[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] made wholesale changes to the defensive staff this offseason. The defense was among the worst in program history last year and it put a damper on LSU’s playoff hopes despite LSU owning the best offense in the country.
Enter [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] as defensive coordinator. Baker’s defense will look a lot different. One noticeable change you’ll notice is the deployment of hybrid safety [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag].
This is a young defense, but that’s where Burns stands out. He’s entering his fifth year of college football after playing 1,641 defensive snaps since 2020. He’s started 23 games for LSU despite battling injuries in 2021 and 2022.
Burns was a classic safety last year. According to PFF, he lined up as the FS spot more than any other, seeing 369 snaps there.
Now in Baker’s defense, Burns is moving to the STAR role. That’s the typical hybrid safety linebacker model you’ve seen emerge in college football this century.
Daylan Carnell played that role for Baker at Missouri last year, lining up as a free safety just 45 times. The majority of time was spent playing in the box or in the slot.
Burns isn’t a stranger to either spot. He played 308 in the box and 142 in the slot last year, but what he’s asked to do will change.
In coverage last year, Carnell was in man 34.8% of the time. Burns just 22.3%. When it came to rushing the passer, Carnell blitzed 10.5% of the time while Burns’ rate was less than half at 4.1%, which was among the lowest safety blitz rates in the SEC.
How Burns adjusts could play a big role in how much progress LSU’s defense makes Year 1 under Baker. So far, the reports are positive.
In spring practice, Kelly said Burns improved more than anyone else in coverage, noting he struggled some last year. Kelly said LSU didn’t put Burns in a position to succeed, saying there were occasions when the staff didn’t have Burns on the right guy at the right time.
Off the field, Kelly noted Burns’ development as a leader, something that’s critical given how young the defense is.
Another positive indicator: Burns was named preseason All-SEC at media days last week.
LSU has eight players on the Media Preseason All-SEC Teams pic.twitter.com/6lQBOolmq5
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) July 19, 2024
There are few certainties on this defense. The cornerback room is a big question mark. So is the interior defensive line. LSU needs an improved pass rush and more consistent play from its linebackers. There will be struggles, but with Burns’ versatility, Baker could alleviate weaknesses.
If the pass rush is struggling, send Burns on a blitz. Need help in coverage? Drop Burns back.
Burns doesn’t need to be elite, he just needs to be good at a little of everything and provide a steady veteran presence. Burns has the chance to make an impact at every level of the defense. If he lives up to those All-SEC expectations, this unit is in good shape.
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