Tag: Major Burns

2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 3 Greg Brooks Jr.

Greg Brooks Jr. returns for his final season to help anchor the Tigers’ defensive backfield.

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.

The secondary saw quite a bit of shakeup this offseason and will feature several new faces. There will be some continuity, however, and [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] is a main reason why. The fifth-year player transferred in last season from Arkansas and helped the defense immensely.

Now, he’ll be tasked with leading the secondary in 2023.

Greg Brooks Jr. Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Harvey, Louisiana

Ht: 5-10

Wt: 187

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four Stars | No. 16 in Louisiana | No. 35 Cornerback

Class in 2022: Senior

Career Stats

Year G Total Solo TFL Sack FF PD INT
2019 (Arkansas) 11 25 13 0 0 0 3 1
2020 (Arkansas) 9 39 22 3 0 0 1 2
2021 (Arkansas) 13 47 22 2.5 0 0 4 1
2022 14 66 34 3 1 1 3 2


Depth Chart Overview

One of Kelly’s top transfer additions last offseason, Brooks came from the Tigers’ SEC West rival after starting for three seasons in Fayetteville. Brooks played primarily in the nickel for the Razorbacks, and that’s where he began 2022 with LSU.

He ultimately started 13 of 14 games last fall but moved to safety by the end of the season. His 66 total tackles ranked fifth on the team, and he matched his career high with two interceptions. One of those was a game-sealing pick in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ win over Auburn.

Brooks will, in all likelihood, retain his starting safety spot, though it’s always possible defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] chooses to move him back to corner. Alongside returning starter [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag], the safety duo should be the strength of the defensive backfield this fall.

Greg Brooks Jr.’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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Transfer Breakdown: 5 things to know about LSU transfer pickup Andre Sam

Here’s what LSU’s getting in the safety transfer.

LSU turned to the portal again this week.

The Tigers continued to build their secondary with the addition of safety [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag].

Sam brings over 2,000 snaps of experience to a safety room in need of depth. [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] form a solid pair at the top, but after that, there was uncertainty.

He’s a Louisiana native who spent four years at McNeese, giving him a prior relationship with LSU running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag], who was head coach for a time there.

After playing at Marshall last year, Sam followed DC Lance Guidry to Tulane. Guidry then took the same position at Miami, leading Sam to hit the portal again.

Here are five things to know about LSU’s newest addition.

LSU will get a Major defensive piece back in 2023

Major Burns will give LSU’s secondary a much-needed veteran presence.

LSU safety [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] has announced his plan to come back for the 2023 season.

Burns came to LSU after transferring from Georgia and has since played in 13 games, making nine starts. He has made 57 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one interception during his career on the bayou.

Burns has been a leader in the secondary for the Tigers this year. He has helped a ton as LSU has transitioned to a brand new secondary as most of the starters were all transfers and everyone had to learn a new system as a new head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] brought his own staff with him.

Burns will help lead another thin and relatively new secondary next season as well. Burns is a big reason LSU has a chance to have a ten-win season in Kelly’s first year. His ability to help transfers and incoming freshmen learn how to play at a high level at LSU doesn’t go unnoticed.

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LSU again wearing thin in the secondary entering the offseason

How Brian Kelly rebuilds the secondary will go a long way toward shaping LSU’s 2023 roster.

One of Brian Kelly’s first tasks at LSU this time last year was rebuilding the secondary.

The conclusion of 2021 saw [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Cordale Flott[/autotag] head to the NFL while [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag] and [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] enter the transfer portal.

LSU returned almost no experience at cornerback and a group of safeties that struggled.

The coaching staff did an admirable job filling the holes, getting the likes of [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] from the transfer portal.

[autotag]Major Burns[/autotag], [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] and [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag] took some steps forward along with the portal additions, and the Tigers’ secondary did a fine job in 2022.

Kelly and company will now be faced with a similar task this offseason.

Ward has declared for the draft and will likely be joined by Bernard-Converse and Garner. The latter has eligibility left but played well enough to earn a spot on Sundays.

Foucha, a fifth-year player, will be off to give it a shot in the league too.

[autotag]Demarius McGhee[/autotag] and [autotag]Raydarious Jones[/autotag], two talented recruits who have been depth pieces for the last couple of years, have entered the portal.

The Tigers should remain fine at safety. There’s a chance LSU gets Brooks back along with Burns. Ryan played a lot of nickel this fall but has the ability to play on the backend. LSU’s 2023 recruiting class currently holds three commitments from blue-chip safeties, too.

The picture grows murky when looking at the cornerbacks. There aren’t many in-house options, especially on the outside.

There’s still [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], the talented Ohio State transfer whose career has been interrupted by injuries. He made his way back on the field for LSU but was injured once again shortly after.

With a full, healthy offseason under his belt, he could emerge as a solid option in 2023.

Then there’s [autotag]Laterrance Welch[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaelyn Davis-Robinson[/autotag], two talented freshmen that impressed [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in fall camp but took a redshirt. Without significant additions in the portal, LSU will be relying on both to develop quickly. Even if both pan out in 2023, depth is still a major concern.

The Tigers could be gearing up to add some big-time corners to their 2023 freshmen class. LSU is well positioned with [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] and [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag].

Landing Ricks and Toviano a year after Welch and Davis-Robinson would lay a young foundation of talent and put LSU in a place where it wasn’t relying on the portal to build its secondary every year.

When LSU does start looking in the portal, look for the Tigers to get after names like Fentrell Cypress and JQ Hardaway. Both corners are two of the better players currently on the transfer market and respectively come from Virginia and Cincinnati. LSU has staffers with connections to both programs.

LSU landed two quality corners last year in Garner and Bernard-Converse. You could even throw in [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], who made some positive contributions, as well.

It’s tough to imagine LSU’s defense having the same level of success this year without them. It’ll be just as critical to land at least two quality corners again.

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Major Burns expected to play vs. Alabama, injury updates for Garrett Dellinger and Jack Bech

Burns has been cleared for practice and is expected to play Saturday. Meanwhile, Brian Kelly offered positive updates on Dellinger and Bech.

LSU has been a bit banged up in recent weeks despite its emergence over a two-game winning streak. The team is starting to get healthier just in time for the biggest game of the season against the Alabama Crimson Tide in a contest between the leaders in the SEC West.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] offered a few positive updates when he took the podium on Monday ahead of game week. The most notable news regarded safety [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag], who has been sidelined since sustaining a neck injury against Mississippi State on Sept. 17.

“Major Burns is cleared to participate, so he’ll be out at practice today,” Kelly said. “He, as you can imagine, will be in our game plan and we expect him to play and be an important part of what we do.”

[autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] has seen starting reps at safety since Burns left the lineup. Foucha missed the beginning of the season due to academic suspension, but he’s started to come into his own. Both Burns and Foucha can be expected to play a role in the rotation.

LSU will also hope to get one of its starters on the offensive line back this week in [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag], who hasn’t played since suffering an MCL sprain against Tennessee. Kelly was less committal on Dellinger’s availability, but he did say the sophomore guard was making good progress.

“Garrett Dellinger is day to day,” Kelly said. “He had a good weekend. He was here this weekend. As you can imagine, that’s a little bit different because he’s got to be able to take a load on that knee. When you’re coming back from a knee injury, it’s easier to, obviously, not have to worry about running and cutting. But you’ve got to be able to take the load, and that’s what we’re working on right now.

“We think we’re going to get him there, but it’s still a process because now, we’re going to add practice onto it. We’ve got to see how he responds each day after practice. We had people leaning on him individually over the weekend. Now, we’re going to be leaning on him for a full practice, and we’ll see how it goes. But he’s making good progress.”

Finally, LSU fans are awaiting news on a pair of skill-position players who missed the game against Ole Miss in [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] and [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] Bech suffered a lower back injury against Florida, while Emery missed with an Achilles injury.

Kelly didn’t have an update on Emery, but he did say that Bech will practice this week.

“I’m certain Jack will practice. … I did get a report before I got in here on Jack,” Kelly said. “He is much improved and he was cleared to get out on the practice field today.”

Even in what looks to be a slightly down year for Alabama, this is one of the most talented rosters in college football. LSU will need to be as close to full strength as possible if it hopes to pull off the upset and put itself on the inside track in the division race.

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Brian Kelly updates injury status for several LSU players during the bye week

Kelly offered some encouraging updates as LSU tries to get healthy ahead of a crucial matchup against Alabama.

The Tigers have been fortunate enough to avoid a significant number of major injuries since [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] was lost to a torn ACL on the first drive of the season. But the bye in Week 9 comes at a good time for this team, as it enters the break a bit banged up.

However, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] provided some positive injury updates during the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday.

Starting with arguably the most important of the group, Kelly said that safety [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag], who has missed the last several games with a neck injury, is in his final week of non-contact and will be cleared as a full participant next week. Kelly seemed optimistic about his chances of playing in the crucial game against Alabama on Nov. 5.

“Major will be non-contact for the rest of the week and then be cleared for Monday,” Kelly said. “We’re excited about that for Major. So, he is in the game plan to play against Alabama.”

Kelly also discussed the status of receiver [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag], who missed the game against Ole Miss after suffering a lower back injury in the win over Florida. Bech is also expected to suit up against Alabama.

“Jack is going to stay around here,” said Kelly. “He’s not going to go home. He’ll be here all weekend preparing. I asked him yesterday ‘what’s your feeling about Alabama.’ He goes ‘no doubt, I’ll be playing.’ I think that’s the mentality that he has.”

Finally, Kelly touched on running back [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag], who missed the game against Ole Miss with an Achilles strain and is considered day-to-day. Emery was expected to have a big year, but after suspension held him out of the first two games, he’s been a bit slow to get back in the fold.

So far, most of the carries this fall have gone to Josh Williams and Armoni Goodwin, who returned from a hamstring injury last week. However, that could be set to change as Emery gets healthier and more familiar with the offense down the stretch.

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Joe Foucha’s breakout game elevates LSU’s secondary moving forward

Joe Foucha was one of LSU’s standout performers against Ole Miss. His breakout should elevate the secondary.

Down 24-20 in the second half, Ole Miss was deep in LSU territory and threatening to take the lead.

Rebels QB Jaxson Dart took the snap and faked a handoff to Quinshon Judkins before looking for Malik Heath on a fade route in the end zone. Under pressure from [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], the throw came up short well short of Heath, who was tightly covered by [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag].

[autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag], playing under Heath, made a break on the ball. He extended one hand and reeled the ball in, picking off Dart.

The pick stopped any momentum Ole Miss had gotten back and put LSU in a position to pull away. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and the Tigers offense made the most of the ensuing drive, scoring a touchdown to go up 31-20.

 

Foucha missed the first four games of the season due to academic suspension. He returned against Auburn, playing 36 snaps. He saw significantly less time against Tennessee, getting just 6 snaps.

But over the last two weeks, Foucha has seen 160 snaps, taking over a full time role. Per PFF, Foucha was LSU’s highest-graded defender against Ole Miss.

Foucha was targeted four times and allowed just four catches for two yards. He had a 17.7 passer rating when targeted. Without [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag], LSU needed Foucha to step up at safety and he did.

Foucha and [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] aren’t guys that will fly around on the back end and run with speedsters in man coverage, but they’re competent veterans who provide LSU with versatility at the position.

Foucha played 15 snaps in the box, 30 at free safety and 31 in the slot. On a few occasions, he even crept up on the edge.

Against Auburn, Foucha struggled in pass coverage, allowing three catches for 63 yards. Against Florida, he missed a couple of tackles but was better in pass coverage.

Foucha is an experienced player, but it’s understandable that it could take some time to settle in. It appears he’s now done just that. LSU had been getting solid performances from its corners, but safety had been inconsistent.

Burns was good, but his injury raised some questions. The staff tried putting Bernard-Converse back there, but his talents are best served on the outside. Brooks and [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag] have gone back and forth between nickel and safety, but Ward seems to have found a home at nickel.

There’s a chance LSU has Burns back against Alabama, and his skillset is something LSU misses on the backend. But the emergence of Foucha gives LSU some comfort. This is the most well-rounded the secondary has been all year.

[autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], Ward, [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag] and [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag] allowed just four combined catches against the Rebels.

LSU’s going to need all hands on deck with Bryce Young coming to town in two weeks. Saturday wasn’t perfect, and the Tigers defense still has some big play issues.

A secondary that was once a major question mark is continuing to round into shape and Foucha’s performance only lends more reason for Tiger fans to be optimistic about this defense.

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Evaluating every LSU defensive back through seven games

Here’s how every LSU DB has fared seven games into the season.

LSU’s secondary was one of its biggest question marks entering the year.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] hit the transfer portal hard, adding [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag], [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] and [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag]

LSU also had some significant returners in [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag], [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] and [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag].

Garner, Bernard-Converse, Richardson, Brooks and Ward have played the majority of the snaps. Prior to his injury, Burns played as much as anyone, and Foucha missed the first four games, but his working his way into a sizeable role.

For the most part, the results have exceeded expectations, but there have been issues when it comes to giving up explosive plays. Here’s how each has performed to this point, per the advanced statistics from Pro Football Focus.

Brian Kelly provides update on Armoni Goodwin and Major Burns

LSU could be getting a couple of key pieces back soon.

LSU’s rushing attack took a hit when [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] left the New Mexico game with a hamstring injury.

It turned out to be pretty serious, with Goodwin now in the midst of a multi-game absence. According to [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], he could be returning soon. LSU will remain without Goodwin against Florida, but he could return against Ole Miss.

If he’s still not cleared next week, then he’ll have a bye week before needing to be cleared against Alabama.

Among RBs with at least 30 carries, Goodwin ranks second in the SEC on yards after contact per run. Among the same group, Goodwin’s breakaway percentage ranked second as well, according to PFF.

On defense, LSU will have to wait a few more weeks before [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] returns. Kelly said Burns should be back for the Alabama contest.

LSU’s secondary struggled against Tennessee, and Burns is one of LSU’s best communicators on the back end.

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