Tag: Bradyn Swinson

Chiefs scouting report: LSU Tigers DE Bradyn Swinson

LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson would be an excellent addition for the Kansas City #Chiefs in the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Pro Football Focus, Chris Jones is the only Kansas City Chiefs defender averaging four quarterback pressures per game this season. General Manager Brett Veach needs to pursue a new pass-rushing option in the 2025 NFL draft to take some pressure off Jones and win more plays off the edge.

LSU Tigers defensive lineman Bradyn Swinson is an electrifying pass rusher who operates best in two-point stances on the edge. His burst off the line makes him a significant threat as a speed rusher, and his long arms help him convert speed to power or deploy counters to attack the B-gap.

Swinson’s accurate hand placement grants him easy access to the offensive tackle’s chest. He doesn’t have a thick frame but generates a surprising amount of knockback with his heavy hands and powerful arm extensions. That knockback opens the B-gap or drives the offensive tackle into the pocket.

Swinson wins through the B-gap with swipe and swim counters and through the offensive tackle’s frame with speed to power. He also wins on the outside track with his explosiveness and bend. Swinson lacks elite bend but is flexible enough to get low and flatten his rush angle.

Against South Carolina earlier this year, LSU gave Swinson some snaps walked down in the A-gap like a blitzing linebacker. The Gamecocks didn’t have athletic enough interior players to handle his attacks. Creative defensive coordinators use this type of defensive alignment manipulation in the NFL, and Swinson has all the traits to fill the role.

Swinson uses his long arms to stack and shed blocks in the run game and possesses the burst to make plays as a backside run defender. However, his primary value comes from his pass rush. He’s applying pressure on 17% of his pass rush reps this season and enters Week 8 half a sack behind South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard for the SEC lead.

After a three-game homestand, the Tigers will travel to face Arkansas on October 19 at 6:00 p.m. CST. The Razorbacks were idle this past Saturday and are two weeks removed from upsetting the Tennessee Volunteers.

Bradyn Swinson said he didn’t know play call ahead of crucial fourth down stop against Ole Miss

Bradyn Swinson didn’t know the play call ahead of Ole Miss’ first quarter fourth-down try, but that didn’t stop him from making the stop.

Early in Saturday’s win over Ole Miss, LSU’s defense came up with a tremendous stop that ultimately proved to be monumental in a game that went to overtime.

With the Rebels driving late in the first quarter on their third drive of the game after missing a field goal on the previous possession, they found themselves in scoring range again. But on fourth and one from the four-yard line, LSU’s [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] came up with what he called the biggest play of his career.

He sniffed out a direct snap to running back Henry Parrish Jr., stopping the play in the backfield to hold Ole Miss scoreless. Even more impressively, Swinson said on Wednesday that he never actually heard the play call before his stop.

“Didn’t get the call, but you’ve just got to check ‘whoop ass’ sometimes and go get the ball,” Swinson said.

Swinson has been a breakout star for the Tigers this season. The Oregon transfer played only a rotational role for LSU last season, but he’s been very impactful this fall and already has seven sacks through six games, five more than he totaled in 2023.

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3 LSU players earn weekly honors from SEC after big-time win over Ole Miss

Three LSU players received weekly SEC awards, including Offensive Player of the Week Garrett Nussmeier.

In the biggest game of the week on the SEC schedule in Week 7, LSU emerged victorious over Ole Miss.

It wasn’t a perfect game for the Tigers, who battled offensive inefficiency all night and never led until the final whistle. But they hung around to get the game to overtime, and after giving up a field goal, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] ended the game with a touchdown pass to [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

As a result, Tigers players headline the SEC Players of the Week. In total, three LSU stars were honored.

Nussmeier has been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He had a pair of interceptions and completed just 22 of 51 passes, but he made the big plays when it mattered late in the game.

Meanwhile, [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] is the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after totaling a career-high 18 tackles, two of which were for loss, and a sack. [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] is the Defensive Lineman of the Week totaling eight tackles (also a career-high for him) with 2.5 for loss and a pair of sacks.

The Tigers are continuing to improve and now find themselves back in the College Football Playoff race. They’ll look to keep things rolling when they travel to face Arkansas in Week 8 on Saturday night.

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5 takeaways from LSU’s overtime win over Ole Miss

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s thrilling win over Ole Miss.

LSU didn’t run a single play with the lead on Saturday night, but the Tigers led when it mattered the most — after the final play.

Down three, needing a touchdown to win, QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] found [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] in the endzone to upset No. 9 Ole Miss in front of a packed Tiger Stadium crowd.

LSU needed this win. A season-opening loss to USC trimmed the margin for error, but with this victory, LSU adds a signature win to its resume.

As for Ole Miss, it was the Rebels’ second loss of the year. Lane Kiffin’s group will most likely have to be perfect from here on out to remain in the playoff discussion.

LSU is right back in the thick of the national picture as SEC play heats up. The Tigers will play back-to-back road games at Arkansas and Texas A&M. Both will be tests, but LSU proved it is ready to compete on the big stage with Saturday’s win.

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s 29-26 overtime victory.

Garrett Nussmeier makes the play when it matters

[autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] didn’t play his best football on Saturday night, but he made the plays when it mattered the most. With regulation winding down, Nussmeier delivered a strike to [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] to tie the game. On the first play of overtime, Nussmeier found Lacy for six.

Nussmeier was just 22/51 on the night, but when you look back at this performance, you’re going to remember the throws to Anderson and Lacy.

Equally important, was a throw to [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] on fourth down to keep LSU alive on the final drive in the fourth.

LSU got resiliency from its senior quarterback on Saturday night.

Defense delivers

LSU opened its checkbook to land defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag]. The reasons why were evident on Saturday night.

Even as the offense got off to a slow start, the defense got the necessary stops. Ole Miss’ success rate on the night was just 37%, putting the Rebels in the 30th percentile.

LSU struggled on third down, but that’s about the only complaint. LSU was aggressive and made life hard on the ground and through the air. The unit made the necessary adjustments throughout the night to come up with stops in the fourth quarter.

The secondary played well and LSU’s young corners made plays in man coverage. That’s what LSU needs if it’s going to reach the playoff.

LSU’s run game is still an issue

LSU didn’t get much from its run game. The Tigers averaged -0.25 EPA/rush, far below an acceptable mark. 50% of LSU’s runs were stopped for two yards or less and that led to trouble on later downs.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] carried it 12 times for 37 yards and [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] ran it nine times for 34 yards. Both backs didn’t get much help from the offensive line as Ole Miss did a good job of plugging the holes.

We knew Ole Miss had a strong defensive front entering the night, but LSU looked outmatched when it tried to run the ball. That’s not a good sign with the defenses LSU has on deck.

LSU defense creates havoc

LSU got the big plays it needed from its defense. On the night, LSU generated 11 tackles for loss and six sacks.

[autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] were active all night, getting pressure on Jaxson Dart and getting runs stops near or behind the line of scrimmage.

LSU knew it needed to keep Ole Miss off schedule to have a chance in this one. The big plays from the front seven prevented Kiffin’s offense from establishing a consistent rhythm.

LSU is back in the playoff race

LSU took a back seat in the playoff discussion these last few weeks, but a win over a top-10 opponent should move the needle.

It’s a long season, but this game had major playoff implications no matter the winner. LSU remains in control of its own destiny with the win while Ole Miss will need some help.

This win buys back some room for error for LSU. The Tigers can lose one down the stretch and still make the playoff at 10-2.

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Stock Up, Stock Down: LSU beats Ole Miss in overtime classic

Let’s look at who saw their stock rise and who saw their stock fall in the win over the Rebels.

LSU welcomed Ole Miss into Baton Rouge for one of the biggest games of the season.  The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels were looking to remain in the top 10 and deep in the hunt for a college football playoff spot. To do that, they would have to beat No. 13 LSU under the lights of Tiger Stadium.

The Rebels led this game from the start of the second quarter until Aaron Anderson caught a touchdown pass to tie it with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter. That led to this game going to overtime. In overtime, the Rebels got the ball first and were backed up to 4th and 25. Ole Miss hit a 57-yard field goal to give them a 26-23 lead.

On the Tigers’ first play in overtime, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] found [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] on a 25-yard touchdown pass to win the game 29-26.

Let’s look at who saw their stock rise and who saw their stock fall in this game.

Stock Up: Aaron Anderson

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[autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] had another big game as he caught a touchdown pass late to tie the game at 23. He finished the night with three receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown against Ole Miss.

Stock Down: Run Game

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Once again, LSU was unable to run the ball in a big game. The Tigers finished the night with 84 yards on 24 carries. That is an average of only 3.5 yards a carry. That will not get the job done in the biggest games. With the offensive line the Tigers have, they should be able to get over 100 yards on the ground.

Stock Up: Whit Weeks

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] had the best game of his career against Ole Miss. He finished the night with a team-high 18 tackles. 10 of those tackles were solo. He was almost ejected from the game for targeting but after a review, the call was overturned.

Stock Down: Turnovers

SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The only downside I can see from this game is Nussmeier throwing two interceptions. Those two interceptions led to LSU losing the turnover battle against South Alabama. Again, it did not matter in the end, but it is something to improve on.

Stock Up: Sacks

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

LSU spent a lot of time in the backfield against Ole Miss. The Tigers ended the night with six total sacks compared to Ole Miss having zero. [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] led the way with two sacks of his own.

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Is LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson putting together an All-American campaign?

Is LSU’s Bradyn Swinson a contender for SEC Defensive Player of the Year?

LSU knew it needed a few breakouts on defense to see growth on that side of the ball. The unit is young and LSU didn’t do much in the transfer portal, putting pressure on the players in-house to turn a corner.

LSU may have found that star in [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] at defensive end. Swinson transferred to LSU prior to 2023 after spending three years at Oregon. Swinson was a rotational piece for LSU last year but proved to be a valuable veteran down the stretch.

Four games into 2024, Swinson’s found another level. He’s taken over the last two games, forcing a fumble against South Carolina and UCLA. He has five sacks on the year, with a few of those coming when LSU needed them most.

Swinson’s 18 pressures rank third among Power Four edge defenders. His pass-rush win rate and PFF pass-rush grade sit in the top 10 too. He’s not just the most impactful player on LSU’s defense, but one of the most impactful defenders in the country.

Swinson took home SEC defensive lineman of the week after LSU’s week four win, making it the second consecutive game with conference superlative honors for Swinson.

Swinson is showcasing a blend of speed and power that was evident in flashes last year, but now he’s performing consistently. He’s a threat to make a play at any down and distance, at any point in the game. Offenses have to account for him in ways they didn’t before, potentially making it easier on the rest of the defensive front.

That’s big given LSU just lost [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] for the year with a torn ACL. LSU will rely on Swinson’s pass rush even more, but he appears up for the task.

This is an All-American level campaign. It will get tougher when LSU starts seeing better offensive lines week in and week out, but expect Swinson to continue to rack up pressures.

Swinson’s progress wasn’t linear. He didn’t begin his college career as a highly-touted blue-chip, though he was a three-star and top 500 overall player. He didn’t produce much at Oregon, but there were positive indicators when he arrived at LSU, such as a good pass rush win rate in his limited action with the Ducks.

LSU defensive ends coach [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag] deserves credit too. He has a knack for developing pass rushers and is proving to be a critical hire on Brian Kelly’s defensive staff.

There’s a long way to go, but if Swinson keeps this up, he’ll contend for the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year.

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5 stats that defined LSU’s Week 4 win over UCLA

These five stats defined LSU’s win over UCLA.

LSU moved to 3-1 on Saturday with a 34-17 win over UCLA. The first half wasn’t pretty, but LSU handled business over the final two quarters.

On offense, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] was the standout. He completed 32 of 44 passes for 352 yards and three scores. He didn’t throw a pick or take a sack all day and led LSU on two 90+ yard touchdown drives in the second half.

Defensively, it was [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] proving to be the difference maker yet again. With six more pressures, he’s now tied for the SEC lead with 16 on the year.

LSU failed to cover the spread, but there wasn’t much doubt about this one by the end. Yes, some issues remain and the [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] injury complicates things on defense, but LSU should be happy with the progress its seen in recent weeks.

The Tigers will be heavy favorites in Tiger Stadium against South Alabama this week before SEC play ramps up.

Here are five numbers that defined LSU’s win over UCLA.

UCLA’s 4.83 yards per play

UCLA had moments here and there, but when it was all said and done, the Bruins averaged just 4.83 yards per play. According to GameOnPaper.com, that number sits in the 23rd percentile.

That’s a solid performance for an LSU defense that’s struggled to slow offenses. UCLA hit some big plays, but outside of that, LSU controlled the game.

On the year, LSU is allowing six yards per play, which ranks 103rd nationally. The second half against UCLA offers some hope for that number improving.

0.95 EPA without explosive plays

The best offenses manage to score even when they aren’t explosive. That’s what LSU did on Saturday.

The Tigers maintained a positive EPA/play even when you take out the explosive plays. That speaks to the high floor of this offense.

Down to down, Nussmeier plays clean football. He doesn’t take sacks and he doesn’t put the ball in jeopardy.

On the day, LSU had just three plays that went for negative yards. This offense kept moving it allowed the Tigers to score despite some bad field position.

LSU was 10/15 on third down

LSU found itself in quite a few third downs. The offense wasn’t phased and delivered several key conversions throughout the day.

It helps that LSU’s average third-down distance was just 6.44 — a lot better than UCLA’s mark of 9.08.

The best way to be good on third down is to be good on first and second. LSU put itself in the best position to convert on Saturday.

Swinson and Jones combine for 9 pressures and 3 sacks

This LSU defense is built on creating havoc. LSU was able to do that thanks to its defensive ends on Saturday.

Swinson and [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag] combined for nine pressures and three sacks. When UCLA QB Chase Garbers started to get comfortable, LSU started creating pressure.

A couple of the sacks were well-timed too, knocking UCLA out of field goal range and preventing points.

LSU’s defense will experience some growing pains this year, but if it gets these types of games from its veteran pass rushers, the upside is there.

LSU Offense: Pressure rate of 15.9%

Despite the occasional run-blocking struggles, LSU’s offensive line remains an elite pass-protection unit.

Nussmeier was only pressured on 15.9% of his dropbacks vs. UCLA. That was the best mark in the SEC last week.

On the year, Nussmeier’s been pressured on just 17.8% of his dropbacks — also the best mark in the SEC.

If LSU’s offensive line continues to protect like this, Nussmeier will put up gaudy numbers all year.

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LSU’s Bradyn Swinson earns SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors

Bradyn Swinson turned in his second-straight two-sack game on Saturday.

For the second week in a row, LSU edge rusher [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] has been honored by the league office.

Swinson, now in his second season with the program after transferring in from Oregon, is having a breakout season and has emerged as one of the SEC’s top pass rushers. After turning in another two-sack game in Week 4’s 34-17 win over UCLA, he’s been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the second week in a row.

He was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after a two-sack performance in the win over South Carolina last week.

https://twitter.com/LSUfootball/status/1838248710897315900

Swinson, who already has five sacks and six tackles for loss on the season, could now see an even bigger role. [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] tore his ACL on Saturday, and the Tigers will now be without one of their best havoc-creating players for the remainder of the season.

It’s now even more critical that Swinson continues to be as disruptive as he’s been through the first third of the season.

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Where does LSU turn with Harold Perkins Jr. sidelined for rest of 2024 season?

With star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. done for the year, LSU will lose some playmaking ability on defense.

LSU star [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] left the win over UCLA with a knee injury. LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was mum on Perkins after the game, saying tests were needed, but Perkins was “injured.”

On Sunday, LSU’s worst fears came to fruition. Perkins is done for the year with a torn ACL according to 247Sports and other reports.

The loss is a blow to an LSU defense that needs all the help it can get. Perkins was second-team All-SEC in 2023 and preseason All-SEC in 2024 — that’s star power LSU doesn’t have elsewhere on the unit.

With Perkins sidelined, where does LSU go from here?

Without Perkins, LSU is losing a player with game-breaking ability. Dating back to 2022, we’ve seen Perkins take over games and make plays LSU needed to win the game. Even when consistency was a problem for the unit, Perkins had a way of showing up.

Think back to the Alabama game in 2022. LSU struggled to contain Bryce Young in the second half, but Perkins applied seven pressures and a sack — just enough havoc for LSU to secure the upset.

In the Missouri game last year. Mizzou marched up and down the field on LSU, but a Perkins’ interception swung momentum in the second half and gave [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] a chance to lead LSU to a shootout win.

As for 2024, we can debate Perkins’ impact.

According to PFF, he ranks 46th out of 55 qualified SEC linebackers in defensive grade. In four games, he didn’t record a sack and missed six tackles. LSU still lacked a concrete plan for Perkins, playing him at weakside linebacker to begin the year and bumping him to the strongside in week three.

But despite the lack of production, the talent remained undeniable and the flash plays were still there. Perkins came up with some big pressures against South Carolina and even when he isn’t hitting home, offenses have to circle him. Taking that threat off the field will have an impact on this defense.

The good news for LSU is this. [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] has emerged as one of the best pass rushers in the SEC, and linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] is showing he knows how to get after the passer, too.

Still, there’s not a player on this roster with the same all-around ability that Perkins has. Whether it’s a sack, a tackle for loss, or a pick, Perkins impacts every phase of the game when he’s on.

For an LSU defense that relies more on creating havoc than down-to-down efficiency, that matters. With Perkins out, the ceiling of this unit is no doubt lower.

LSU went to a 4-3 look in recent weeks in the hope of getting its three best linebackers on the field. A reversion back to the classic 4-2-5 may be in the fold now.

If LSU does opt to play with three linebackers, expect [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] to see more time. Weeks is a veteran, but he doesn’t offer the same upside as Perkins.

That’s what LSU’s going to miss. When everything else goes wrong, Perkins’ special ability could mitigate the issues. LSU will have to find havoc elsewhere now.

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LSU’s Bradyn Swinson honored as SEC Defensive Player of the Week

LSU’s defense struggled as a whole on Saturday, but Bradyn Swinson made a major impact in the comeback win.

LSU was gashed on the ground on Saturday against South Carolina, but the defense came up with enough big plays to secure a 36-33 comeback win.

Edge rusher [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] played a major role in that. He was extremely impactful in this game, totaling a career-high three sacks while totaling five tackles and forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter, which proved to be impactful. One of his sacks came on South Carolina’s final drive and helped push back the ultimately missed game-tying field goal attempt.

For his effort, Swinson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

A transfer addition from Oregon last season, Swinson appeared in 12 games with one start but was mostly a rotational player. Still, he made his presence known, leading the team with nine quarterback hurries.

He’s seen a much bigger role so far this season, starting all three games off the edge, and he’s already totaled 11 tackles and exceeded his sack total of two from 2023.

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