LSU made a lot of transfer portal additions this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But it’s hard to imagine any of those additions will prove to be more impactful than linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag].
Speights comes in as a veteran after developing into an All-Pac-12 player at Oregon State. He joins an LSU team that lost experienced linebackers [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], and he’ll be paired with [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] in what should be a very strong inside linebacker duo.
Asked what Speights brings to the table, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was quick to point out his versatility. Kelly said Speights is a rare linebacker talent who can excel in space while also bringing physicality into the box.
“Omar, his physicality and his ability to play in space are a unique combination,” Kelly said, per On3. “Generally, you have a linebacker that is really good in space but lacks some of the physicality in the box. He brings both of those, which is a trait that is very difficult to find in college football.
“You either have what is known as a box player, who’s a downhill run stuffer but sometimes struggles in space. He’s got both of those talents. And it allows us to move him around, expand, let him get out, and leave Harold in a consistent location. At the end of the day, if I’m on offense, I wanna get Harold out of the action and force him to cover down as much as possible. And Omar gives us that flexibility.
Despite all the new faces, this defense — and the front seven, in particular — enter the season with high expectations. Much of that has to do with the experience that Speights brings to the table as he looks to become one of the SEC’s top linebackers.
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