Early LSU defensive depth chart prediction for the 2023 season

Here’s what LSU’s defense could look like in 2023.

Earlier this week, we took an early look at what LSU could throw out there on offense this fall.

Now, It’s time for the defense.

This unit is more of a challenge to pin down. LSU’s offense is bringing back most of its production. The defense, however, is losing several key pieces.

[autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] are gone after holding down the edge spots since 2020. The secondary is going through another makeover and veteran linebackers [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] are gone too.

[autotag]DeMario Tolan[/autotag], a talented young linebacker, hit the portal along with a couple of young corners.

The cupboard is far from bare. LSU returns strong players on the interior and did heavy work in the transfer portal, especially on the backend. With [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] and a healthy [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag], the defense remains in a good spot.

Here’s how we think the defense could stack up next season.

LSU lands transfer linebacker from Texas

The Tigers landed veteran Ovie Oghoufo on Thursday.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the LSU staff received some great news on Thursday when they found out Texas senior linebacker [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] has decided to take his talents to Baton Rouge.

In two seasons as a Longhorn, Oghoufo has 96 tackles, 4.5 sacks for 15 yards, five passes deflected, and two forced fumbles. LSU needed the pick-me-up after linebacker [autotag]Zavier Carter[/autotag] entered his name into the transfer portal earlier in the day.

While the linebacker room may have a lot of talent, they are lacking depth. Linebacker may be the position with the least amount of depth for the 2023 team. [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is an anomaly, but he needs rest every now and then.

[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] has a shot at coming in and starting on Day 1. [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] is headed to the NFL. Oghoufo will have a chance to come in and make a big difference for the Tigers next fall. Kelly will be looking to add more talent from the transfer portal.

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This LSU senior class has seen it all

When Harris got his offer in April of 2015, Les Miles was head coach, the top-grossing movie was the second installment in the Avengers franchise and ‘See You Again’ was Billboard’s top song.

Safety T[autotag]odd Harris[/autotag] committed to LSU on February 1, 2017.

It was national signing day — Ed Oregon’s first as LSU head coach. Harris was part of a defensive back class that included [autotag]Grant Delpit[/autotag], [autotag]Jacoby Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Kary Vincent[/autotag].

On the other side of the ball, it was the class that gave LSU [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and [autotag]Clyde Edwards-Helaire[/autotag]. If that feels like a long time ago, it’s because it was. Delpit, Jefferson, and Edwards-Helaire are now in their third year in the NFL.

Harris is the lone player from the 2017 recruiting class to remain with LSU.

When Harris got his offer in April 2015, [autotag]Les Miles[/autotag] was head coach. The top-grossing movie that weekend was the second installment in the Avengers franchise, and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s ‘See You Again’ was Billboard’s top song.

Barack Obama was still the president, and the most recent iPhone was the iPhone 6.

You get the point: Harris’ LSU journey began a long time ago.

Since he received that offer, he’s seen Miles fired and replaced by [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag]. He intercepted Tua Tagovailoa in what was just Tua’s first year as the starter.

He missed significant time with an ACL injury but was a member of LSU’s title team and watched 2020 get upended by a global pandemic. He remained with LSU through yet another coaching change, with Orgeron heading out and Brian Kelly coming in.

He hasn’t been a part of the secondary rotation this year, but he’s stuck around. He’s going to leave LSU with a championship ring and a degree. Harris has had what you could call a full career, seeing it all. Some good, some really good. Some bad, and some really bad.

Senior Night ceremonies will occur on Saturday night as LSU hosts UAB in its final home game. Senior Night is meant to honor the Todd Harrises of the world.

Harris will be joined by [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], another guy who’s seen it all but followed a more linear career path.

In Kelly’s first few months on the job, Baskerville’s role was unclear. Reports from spring practice and training camp highlighted the emergence of [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and the eye-popping ability of [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag].

Baskerville was one of the best linebackers in the SEC in 2021. It was difficult to imagine him not being a key part of the defense in 2022, but for a moment in time, it looked like that would be the case.

Sometime in-between spring and the first few games of the fall, things turned around for Baskerville. He’s been the best coverage linebacker in the SEC while adding nine pressures and 23 stops.

Kelly took the time to highlight Baskerville at his press conference this week. Kelly said when his staff first arrived, the reports regarding Baskerville weren’t great.

“Everybody was like, ‘well, he doesn’t go to class, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that,'” Kelly said. “And he’s been amazing, he’s gotten his degree, he’s been a great leader, he’s been inspirational in everything he’s done.”

Harris and Baskerville aren’t the only seniors who will be honored on Saturday night. Here are some other notable names and stories to reflect on during the festivities.

Note: This is not a comprehensive list, and some players going through the ceremony still have remaining eligibility. Likewise, Kelly said players may choose to leave who are not participating.

Brian Kelly praises current group of LSU seniors ahead of final home game

Kelly spoke on the importance of his group of seniors in Year 1.

This senior class has seen a lot of change during their careers at LSU.

Look at a guy like [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], a fifth-year senior who has played many games for the Tigers. He was a part of the 2019 national championship team. He’s seen LSU at the top of the mountain with [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag], [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and coach [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag].

He stayed through the coaching change when it was unknown who the Tigers would choose to be the next head man. Now, he is thriving on an LSU team that has won the SEC West and is headed to Atlanta to play the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs for the SEC Championship.

Kelly had high praise for the buy-in and effort from seniors on this roster like Baskerville.

“And watching them become SEC West champions is so gratifying because they made that choice,” Kelly said. “They could been average, they could’ve been poor. They could’ve just been good. They’ve chosen to be champions by the way they’ve gone to work every day both in the classroom and on the football field. And that, to me, is this senior day — the choices these guys have made have been outstanding.”

LSU will honor Baskerville and 16 other seniors on Saturday as part of the team’s Senior Night festivities before the Tigers take on UAB at 8 p.m. CT in the final game at Tiger Stadium this season.

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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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Stock Up, Stock Down: Rough Saturday morning on the Bayou for Tigers

Here’s how things are trending for the Tigers after the loss.

It was not a great morning on the Bayou if you are a fan of LSU.

The Tigers muffed the opening kickoff, giving Tennessee the ball deep in Tiger territory. After that, the route was on for the Volunteers. The Vols racked up 502 total yards led by Hendon Hooker and Bru McCoy. McCoy had seven receptions for 140 yards while Hooker went 17-for-27 for 239 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-13 win.

The LSU passing game was a positive today as they looked much improved from last week. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] finished the game 32-for-45 for 300 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. LSU will look to rebound from this loss against the Florida Gators next week.

Here’s how things are trending after the loss.

Instant Analysis: LSU dominates Southern for first win of 2022 season

The Tigers showed out in Brian Kelly’s home debut.

Well, that’s more like it!

After a disappointing Week 1 loss against Florida State, the Tigers got their first victory in 2022 in Brian Kelly’s home debut. LSU dominated Southern in the first-ever matchup between the two Baton Rouge programs, earning a commanding 65-17 victory ahead of the beginning of SEC play next weekend.

The Jaguars fumbled the opening kickoff, giving LSU the ball just outside the red zone. The Tigers punched it in on a run from [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], and that set the tone for the rest of the game. LSU scored touchdowns on each of its first five possessions and netted a safety, all in the first quarter. The 37 resulting points were a program record for the most scored in a single quarter.

For Daniels’ part, it’s hard to find a single flaw with his outing. He completed 10 of his 11 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in addition to the score on the ground. LSU rectified Kayshon Boutte’s lack of touches in Week 1, as he caught five balls for 42 yards in addition to a 41-yard run. [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] had a nice bounce-back after muffing two punts in Week 1, taking three catches for 81 yards and a score.

[autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] (12 carries, 85 yards, two touchdowns) and Noah Cain (10 carries, 51 yards, one touchdown) both found success on the ground, as well.

We even got to see backup quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag], who entered the game early, but it wasn’t the best outing. He went just 13 of 23 for 183 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Though we have to take the defensive performance with a grain of salt given the opponent, it was a significant improvement. Southern totaled just 262 yards of offense, and true freshman linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] made a big impact off the bench, leading the team in tackles with seven.

LSU forced three fumbles, and linebacker [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] had an interception returned for a touchdown.

It’s far from the toughest game on the Tigers’ schedule this fall, but they were able to improve in a lot of the areas that cost them against FSU, and they will look to push their winning streak to two when SEC play opens against Mississippi State next Saturday.

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Kayshon Boutte and BJ Ojulari headline group of Tigers on PFF’s All-SEC team

According to PFF, LSU has plenty of talent to rely upon this fall

LSU might still have some depth issues as it makes its way out of the coaching transition, but there’s plenty of talent at the top.

PFF released its 2022 All-SEC projections and plenty of Tigers made the list.

WR [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] was the only representation LSU has on the first team. Boutte is expected to be one of the best playmakers in the country and a first-round pick in 2023. However, he’s coming off a season where an injury ended his year.

The second-team defense had a few Tigers. DE [autotag]B.J. Ojulari[/autotag] and DT [autotag]Jaquelin Roy[/autotag] made the cut.

Both Ojulari and Roy have the talent to be first-round picks next spring.

LB [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] joined Ojulari and Roy on the second team. Brian Kelly recently spoke about how crowded their linebacker room was but said Baskerville is a player that will certainly help them.

Down on the third team, LSU had a total of five appearances. WR [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] was recognized on offense. LSU will need a reliable player like Beck to compliment some of the playmakers they have on the outside.

On the third team defense, LSU was represented by DE [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], LB [autotag]Mike Jones[/autotag], CB [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], and CB [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag].

This would suggest that LSU is capable of having a pretty good defense this year. Positions that were once concerns now have players projected to be some of the best in the SEC.

If DC Matt House can get that system installed, LSU will create problems for opposing offenses.

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LSU linebacker corps set to stand out in 2022

LSU’s linebacker group was ranked third in the SEC by On3.

It’s not often that you lose the SEC’s leading tackler — and the nation’s second-leading tackler — and feel good about where your current linebacker group stands, but that’s a testament to LSU’s depth at the position.

Even with [autotag]Damone Clark[/autotag] moving on, the Tigers return a talented and experienced group headlined by [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag]. Add in an exciting true freshman in five-star recruit [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], and you have the makings of a very deep unit.

Despite the lack of general preseason hype surrounding this team, several of its position groups have received high praise from national publications. And in a recent ranking of SEC linebacker corps from On3’s Jesse Simonton, LSU came in third after Alabama and Georgia (unsurprisingly).

The Tigers are slightly inexperienced at linebacker after losing 135 tackles from Damone Clark last season, but their unit doesn’t lack upside or numbers. Senior Micah Baskerville is a solid starter inside, while Greg Penn III, Phillip Webb and 5-star freshman Harold Perkins Jr. were all top recruits who will push for snaps this fall. LSU’s LB room would be buoyed if former Clemson transfer Mike Jones Jr. can stay healthy and live up to his recruiting billing.

The Tigers have had some defensive woes over the last two seasons and will now be on their third defensive coordinator in as many years in Matt House. However, between what could be an elite defensive line, a secondary filled with experienced transfers and a deep linebacker group, this could be the season where LSU gets back to the hard-nosed defensive football the program is known for.

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BJ Ojulari named to the preseason Nagurski Trophy watch list

The Nagurski Trophy is given to the top defender in college football, regardless of position.

LSU saw another player crack an award watch list on Tuesday as edge rusher [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] was one of 85 players named to the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is given annually to the top defensive player in college football, regardless of position.

Ojulari enters his junior season with high expectations, and if he can stay healthy, he should be one of the best edge rushers in the SEC, if not the entire country.

After making an immediate impact in the rotation as a true freshman in 2020, Ojulari became a full-time starter last fall. He played in every game, leading the team in sacks with seven and finishing second in tackles for loss with 11.5. He’ll look to become the second LSU player to win the Nagurski Trophy, joining [autotag]Glenn Dorsey[/autotag] in 2007.

Ojulari enters his third season expected to take his play up a notch, and many see him as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Playing next to [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag] should give the Tigers one of the best edge-rushing duos in the country as the defense hopes to take a leap forward in 2022 under new defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag].

LSU now has three players on preseason watch lists, with Ojulari joining [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] and [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag], who are on the lists for the Biletnikoff and Butkus awards, respectively. The full 85-man list for the Nagurski Trophy can be found here.

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