On a team that was filled with youngsters last season, few impressed as much as defensive lineman [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] in 2021.
That’s not to say Smith’s performance wasn’t expected. He came in as the top recruit in Louisiana and fifth-best DL in the country, and it was no secret the guy could play.
Smith arrived as an early enrollee last January and stood out right away. At one point last offseason, coach [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] said Smith was the best interior pass rusher on LSU’s roster, and that was before he even played a down.
Despite the Summer hype, Smith only saw 13 snaps in the season opener. But in Week 2, he put together a breakout performance, totaling three sacks, albeit against an FCS opponent.
His regular season was cut short sometime in between the Ole Miss and Alabama games, where he was spotted using crutches. He was able to return and play in the bowl game.
The physical traits possessed by Smith are off the charts. He’s 6-foot-5 and still listed under 300 pounds on LSU’s roster. He might not have the quickness of a pure edge rusher, but for an interior guy, he can move.
His wide arsenal of skills allowed LSU to use him in some different ways. Its defense spent a long time figuring itself out, part of that equation was figuring out how to use Smith.
Some injuries at edge rusher forced the Tigers to use Smith to rush the passer, maybe more than the coaches would have liked. Following his performance against McNeese, he lined up on the outside more than any other spot in Weeks 3-5, according to Pro Football Focus.
Against Kentucky, he was suddenly back inside, not lining up outside once. He made a few stops in that game, but as a whole, LSU’s defense was terrible.
The next two games, Smith was back on the outside, where he generated four pressures over that span. After that is when Smith got hurt, and in the bowl game, he didn’t line up outside at all again.
There are too many variables to know how this impacted Smith or the performance of LSU’s defensive line. It was a chaotic year all around. But, one could hypothesize that with a full offseason, and more certainty and structure within the program, Smith is now going to take another step.
There are plenty of defensive linemen with these tools in the SEC. You need them to win. Heck, you probably need a few of them.
The guys on the inside don’t get talked about as much as the splashy pass rushers, but they are critical. Georgia’s defense last year was built around that disruptive interior.
When a defensive coordinator has someone on the inside that can plug the run and be a threat in pass-rushing, it allows so much more flexibility when it comes to linebackers and edge rushers. The new staff at LSU has talked about the need to be creative and multiple on defense, and elite play from Smith could provide that opportunity.
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