sacks and one interception. He may not be the sack leader that his counterpart Andre Anthony is, but Gaye will definitely make an impact on the defensive side of the ball with his disruption.
Gaye was graded as the highest defensive lineman and second-highest overall on the team by Pro Football Focus. He led the team with 38 total pressures and 27 quarterback hurries. Gaye will look to lead by example when the Tigers take the field against UCLA when the season kicks off in September.