Tag: Kevin Peoples

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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Brian Kelly highlights tackling as an emphasis for LSU’s secondary in 2024

One of the position groups that struggled the most for LSU last fall was the defensive backs.

One of the position groups that struggled the most for LSU last fall was the defensive backs. They were a weak link to a defense that gave up a ton of points and was ranked as one of the worst teams in not only the SEC but the NCAA.

This season, the Tigers have a new defensive coordinator in [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] and he looks to fix some of the issues LSU had last fall. Between Baker, [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], and [autotag]Jake Olson[/autotag], I believe the defense will be a lot better. With that being said, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] recently stated he wants the safeties to do a better job tackling.

“I think from the safety position we’ve got to continue to stress them in tackling,” Kelly said, per On3. “That’s really going to be a big piece for us is can we erase some mistakes up front? And when we say mistakes up front, if we cut a gap loose, if there’s an issue up front relative to a run fit, can those safeties erase for us? And we’re not there yet. We need to continue to evaluate that.”

As a safety, you are the final line of defense between a running back or a receiver and the endzone. If you don’t make the tackle, it’s six points every time.

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LSU picking up steam with 4-star defensive end

LSU is well positioned to land a four-star recruit from Indiana.

According to On3, the LSU staff made significant progress with a blue-chip defensive end over the weekend.

The Tigers hosted four-star [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag] for an official visit over the weekend. Following the visit, LSU looks to be in a good spot.

“Everything was great about the visit. Nothing but positive energy,” Shanklin told On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

Wiltfong, along with On3’s Billy Embody, are now both predicting Shanklin to be a part of LSU’s 2025 class. According to the On3 Prediction Machine, LSU sits in second place at 43.1%, with Notre Dame in the lead at 49.2%.

LSU will have to fend off Tennessee and Ohio State too, but this looks like one Tiger fans should feel good about.

Shanklin is close to 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 215. All four major recruiting services have him as a four-star with 247Sports ranking Shanklin as the fifth-best edge rusher in the class and the best recruit in the state of Indiana.

We haven’t seen LSU dip into Indiana a ton over the years, but Brian Kelly’s old ties to the state could be paying off with this one.

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Brian Kelly details LSU’s new defensive staff hires

The Tigers will have an almost entirely new-look defensive staff in 2024.

It was an offseason full of shakeups on the defensive side of the ball for LSU.

Following the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Tigers fired defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] and most of his staff. Replacing him is [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] recently commented on during his trip to the Senior Bowl.

“I got a chance to spend a little bit of time with Blake,” Kelly said. “But anytime there is a transition, it is very difficult to commit to anybody because you are bringing in a whole new philosophy and a way of doing things.

“I was impressed with him and then obviously, with the work he did at Missouri. And as an SEC opponent, we got a chance to see him first-hand. Was impressed with his work. His ability to recruit and certainly the relationships he built at LSU when he was here made him a logical choice.”

Joining Baker on the defensive staff are [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], who will coach the defensive line, and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Olsen[/autotag], who will work with the secondary.

It’s a return to LSU for both Davis and Raymond. Both are former LSU players and have been on staff before, with Raymond serving as a defensive backs coach from 2012-21. Baker and Olsen also previously coached at LSU.

“When we talk about the best defensive line coaches in the country, his name keeps coming up,” Kelly said. “I got a chance to spend some time with him and talk to him about returning to LSU. It wasn’t an easy decision for him. He was at a great school and a great program, but I think the ability to come back to LSU was attractive to him. The ability to build something here great was attractive.

“Certainly teaming him with Kevin Peoples, who is an outstanding defensive line coach who sometimes gets into the shadows but is, in his own right, one of the best in the business. I think we’ve got two outstanding coaches there that are going to do a great job.”

LSU will hope this new staff can reverse last season’s defensive woes, which held the team back despite the offense being one of the best in the country.

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Josh Pate optimistic about LSU’s offseason defensive moves

LSU reworked nearly its entire defensive coaching staff this offseason.

LSU boasted one of the best offenses in school history and arguably the best in the entire nation in 2023.

[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] won the Heisman Trophy, [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] finished as the nation’s second-leading receiver and a finalist for the Biletnikof Award, and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] led the nation in receiving touchdowns.

Despite those pieces, the Tigers finished with three losses and failed to repeat as SEC West champions. The defense was a major reason for that, and the Tigers have retooled nearly the entire staff on that side of the ball, which is now led by new defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] from Missouri.

Josh Pate, host of Late Kick, praised those offseason moves.

“I don’t know that they have the personnel defensively to make it look any better but I think it will look better. I think LSU just made some really sizable defensive moves. [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], even with [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] coming in, even with Blake Baker coming in as the DC, I thought Peoples might be the best pound for pound defensive coach they brought in,” Pate said, per 247Sports.

“All those guys are big time upgrades over what they’ve had. When I say they made moves, that doesn’t mean everybody looks at each other and says ‘alright we’re all on board?’ Everybody has butting of heads in their athletic department. Teams that lose have it, teams that win have it. As long as everyone has the same end goal in mind, disagreement is not the worst thing in the world.”

Pate said that he still questions whether the defense will have the talent in 2024 to compete for an SEC or national championship, but he also said he’s interested to see what the team does in the spring portal window, where it’s likely to add more players with a number of position groups still looking thin.

“They have the sixth best odds to win the college football playoffs this year and that’s with being in the SEC. They have the fourth best odds to win the SEC. They are a top 10 recruiter since Brian Kelly’s been there, they are portaling very well, I don’t that the caliber of defensive personnel this year will be at the level they need it to be to compete for the national title,” Pate said.

“You’ve got the post spring portal window, let’s see what they do but I think the defensive moves they made, will at least have a different effort, a different caliber of LSU defense on the field. They got some really good players there. It is possible to scale performance using the same ingredients that made a meal last year that you didn’t like the taste of at all. You get the right teachers, the right coaches in the room and they took gigantic leaps towards doing that.”

LSU will hope Pate’s optimism is well-founded as the team looks to bounce back from a season that felt like a missed opportunity. It will have to do so without many of the stars from this year’s offense.

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What LSU fans should know about new defensive assistant Kevin Peoples

Here’s what you should know about new LSU assistant Kevin Peoples.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU continue to build their new look defensive staff. Following the arrival of defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], LSU added two assistants to work with the defensive line: [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag].

For Davis, it was a return 20 years in the making as one of the most high profile assistants in the country returns to Baton Rouge.

Peoples comes with Baker after spending the last two years at Missouri together. He’s primarily set to work with pass rushers while Davis will handle the interior.

Here are some things to know about Peoples as he joins the LSU staff.

Report: LSU hiring Missouri DL coach Kevin Peoples as an assistant coach

Kevin Peoples worked with new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker at Missouri over the last two seasons.

LSU has already hired Texas defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag], but it isn’t done shoring up its front on defense.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Tigers are also set to hire Missouri defensive line coach [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag] to the staff. Peoples spent the last two seasons at Mizzou coaching edge rushers specifically and working with [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who LSU recently hired as its new defensive coordinator.

Peoples has an extensive track record coaching the defensive line, serving in that role at Indiana, Tulane, Arkansas, UAB and Arkansas State, as well. Though it’s not clear exactly what role Peoples and Davis will occupy on the staff, it’s been speculated that Peoples will coach the edge while Davis will work with the interior.

LSU still has an opening for its secondary after it fired both cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag] and safeties coach [autotag]Kerry Cooks[/autotag].

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Report: LSU seeking to add another SEC defensive assistant to staff after Bo Davis hire

Brian Kelly is not messing around when it comes to rebuilding the defensive staff.

LSU filled one of its open defensive assistant coach positions on Wednesday, hiring Texas defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] away. However, the Tigers are not yet done pursuing assistant coaches from conference foes.

After hiring away Missouri’s [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] as the new defensive coordinator, the Tigers are after another Mizzou staffer in defensive line coach [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], according to a report from Football Scoop.

Peoples previously worked at Tulane and Indiana, and he’s worked under Baker in Columbia for the past two seasons. Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett speculates that Peoples could be targeted for a job coaching the edge rushers while Davis focuses on the interior.

He also reports that Missouri is still trying to retain Peoples.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] opted to clean house on the defensive side of the ball after a disappointing season. There are still a few spots that need to be filled, but the new-look defensive staff is off to a promising start.

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