The FWAA released their Freshman All-American team on Monday. With plenty of talented newcomers, the LSU defense was still able to get one man on the list this year.
The lone LSU Tiger to make the list was defensive tackle Maason Smith. Not shocking considering his level of impact on the defense. Smith was asked to play both inside and outside on the defensive line due to injuries on the edge. Smith should be a high-impact defender next season under the guidance of new defensive line coach Jamar Cain, who comes over from Oklahoma.
Maason Smith of LSU was the nation’s top prep defensive lineman in the fall of 2020 and became a coaches’ pick as an All-SEC Freshman in 2021. He earned three starts toward the end of the season and was third on the team with four sacks. Smith gives LSU a defensive member of the team in five of the last six seasons.
Smith finished out his freshman campaign with 19 total tackles, five TFLs, and four sacks. His presence can’t be understated from this past season where the health of the defensive line was a major concern. Heading into 2022, Smith should be a major breakout star on that side of the ball for Matt House’s defense.
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