Tag: Bradyn Swinson

Where does ESPN rank LSU’s defense entering 2023 season?

Despite a lot of new faces, ESPN is buying this unit in its latest defensive power rankings for the 2023 season.

LSU returns a lot of talent in 2023 coming off a 10-win, SEC West championship season last fall.

That is especially true on offense, where the team returns starting quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], all of its top running backs, its two best pass-catchers arguably in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], as well as an offensive line that is young but promising and brings back all but one starter.

Defensively, though, there are a few more questions. The Tigers lost a good amount of production including their two starting defensive ends and much of their secondary. However, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] hit the portal once again to rebuild.

After adding players like [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] in the secondary, as well as linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and defensive line additions like [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] and [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag], this group looks promising despite featuring a lot of new faces for the second year in a row.

Still, ESPN is buying the unit and ranks it as the No. 7 defense in the country entering the season.

2022 future defense power ranking: 9

Scouting the Tigers: LSU’s defense is in a good spot after a solid but not spectacular 2022 season under a new coaching staff. The unit brings back star power, especially with linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. for at least two more seasons. But there are some holes to fill, especially in the secondary and up front, as B.J. Ojulari moves on to the NFL. The return of dynamic defensive tackle Maason Smith, injured while celebrating during the 2022 opener, helps a line that loses both Ojulari and end Ali Gaye. Smith and Mekhi Wingo, a third-team AP All-America selection who had three sacks and six tackles for loss, give the Tigers two interior stalwarts, both with multiple years of eligibility left. Junior end Sai’vion Jones could see a bigger role after finishing third on the team in sacks (4.5) last fall. Jacobian Guillory and Arizona transfer Paris Shand provide depth inside. Ovie Oghoufo, a Texas transfer with 13 career sacks, should help fill the pass-rushing gap.

The Tigers have one of the nation’s best linebacker tandems in Perkins and Omar Speights, an Oregon State transfer who earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2022. The group also boasts junior Greg Penn III, who finished second on the team in tackles last season (78). Junior West Weeks is a solid depth player who had 28 tackles last season. Veteran safety Greg Brooks Jr. will lead the secondary after showing production and playmaking in 2022. Brooks and junior Major Burns project to start at safety. The cornerback spot is a bigger mystery, although LSU has options with transfers Duce Chestnut (Syracuse), Denver Harris (Texas A&M), JK Johnson (Ohio State) and Zy Alexander (Southeastern Louisiana), as well as holdovers such as Sage Ryan, an ESPN top-65 recruit in 2021. LSU also signed Javien Toviano (cornerback) and Da’Shawn Wommack (defensive end). The team’s overall defensive recruiting remains promising.

With the offseason additions plus the return of a budding superstar in linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], this defense is certainly promising. You can never know for sure how a defense filled with transfers will look until it takes the field, but there will be no shortage of defensive talent in Baton Rouge this season.

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Instant analysis from LSU’s 2023 spring game

You can only learn so much from spring, but the Tigers checked the main boxes in Saturday’s exhibition.

We got our first look at the 2023 LSU team on Saturday as the team took the field at Tiger Stadium for a scrimmage after going through warmups and some situational drills.

With the offense pitted against the defense, the game finished in a 32-32 tie, but quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] impressed leading the first-team offense, completing 10 of 11 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

He started the game on a high note, finding [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] for a 70-yard touchdown after Lacy made a fantastic one-handed catch on the first play from scrimmage. Daniels also found true freshman running back Trey Holly, who also led all running backs with 26 yards, on a touchdown pass out of the backfield.

While Daniels and the starters looked good, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] did a fine job working with the second team unit. He completed five of eight passes for 139 yards, and he had two touchdowns of his own.

One went to [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] — who finished second behind Lacy in receiving with 66 yards on three catches — on an in route in the end zone. He also found [autotag]Landon Ibieta[/autotag] on a nice catch-and-run play.

Defensively, several newcomers were impressive. Oregon transfer [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] had a sack as did early enrollee true freshman [autotag]Jaxon Howard[/autotag]. True freshman linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag], younger brother of [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag], took an interception off true freshman quarterback [autotag]Rickie Collins[/autotag] to the house.

Collins struggled in his first action, completing just three of seven passes for 25 yards and no touchdowns. He did show off his mobility, however. He wasn’t wearing a non-contact jersey and went for 19 yards on five carries.

Only so much can be learned from a spring game, but the Tigers looked as solid as you would hope entering Brian Kelly’s second season. Stay tuned to LSU Wire for more content from the Tigers’ spring game.

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This LSU football signee is set to make an instant impact for the Tigers

Dashawn Womack is one of two composite five stars in LSU’s class, per 247Sports.

LSU returns a lot of production on offense in 2023, but that isn’t exactly the case on defense.

The edge on the defensive line is an area of concern, especially. Both starters from 2022 in [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] are gone, and while LSU added some talent in the portal with experienced players like [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], there could be an opportunity for freshmen to see some reps.

That’s where [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag] comes in. The Baltimore prospect was one of two composite five stars in LSU’s 2023 class, per 247Sports, and he was listed by On3 as one of several blue-chip prospects who could be poised to make an immediate impact.

Dashawn Womack has a case as the most ready to play EDGE prospect in the class. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Womack is not a projection physically. He registers as a top athlete in the combine setting and carries that athleticism over to the field. Womack was dominant as a senior, tallying 15 sacks while playing a national schedule at Baltimore St. Frances Academy. The LSU signee has some technical refinement with quick hands and pass rush moves. The ability to create pressure off the edge and finish with violence puts him in a good position to fill BJ Ojulari‘s role in LSU’s defense. We also wouldn’t be surprised to see Womack’s fellow LSU signee Zalance Heard lock down the right tackle spot in Baton Rouge as a freshman and start opposite his former high school teammate, Will Campbell.

Womack ranks as a five-star prospect and checks in at No. 12 overall in the On300.

LSU saw a true freshman make a lot of plays off the edge this fall in [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], who will likely shift more into an off-ball role once he becomes a better run defender. Womack could have a chance to be the Tigers’ next true freshman breakout player.

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Sophomore LSU edge rusher enters transfer portal

Zavier Carter entered the transfer portal after appearing in 18 games in two years with no starts.

LSU’s depth at the edge took another major hit on Thursday as sophomore linebacker outside linebacker [autotag]Zavier Carter[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. The news was first reported by On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Carter, a four-star recruit in the 2021 class, appeared in seven games as a true freshman and 11 this fall as a sophomore. He never made any starts, but he saw significant action against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl thanks to several opt-outs.

He finishes his LSU career with nine total tackles (two for loss), a sack and a forced fumble.

This loss hurts for LSU’s defensive line, but it still returns several edge rushers in [autotag]Quency Wiggins[/autotag] and [autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag]. The Tigers also added [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], an Oregon transfer, and highly touted true freshman [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag].

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Oregon transfer Bradyn Swinson gives LSU needed veteran pass rusher

LSU needed an edge rusher in the portal. It got one in Bradyn Swinson.

Brian Kelly said LSU will be signing 8-10 transfers this cycle.

The Tigers are off to a good start, earning three commitments from front seven players on the eve of early signing day. Among that group is [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] — a veteran edge defender who spent the first three years of his career with Oregon.

Swinson, originally a three-star from Georgia, was recruited by LSU defensive line coach [autotag]Jamar Cain[/autotag] out of high school. Swinson was never a full-time player with the Ducks. He played just 542 defensive snaps in his three years there, with 334 of those coming in 2021.

In his career, he has 21 pressures and three sacks to his name. He’s batted a couple of passes and forced a fumble.

LSU will be losing [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], two guys who have been solid contributors for several years now. In Ojuarli’s case, he blossomed into one of the nation’s best pass rushers in 2022.

The odds of finding another Ojulari on the transfer portal aren’t great. LSU likely won’t have another player of that caliber at that spot until five-star [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag] lives up to his potential.

In Swinson, LSU doesn’t need a star. It just needs a veteran presence who can rotate in and stabilize the room. And despite the limited sack numbers, there’s reason to believe Swinsin is capable of more.

Among Pac-12 edge rushers with at least 70 pass rush snaps, Swinson ranked third in the conference in pass rush win rate per PFF. His overall pass-rush grade ranked ninth among the same group.

[autotag]Sai’Vion Jones[/autotag] is the lone returner who saw significant time at Ojulari’s JACK LB position in 2022 and relying on Womack to excel as a true freshman can’t be the only plan.

Swinson’s arrival removes some of the burden from the younger guys. It’ll also allow for more creative formations in obvious passing situations when LSU wants to overload the field with pass rushers.

Depth is critical on the defensive line. If you don’t have a true gamebreaker coming off the edge, the next best thing a staff can do is make sure the front seven players are staying fresh.

Getting Swinson addressed a critical need for LSU and it wouldn’t be surprising to see LSU continue to recruit pass rushers from the portal.

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LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy declares for 2023 NFL draft

Roy started 12 of 13 games this fall, totaling 49 tackles.

LSU’s turnover along the defensive line continued on Tuesday as defensive tackle [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

The junior and hometown kid from University Lab High School in Baton Rouge became a full-time starter alongside [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] on the interior this season. He appeared in all 13 games (starting 12 of them), and he finished the year with 49 tackles (3.5 for loss).

LSU has seen some losses on the defensive line so far this offseason between [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] joining Roy in the draft, along with the addition of [autotag]Desmond Little[/autotag] in the transfer portal.

To help recoup some of these losses, LSU landed a trio of defensive line transfers on Tuesday in [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] (Arizona), [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] (Oregon) and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] (Florida).

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LSU lands three transfer defensive linemen in the portal

The Tigers had a need along the defensive line, and they’re aggressively addressing it.

LSU just landed a litany of major additions in the transfer portal in the form of three defensive linemen.

[autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag] transferred from Oregon, [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] transferred from Arizona, and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] transferred from Florida.

The Tigers just filled some big needs depth-wise as all three of these guys are likely to see playing time on the defensive line next season. LSU just lost a couple of high school defensive line recruits last week so [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] came out swinging in the transfer portal just a day before the early signing period starts.

LSU now has four transfer commitments for the 2023 class with these three guys joining Aaron Anderson. Here’s the rundown on each.

Oregon Ducks DE Bradyn Swinson to enter the transfer portal, per report

Oregon DE Bradyn Swinson is entering the transfer portal and leaving the Ducks.

The Oregon Ducks got hit by the transfer portal again on Thursday, with the announcement that defensive lineman Bradyn Swinson will be entering the portal once it opens on December 5, according to a report from The Oregonian’s James Crepea.

Swinson, who played for three years with the Ducks, struggled to get on the field much in 2022 under a new coaching staff, playing just 144 total snaps on the year.

Swinson had a breakout season in 2021 with 3.0 sacks and 4.0 TFL but was unable to find the same production with the new coaching staff.

Going forward, the Ducks are going to need to find some help on the defensive line as they expect to lose some players to the NFL draft and via the transfer portal this offseason.

Bradyn Swinson’s Transfer Portal Profile

Ducks’ DE Bradyn Swinson tasked with filling Kayvon Thibodeaux’s shoes at Oregon

Kayvon Thibodeaux is off to the NFL. That leaves DE Bradyn Swinson in a prime position to fill his shoes on the defense.

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One thing that college football fans love to see is one of their best players going on to be selected as a top NFL draft pick. The downside of that, though, is when the team is then forced to try and replace said player the next season.

That’s the situation that the Oregon Ducks currently find themselves in. After a great career in Eugene, EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux is headed to the NFL, where he is expected to be a top-5 pick in April’s draft. While we are extremely excited about his prospects at the professional level, it certainly won’t be easy to replace his production on the field at Autzen Stadium.

One of the players who we can expect to step up in his absence, though, is DE Bradyn Swinson. CBS Sports recently pegged him as the next man up for the Ducks at that position.

The entire defense is going to be helped by having Justin Flowe healthy, but Flowe and fellow high-ceiling linebacker Noah Sewell have been interior players and can’t directly address the absence of Thibodeaux on the edge. Though just a three-star prospect coming out of Georgia, Swinson emerged as a regular contributor at defensive end during his second-year freshman season in 2021 with 24 tackles and four tackles for loss in 11 games. It’s possible that new Ducks coach Dan Lanning turns to the transfer portal for more help on the edge, but Swinson has been reliable enough to hold down the position.

It’s hard to project what exactly the Oregon defense will look like in 2022 with so many pieces needing to be replaced, and that’s not even to mention the new scheme that head coach Dan Lanning will be bringing with him from Georgia.

If we saw anything in 2021, though, it’s that Swinson is an extremely talented player with a high ceiling. If he does end up being the replacement for Thibodeaux, Oregon will likely be in good hands.

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Bradyn Swinson says he played through a torn meniscus during Ohio State game

Bradyn Swinson revealed that he suffered a torn meniscus vs. Ohio State, but was able to play through the injury in Oregon’s upset.

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Just walking with a torn meniscus isn’t a joke. But Bradyn Swinson played college football with that injury, proving he’s no ordinary human being.

The freshman defensive end told reporters on Tuesday that he felt something in his right knee go awry early in the third quarter during Oregon’s eventual upset over then-No. 3 Ohio State.

Without Kayvon Thibodeaux for that particular game, the freshman needed to step up and play big-time downs, but no one knew until now what Swinson had to go through in order to fill in for Thibodeaux.

In that game, Swinson had five tackles, one tackle for a loss, and a sack. After that contest, Swinson missed some time but returned last week for the California game where he managed three tackles in the Ducks 24-17 victory.

Now with UCLA up next, Oregon enters the game as healthy as it has been since the first game of the year and just in time. The Ducks will have their hands full against Chip Kelly’s Bruin team getting pressure on quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be paramount. Having a healthy Thibodeaux and Swinson can only help the Ducks’ chances in the Rose Bowl.

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