Tag: Ali Gaye

2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 35 Sai’Vion Jones

Sai’Vion Jones could be poised to earn a starting job at defensive end this fall.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

There will be a lot said and written about the transfer additions brought in to replace [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] along the edge, but we’re looking at a returning player who could also occupy that mantle in [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag], who showed promise as a sophomore in 2022 and could be poised for a breakout.

Sai’Vion Jones Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Vacherie, Louisiana

Ht: 6-6

Wt: 280

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four Stars | No. 6 in Louisiana | No. 11 EDGE

Class in 2022: Sophomore

Career Stats

Year G Total Solo TFL Sack FF PD INT
2021 11 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
2022 14 23 11 6 4.5 1 1 0

Depth Chart Overview

Jones was one of the top recruits in Louisiana coming out of high school, and for good reason. A tremendous athlete, he also played basketball and competed in track and field, throwing the discus and shotput while even doing the high jump.

He saw action in 11 games as a true freshman for LSU in 2021, but he had a minimal impact and finished the year with just three total tackles. Still, he registered very solid Pro Football Focus grades in tackling and pass-rushing, setting up for a bigger Year 2.

He ultimately appeared in all 14 games last year, starting three times. His best career outing came in the start against Southern when he totaled six tackles. Jones also record sacks in four games.

He’ll have to compete with the likes of [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] and [autotag]Quency Wiggins[/autotag] for playing time as a junior, but given his massive frame and promising early career production, he has a chance to make a big impact.

Sai’Vion Jones’ Photo Gallery

Pair of LSU defensive lineman named potential breakout freshman in 2023

Jaxon Howard and DaShawn Womack could both make impacts as true freshmen this fall.

LSU’s defensive front is poised to be very strong in 2023, but if there’s one question mark, it comes at the edge of the defensive line.

Last year’s starting edge defenders in [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] are gone, and LSU is likely to turn to transfer additions like [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag], [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] to fill in the gaps.

However, the Tigers could also look to a pair of true freshman blue-chip prospects to make an impact, as well. On3 recently recognized [autotag]Jaxon Howard[/autotag] and [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag] as potential breakout true freshmen in the SEC this fall.

Here’s what they said about Howard.

Where he ranked in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star, No. 16 EDGE, No. 120 overall prospect

Howard is one of a couple freshman EDGE players for LSU with a shot at contributing this season.

You’ll see the other one shortly.

As for Howard, he’s impressed with his work ethic, approach and intelligence.

He had four tackles and a sack in the Tigers’ spring game.

“You could see his progress and his grit kind of grow throughout the spring to the point where we were like, that was a really good spring for him,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said during the spring.

Howard’s father, Willie, was an all-conference defensive lineman at Stanford and a 2001 second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings.

Now for Womack.

Where he ranked in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star, No. 5 EDGE, No. 42 overall prospect

Here’s the other LSU freshman EDGE with a chance to be a factor this season.

Although Womack was limited during the spring while working back from shoulder surgery, On3 ranked Womack as a five-star player and the No. 12 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

“I think he has some flexibility as a guy that can play the big end position, but we haven’t ruled out how we play him,” Kelly said during the spring. “Is he a stand-up two-point player in a manner that he’s 100 percent of the time a Jack linebacker? No, probably not. That doesn’t mean that we can’t be in four down and he can’t stand up and drop back in a limited fashion to change the looks up because he is so athletic.

“His athletic ability still lends itself to having some of the traits necessary to put him in a hybrid position.”

With all the transfer additions LSU made to its defensive front this offseason, both of these guys may see a limited role. However, we saw a true freshman make a big impact on the edge last fall in [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], and perhaps one of these two players will be the next one up.

2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 2 Ovie Oghoufo

Ovie Oghoufo, who formerly played at Notre Dame and Texas, will reunite with Brian Kelly for his sixth and final season of eligibility.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

We’re checking out another top transfer addition from the offseason in [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag], a sixth-year defensive end. Oghoufo began his career with Kelly at Notre Dame before transferring to Texas in 2021, where he developed into a two-year starter, mostly playing the edge.

Ovie Oghoufo Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Lathrup Village, Michigan

Ht: 6-3

Wt: 245

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three Stars | No. 11 in Michigan | No. 35 Outside Linebacker

Class in 2022: Senior

Career Stats

Year G Total Solo TFL Sack FF PD INT
2018 (Notre Dame) 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2019 (Notre Dame) 8 20 5 2.5 2.5 1 1 0
2020 (Notre Dame) 8 13 9 2.5 2.5 0 2 0
2021 (Texas) 12 42 21 5.5 2.0 0 2 0
2022 (Texas) 13 53 19 7.5 1.5 1 3 0


Depth Chart Overview

After redshirting his first year in South Bend, Oghoufo saw action off the bench in 2019 and the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He ultimately opted to transfer to Texas in 2021, where his playing time increased quite a bit.

In the 25 games he appeared in with the Longhorns over the last two years, he started 20 of them. Though his sack numbers leave something to be desired, he has 13 tackles for loss and 95 total tackles over the last two campaigns.

Now a more finished product than he was at Notre Dame, Kelly will hope the veteran can help replace the losses of starting edge defenders [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag].

Ovie Oghoufo’s Photo Gallery

LSU boasts one of college football’s top defenses entering 2023

Despite losing several key pieces, this defense has a lot of potential this fall.

As the offseason hype grows around LSU, much of the discussion has had to do with the offense.

Indeed, the Tigers bring back perhaps the SEC’s top returning quarterback/receiver duo in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag]. Pair that with a young, promising offensive line and a running back room with plenty of options, and you have the makings of a great unit.

But defensively, the Tigers have a lot of potential, as well. There are players to replace, certainly, such as edge defenders [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and secondary starters [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag].

Still, LSU returns a lot of promising players. [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is widely expected to become one of the best players in the country, while [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] returns after a breakout season on the defensive line. He’ll be paired up inside with the player he replaced in [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag], who many expect to have a huge season, as well, as he returns from an ACL tear.

While the secondary will feature a lot of new faces, LSU will get veterans [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] back,

That’s not even mentioning the transfers who will see immediate action like defensive linemen [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag].

This group has a lot of talent, and ESPN ranked it as the No. 8 defensive unit entering 2023.

It always starts right up front with any defense, and getting back a healthyMaason Smithat tackle is a huge boost for an LSU unit that finished fifth in the SEC last season in scoring defense (22.5 points per game) and sixth in total defense (354.6 yards per game). Smith earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021, but tore his ACL in the opener last season against Florida State while celebrating a tackle. The 6-6, 310-pound Smith is a force in the middle of that defense, andMekhi Wingoshowed a year ago he was also capable of being a dominant interior defender. Throw in one of the best pass-rushers in the SEC, outside linebackerHarold Perkins Jr., and the Tigers will be a load for any opposing offensive line trying to block them. Perkins had 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a freshman last season.

LSU will also benefit from having defensive coordinator Matt House and his staff back for another season. The continuity and carryover from 2022 should allow the Tigers to play even faster and more instinctively, and one of the keys will be how well several transfers fit on defense.

LinebackerOmar Speightstransferred in fromOregon State, where he was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season. There are some question marks in the secondary, although veteran safetyGreg Brooks Jr. is back. A number of transfers will get chances to win cornerback jobs. Among them:JK Johnson(Ohio State),Duce Chestnut(Syracuse),Denver Harris(Texas A&M) andZy Alexander(Southeastern Louisiana).

[autotag]Matt House[/autotag] is viewed as one of the top up-and-coming defensive minds in the game, and he’ll have a lot to work with as LSU has the makings of a potential College Football Playoff team this fall.

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Texans’ Jerry Hughes plays big brother for all rookie DE

The Houston Texans’ Jerry Hughes has embraced the role of being the big brother for all of the rookie defensive ends in the DL room.

Jerry Hughes is one of the NFL’s most experienced defensive lineman, and on a team that is as inexperienced as the Houston Texans are heading into the 2023 season, expectations for his role as a mentor are at an all-time high.

A former 2010 first-round pick, it would seem only natural Hughes spent most of his time giving pointers to No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson. However, Hughes has a whole brotherhood that needs his direction.

“Yeah, I mean, [I mentor] all the young guys, honestly,” Hughes told reporters June 13 after mandatory minicamp.

Two of the other defensive ends in the room are fourth-rounder Dylan Horton — a former TCU product like Hughes — and undrafted Ali Gaye from LSU.

“All those guys, I try to be their big bro, whatever questions they have,” said Hughes. “I kind of seen it all in the NFL. Off the field, on the field, whatever they have, I try to be there for those guys. They’ve been here the entire off-season giving it their all, asking a lot of questions. That’s what we want. We need them to win games this year, so I’m excited.”

That excitement is sure to pay off if the Texans’ younger contributors can make sparks fly under his direction during the 2023 season. With a new coaching staff and revamped roster in place, Hughes may see his role on the field diminish over the course of Houston’s schedule.

The work Hughes is putting in now to acclimate the first and second-year talent on the team’s roster will make him an indispensable part of the Texans’ defense.

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Texans sign 9 undrafted free agents

The Houston Texans have signed nine undrafted free agents in time for rookie minicamp.

The Houston Texans have announced the signings of nine undrafted free agents.

A third of the Texans’ signings were offensive linemen as they added former Western Michigan tackle Dylan Deatherage, former guard-tackle Tyler Beach from Wisconsin, and former Auburn tackle Kilian Zierer.

Houston signed two receivers with Jared Wayne from Pittsburgh and Jesse Matthews from San Diego State.

The Texans signed former Arizona State running back Xazavian Valladay. Houston also signed former Memphis punter Joe Doyle.

The two defensive players Houston signed were former LSU defensive end Ali Gaye and former Duke safety Darius Joyner.

Houston has also signed four of their nine draftees.

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Let the computers decide: A fully simulated 7-round mock draft

Who would the computers select for the Browns in the 2023 NFL draft?

Welcome to the day of the 2023 NFL draft! While the Cleveland Browns will not come on the clock until tomorrow night, they will have eight picks to play around with, including six in the middle rounds. We have completed mock draft after mock draft in preparation for the main event, so this time we let the computers decide.

Using PFF’s mock draft simulator, we let the picks just roll right through to see who the Browns would land in a fully simulated mock draft to fill the eight picks Cleveland has to their name.

And full disclaimer: it was ugly.

Brian Kelly breaks down LSU’s defensive line depth in 2023

Here’s how the depth is shaping up on the defensive line as spring comes to a close.

With [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag] and [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] getting back to the practice field, LSU’s defensive line is looking healthier.

However, don’t expect to see them out there on Saturday.

“It’s just not something that is worth the risk,” Kelly said when discussing potentially playing Smith, who is coming off a torn ACL, in the spring game.

With LSU thin all spring on the defensive line, several players got more reps this spring. Kelly believes that’s helped LSU improves its depth. On four-star freshman [autotag]Jaxon Howard[/autotag], Kelly said he benefited from extra work that wouldn’t have been there if LSU was fully healthy.

On the interior, [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag] also impressed Kelly, getting plenty of reps at several spots up front. [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag], the Arizona transfer with a chance to take over for [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], has also made strides.

“You could see his progress and his grit kind of grow throughout the spring to the point where we were like, that was a really good spring for him,” Kelly said.

Kelly also cited [autotag]Tygee Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Fitzgerald West[/autotag] as two guys who benefitted from the available work.

The main takeaway: Kelly likes the depth LSU has up front.

Smith and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] are surefire starters up the middle, but it’s wide open outside of that.

It’s also worth noting this group has been working under interim defensive line coach [autotag]Gerald Chatman[/autotag] as LSU looks to replace [autotag]Jamar Cain[/autotag].

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Pair of injured LSU defensive linemen participate in individual drills Tuesday

Both Maason Smith and Dashawn Womack seem to be getting closer to healthy.

As LSU is putting in the final bit of work for its spring camp ahead of Saturday’s exhibition game at Tiger Stadium, the team saw a couple of positive developments on the injury front as far as the defensive line is concerned.

According to 247Sports’ Glen West, both [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag] participated in individual drills on Tuesday.

That’s a great sign, especially for Smith. The defensive tackle was expected to have a breakout season in 2022, but his season ended much earlier than expected as he suffered a torn ACL while celebrating during the first drive of the season.

Smith has been limited for much of spring ball, but despite wearing braces on both legs, he was wearing full pads and looked to be getting more comfortable, per West.

Womack, meanwhile, has been suffering from a labrum injury. West said that the five-star early enrollee looked to be moving well and was participating in hit drills even with his injured shoulder.

Both players are very important to LSU’s plans on the defensive line. [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] emerged in Smith’s absence last season, but with [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] heading to the NFL, Smith will still hold a major role as a starter on this year’s team when healthy.

Womack, meanwhile, will likely begin his career as a rotational player, but with both starting defensive ends leaving in [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], the opportunity to earn early playing time will be there for him.

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Best photos of LSU’s NFL draft prospects at Tigers pro day

The Tigers’ draft hopefuls took the field in front of NFL scouts on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, LSU’s draft hopefuls took the field at the team’s pro day in Baton Rouge looking to put on a show for the NFL scouts in attendance.

The major story on the day was [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who struggled at the NFL scouting combine. His pro day was highly anticipated, but he only participated in drills and not in athletic testing, meaning his subpar combine numbers — including a 4.50 40-yard dash — will stand.

In addition to Boutte, [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] didn’t participate in athletic testing.

[autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Harris Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] were full participants.

Here were the best photos of LSU players participating in drills on Wednesday.