Tag: matt house

Greg Brooks Jr. suing LSU for negligence after emergency surgery for brain tumor

Greg Brooks Jr. has filed a negligence lawsuit against LSU after he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor last September.

Former LSU football defensive back [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag], a team captain whose career ended last September when he underwent emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor, has filed a lawsuit against the university as well as Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center citing negligence.

In the lawsuit, which Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger obtained, Brooks accuses the football staff of inaction and threatening his starting position if he didn’t practice and play while experiencing symptoms, which began in August 39 days before he was ultimately scheduled to meet with a neurologist by trainers.

Per Dellenger, the lawsuit accuses the trainers of misdiagnosing his condition in addition to failing to recommend him to a neurologist. It names coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], former defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], former safeties coach [autotag]Kerry Cooks[/autotag], head athletic trainer Owen Stanley and team doctors Stephen Etheredge and Vincent Shaw.

It also names Brandon Gaynor, a surgeon at Our Lady of the Lake who performed the operation after a scan revealed a tumor two games into the 2023 season. According to the lawsuit, the surgery left Brooks “permanently disabled” with “catastrophic neurological injuries.”

Brooks claims in the lawsuit that he suffered multiple strokes from “acts of malpractice” during the operation. A year after the surgery, he is reportedly unable to walk or use his right hand and has difficulty speaking as the result of a post-operation condition known as posterior fossa syndrome.

Both LSU and Our Lady of the Lake released statements to Yahoo Sports.

“First, and foremost, our prayers remain with Greg for his continued healing and recovery. Due to patient privacy laws and pending litigation, we can’t comment on specific individuals or situations,” a statement from the hospital said. “The neurosurgical team at Our Lady of the Lake is among the most experienced in Louisiana and they give our patients the best opportunity for a positive outcome in any circumstance. Providing excellent healthcare to those we serve is our top priority.”

The school wrote, “While LSU cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Greg Brooks remains in our thoughts and prayers as he continues to work through the rehabilitation process. Since the beginning of our agreement with our Championship Health Partner, Our Lady of the Lake, they have provided exceptional medical care for our student-athletes in all of our sports.”

Another accusation made in the lawsuits that LSU’s statement doesn’t address is that the school refused to transfer ownership of the Greg Brooks Victory Fund, a donation fund started by the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation, to him. He also alleges that LSU disclosed “false or misleading” confidential medical information and used his name, image and likeness without his consent.

A transfer addition from Arkansas ahead of the 2022 season, Brooks started 13 of 14 games. He entered the 2023 season as a team captain and possible NFL draft prospect before his operation two games into the season.

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Brian Kelly shares what’s different about LSU’s defense in 2024

Brian Kelly shared his thoughts on the state of LSU’s defense heading into 2024’s battle with Ole Miss.

Ole Miss hung 55 points on LSU in Oxford last year. It was one of the worst defensive performances in program history and the beginning of the end for former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag].

Following the season, head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] made wholesale changes on the defensive side of the ball, hiring [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] away from Missouri to run the defense.

LSU faces Ole Miss again on Saturday. The Rebels’ offense is still dangerous and this provides a measuring stick for LSU’s defense.

Earlier this week, Kelly was asked about last year’s performance vs. Ole Miss.

“Obviously, you’re going to turn on the film from last year, and you’re going to look at it and go, okay, that’s not what we want to be defensively,” Kelly said.

“Players would say from a coaching standpoint and a playing standpoint, we’re much further along. That’s not the same defense,” Kelly said.

Ole Miss racked up 706 yards of total offense against LSU last year. 389 through the air and 317 on the ground.

Kelly said when you’re playing an up-tempo team like Ole Miss, the game comes down to getting lined up and tackling. LSU did neither of those things well last year.

Kelly said that the key on Saturday will be making Ole Miss one-dimensional. LSU can do that by putting pressure on Jaxson Dart and getting Lane Kiffin’s offense off schedule.

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Former LSU safeties coach Kerry Cooks hired by Rice

Kerry Cooks was let go this past January along with much of the defensive staff at LSU.

LSU made quite a few changes to its defensive staff following a rough 2023 season.

The Tigers moved on from defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], and they also let go of several assistants. One of those coaches — former safeties coach [autotag]Kerry Cooks[/autotag] — has now found a new home.

On Monday, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Cooks will be joining Rice as a defensive assistant. Cooks followed coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] to LSU from Notre Dame in 2022, and he has previously served as an assistant at Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, as well.

He coached multiple stints under Kelly with the Fighting Irish, holding the role of co-defensive coordinator during his first stint from 2010-14.

After he wasn’t hired during the initial coaching carousel this offseason, likely in part due to being let go by LSU in January, Cooks will be heading to Houston to coach under Rice coach Mike Bloomgren in 2024.

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LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. has bulked up ahead of potentially huge season

After playing at 217 pounds last season, Harold Perkins Jr. said he has bulked up to 225.

LSU’s defense is going to be a major question in 2024.

After turning in one of the SEC’s worst units in 2023, LSU made a change. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was replaced with [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who did yeoman’s work at Missouri but now inherits a Tigers defense that lost several starters and will be relying on young players developing and a handful of transfers.

However, that defense may have at least one potential superstar in linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] After a huge true freshman season in which he was mostly used as a pass rusher off the edge, Perkins moved off the ball last season to middling results.

He remains in that spot in 2024, though his role will change a bit in the new system. Only time will tell how he adjusts, but one thing is certain: He has put in the work this offseason.

Speaking at SEC Media Days on Monday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said that Perkins has gotten quite a bit bigger and now weighs over 220 pounds. Kelly said that’s a necessity if he’s going to stay off the ball.

Perkins was also in attendance at the event in Dallas and offered some more specificity about his transformation. He said he now weighs 225 pounds after playing last season at 217.

He is the subject of quite a bit of offseason hype and is seen as a likely early first-round pick. It’s certainly easy to see that potential with the former five-star talent, but Perkins needs to put together a much more complete season this fall.

It seems he’s done the requisite work in the offseason.

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Brian Kelly says LSU expecting young guys to take next step on defense

LSU and Brian Kelly are expecting a group of young defenders to take a step in 2024.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] knows his defense wasn’t up to par last year. It led to a change-up with the entire defensive staff with Kelly firing defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] and hiring [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag]. Along with Baker, LSU brought in [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. Two of the most heralded assistant coaches in the country.

“We know that defensively, we need to reach a higher level of play,” Kelly told the SEC Network on Monday morning.

“We played a lot of young guys on defense that we expect to take that next step this year,” Kelly said.

LSU didn’t land many top prospects in the transfer portal, so LSU will be counting on the development of the younger defenders to be the answer on defense.

Eight underclassmen played 70 snaps or more on defense for LSU last year. The biggest name in that group is [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag], who has All-American potential as he enters his junior year.

Up front, LSU will need a step forward from [autotag]Da’Shawn Womack[/autotag]. The former five-star recruit showed flashes in 2023, but will have a bigger opportunity in 2024.

On the backend, defensive backs [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag] fit the same bill. Both were thrown into the fire as true freshmen last year and it’s hard to imagine the LSU secondary finding success if they don’t contribute this fall.

LSU remains talented and has the chance for a strong young core of defenders to emerge this fall. If it all comes together, expect to see LSU back in the College Football Playoff.

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Anonymous coach thinks Blake Baker will quickly turn around LSU’s defense

Anonymous coaches chimed in about the expectations for the Tigers in 2024.

LSU boasted one of the best offenses in college football last season, but in spite of that, it was an overall disappointing campaign as the team finished 10-3 and failed to repeat as SEC West champions.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] knows that unit needs to be remedied, and to try to accomplish that, the Tigers moved on from defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] and brought in [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who previously held the same role at Missouri.

Only time will tell how Baker’s unit performs in 2024, but it seems coaches around the country are high on him. Several spoke anonymously for Lindy’s Sports’ preseason college football preview magazine, and one said he expects Baker to turn around the Tigers’ defense in short order.

“They changed defensive coordinators (from Matt House to Blake Baker) and I’m not sure House’s style worked. It was all over the place, a lot of exchange responsibilities. Hence, a lot of busts,” one coach said, per On3. “It’s going to be interesting (in 2024 with Baker) because it’s a major difference. Sometimes you need to cut it back, you need to simplify… But Baker is a phenomenal D-coordinator, and he should get that remedied really quickly.”

Another coach spoke highly about the Tigers’ offense, which he expects to remain explosive despite losing Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and top two receivers [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag]

“LSU is kind of like Tennessee in the ‘70s and ’80s. They’re losing great receivers, but they got two coming in better than the ones they lost. And I’m talking about premier receivers, not just good ones,” a coach said.

LSU is hoping to compete for a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, and while they now have a wider margin for error, they’ll also need to improve in several areas across the board. Defense is one of them, but there’s reason to belive it could be better, as echoed by these coaches.

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LSU DC Blake Baker listed among coordinators who could be head coaches

Blake Baker is a new addition to LSU’s staff this season, but his reputation precedes him.

The ink is barely dry on Blake Baker’s contract as LSU’s defensive coordinator, but he could quickly find himself in the mix for head coaching gigs after the 2024 season.

Baker’s reputation precedes him after turning Missouri’s defense into one of the best in the country over the last two seasons, and the former LSU linebackers coach returns to Baton Rouge hoping to do the same for a unit that was one of the worst in the SEC last year under former DC [autotag]Matt House[/autotag].

CBS Sports’ David Cobb recently broke down the list of top head coaching candidates from the coordinator ranks, and Baker was one of the up-and-coming coaches who got the nod.

Baker worked wonders with Missouri’s defense over the past two seasons, turning a unit that ranked 105th nationally before he arrived into one that ranked 33rd last season as the Tigers finished 11-2 with a Cotton Bowl victory. If he can do the same at LSU in 2024, look for the 41-year old former Tulane linebacker to get some head coaching looks. He worked as a graduate assistant under Mack Brown at Texas from 2010-12 and has coordinator experience at Miami and now with two SEC programs.

While LSU would be glad to see its defense have a good enough year for Baker to get head coaching rub, the Tigers would also like to see some continuity there beyond this season after changing coordinators on both sides of the ball heading into 2024.

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Brian Kelly thinks LSU’s defense is ready for big step forward in 2024

LSU’s defense held the team back in 2023, but it could be much improved this fall.

LSU had arguably the nation’s best offense in 2023.

With a Heisman-winning quarterback in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and a pair of first-round draft pick receivers in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], it was the most loaded skill position group we’ve seen in Baton Rouge excluding 2019.

But in spite of that, LSU regressed from an SEC West-winning program to one that finished third in the division, and the defense is a major reason for that. It was one of the worst in college football last season, ranking 105th in total defense and 78th in scoring defense.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is under no illusions about the fact that the defense was a limiting factor in 2023.

“If we could’ve played any semblance of defense (last season), we’re in the playoffs,” he said, according to Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports.

However, Kelly said that he thinks the team is now built on a solid enough foundation to compete for a national title, and he expects improvements on that side of the ball in 2024.

“It won’t be elite yet,” Kelly said, “but I think it’s getting to the point where it can complement our offense. It didn’t complement our offense last year.”

LSU opted for a change at defensive coordinator after last season. [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] was fired and replaced by Missouri’s [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who was previously a linebackers coach at LSU under Ed Orgeron.

That change, paired with the altered usage of players like [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], is expected to make a difference. Perkins was an impactful player as a true freshman playing off the edge, but a move to inside linebacker last season limited his production considerably.

Perkins has now moved to weakside linebacker ahead of a season where he faces lofty expectations.

“We’re going to need our best players to play their best football,” Kelly said. “Harold Perkins is going to have to be an impact player.”

The Tigers still have some apparent holes on the defensive side of the ball, particularly at the interior of the defensive line and in the defensive backfield. Kelly and the staff have been in the mix for several defensive tackle transfer targets and could also look to add cornerback depth.

LSU’s defense still faces a few questions, and it’s hard to have as much faith in that group as there is in the offense. But if the defense can take a step forward this season, LSU could make the jump from good to great, even without Daniels and Co.

Read the full feature from USA TODAY Sports by clicking here.

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DT Jordan Jefferson drafted in 4th round, becomes 3rd LSU player selected by Jaguars

Jordan Jefferson is joining Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are importing the bayou to northeast Florida, it seems.

Jacksonville selected LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] with the 116th pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday, making him the third former Tiger the team has picked this weekend.

He joins first-round selection [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and second-round selection [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] in Duval. The move will also pair him and Smith up once again with former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who was hired as the Jags’ linebackers coach this offseason.

Jefferson spent just one season at LSU as a graduate transfer from West Virginia. He began the season as a rotational player but became a starter when [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] went down with injury.

 

Jefferson appeared in 13 games with six starts at LSU in 2023, totaling 36 tackles (seven for loss) and 2.5 sacks.

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LSU’s Maason Smith says Jaguars drafting him was ‘best day of (his) life up to this point’

Maason Smith is heading to Jacksonville where he’ll be teammates with Brian Thomas Jr. once more.

[autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] became the fourth former LSU player to be taken in the 2024 NFL draft and the first on Day 2 on Friday. Smith was drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After three seasons at LSU, Smith is joining a Jaguars defensive line with a lot of talent but one that’s also a bit thin.

Smith said he thinks Jacksonville is the best situation for him, and that his draft night was the best day of his life so far, according to WJXT’s Jamaal St. Cyr.

“It’s just excitement, man,” Smith said. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 6 years old. Just being able to live that dream out, I told my mom yesterday, ‘Ma, it’s different when your dreams are staring you right in the face.’

When I got that call, when they said Jacksonville, my heart just dropped. Because I don’t think there’s a better situation for me to go to. I think that God always has a plan, and I preach about one thing: uncommon favor. And just sticking to that and believing that God’s going to put me in the place I need to be. And he did.

“I’m just grateful for this opportunity, but it was definitely the best day of my life up to this point.”

Smith is the second LSU player drafted by the Jaguars. He’ll be reunited with [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who Jacksonville took in the first round. He’ll pair back up with former Tigers defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who Jacksonville hired as linebackers coach this offseason.

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