Tag: Omar Speights

Greg Brooks Jr. missed Mississippi State game due to medical emergency, Brian Kelly said

Greg Brooks Jr. missed the game Saturday due to an unspecified medical emergency, per Brian Kelly.

Shortly before LSU kicked off its Week 3 game on Saturday against Mississippi State, [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] was announced as a surprising scratch despite not being listed on the injury report during the week.

The starting nickel was unavailable due to a medical emergency, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said after the game. Kelly reportedly did not go into detail about what caused the emergency.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Greg,” Kelly said.

Despite missing two key defensive starters on Saturday in Brooks and linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], the Tigers delivered a dominating performance against the Bulldogs in a 41-14 win in which they allowed just 201 yards of offense.

 

We will keep you updated on LSU Wire regarding any news about Brooks’ status moving forward.

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BREAKING: Pair of key defensive starters out for LSU against Mississippi State

The Tigers are missing two major contributors on defense for Saturday’s SEC opener.

LSU’s defense will be without two of its most impactful players on Saturday when the Tigers face a new-look Mississippi State offense.

Linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], who was listed as doubtful on Thursday but still traveled with the team, didn’t dress and won’t play Saturday. Starting nickel [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] also won’t play against the Bulldogs for undisclosed reasons.

Mason Taylor reportedly went through warmups and remains a game-time decision.

These are two very tough losses for the Tigers. Both are very experienced players and major contributors on the defensive side of the ball. With Speights out, you’re likely to see a heavy dose of [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], Whit Weeks and [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag].

Without Brooks, [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag] is likely to get the start at nickel.

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LSU dealing with injuries to pair of key players ahead of SEC opener at Mississippi State

LSU could be without starters Mason Taylor and Omar Speights on Saturday morning.

LSU is looking to earn a big SEC West road win on Saturday against Mississippi State, but it may be undermanned heading into that game.

Two Tigers starters are dealing with injuries leading up to the game and may not be able to play, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said Thursday night.

Tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], who exited Saturday’s win over Grambling with an ankle sprain, is considered day-to-day. Linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], an accomplished transfer from Oregon State, will travel with the team to Starkville but is doubtful to play less than 48 hours before kick, according to Kelly.

Assuming Speights doesn’t play, LSU will turn to [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] and [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] to shore up the inside linebacker group. Kelly said that [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], who began the year playing off the ball but moved back to the edge last week, will remain on the outside.

Taylor, meanwhile, is the only returning player in LSU’s tight end room. He’s a major part of the offense, and without him, the Tigers would have to turn to a largely unproven group that includes JUCO transfer [autotag]Connor Gilbreath[/autotag] and true freshmen [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], [autotag]Jackson McGohan[/autotag] and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

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Brian Kelly updates injury report entering Week 3 SEC opener against Mississippi State

The Tigers are getting back to full strength just in time for SEC play.

As the Tigers prepare for their first true road game of the year against Mississippi State in Saturday’s SEC opener, the team is getting back closer to full health.

LSU was missing several players in its first two games, but it should be near peak strength when it faces the Bulldogs in a morning kick in Starkville. On Monday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] updated the injury report heading into Week 3, and it featured just two players, both of whom are expected to play.

[autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag], who exited the Grambling game in the first half with what Kelly called an ankle sprain, is probable as is linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], who was also banged up in the win.

[autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] will also return to the field after missing the first two games for unspecified reasons.

A newly healthy LSU team that now also has [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] back in the mix will certainly be a tough out for a Bulldogs team looking for a signature win under coach Zack Arnett,

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Omar Speights says Harold Perkins will play more outside the box against Grambling

Harold Perkins could be back in his old role on Saturday night.

A lot was made of LSU’s decision to use [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] in a traditional linebacker role last week, rather than the free flowing player we saw last year.

Perkins pass rushing ability was limited and he wasn’t able to make plays near the line of scrimmage.

According to LSU linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], Perkins will play something closer to his 2022 role on Saturday night.

“I think this week we’ll put him more outside the box. Let him be him type stuff this week,” Speights said.

Speights added the move will open up more opportunities for [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag], who manned that inside linebacker spot for much of last year.

LSU’s defense came out flat in the second half last week, but Speights said the focus and intensity at practice this week has improved.

With SEC play beginning next week, it’s critical for LSU to use this week as a chance to get right.

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Omar Speights brings versatility to LSU defense, Brian Kelly said

Omar Speights comes in with high expectations after he was a First Team All-Pac-12 selection in 2022.

LSU made a lot of transfer portal additions this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But it’s hard to imagine any of those additions will prove to be more impactful than linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag].

Speights comes in as a veteran after developing into an All-Pac-12 player at Oregon State. He joins an LSU team that lost experienced linebackers [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], and he’ll be paired with [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] in what should be a very strong inside linebacker duo.

Asked what Speights brings to the table, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was quick to point out his versatility. Kelly said Speights is a rare linebacker talent who can excel in space while also bringing physicality into the box.

“Omar, his physicality and his ability to play in space are a unique combination,” Kelly said, per On3. “Generally, you have a linebacker that is really good in space but lacks some of the physicality in the box. He brings both of those, which is a trait that is very difficult to find in college football.

“You either have what is known as a box player, who’s a downhill run stuffer but sometimes struggles in space. He’s got both of those talents. And it allows us to move him around, expand, let him get out, and leave Harold in a consistent location. At the end of the day, if I’m on offense, I wanna get Harold out of the action and force him to cover down as much as possible. And Omar gives us that flexibility.

Despite all the new faces, this defense — and the front seven, in particular — enter the season with high expectations. Much of that has to do with the experience that Speights brings to the table as he looks to become one of the SEC’s top linebackers.

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LSU’s Harold Perkins and Omar Speights named to Butkus Award watch list

LSU’s Harold Perkins and Omar Speights are projected to be among the best linebackers in the country.

Few teams have a better linebacking duo than LSU’s [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag].

The two were recognized on Thursday as both earned a spot on the Butkus Award watch list. The Butkus Award is given annually to the best linebacker in college football.

It’s no surprise. Both Perkins and Speights are expected to be all-conference defenders.

Perkins exploded onto the scene last fall as a true freshman, making plays all over the field. He’ll remain versatile this fall but could see more consistent action at inside linebacker.

Speights was one of LSU’s most prized recruits from this transfer cycle after spending the first four years of his career at Oregon State. He led all Pac-12 linebackers in stops last year according to PFF and had the best run defense grade among Pac-12 LBs with 500 or more snaps.

Speights will anchor LSU’s linebacking core as Perkins moves around in different packages. While they occupy different roles, LSU will be counting on both due to a lack of depth at inside linebacker.

Speights should only improve at LSU, where he’ll get the chance to play behind one of the best interior defensive line groups in the country.

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2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 30 Greg Penn III

After coming on at the end of his true freshman season, Greg Penn III started all 14 games last season.

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.

This is a defense that has been largely remade over the last two seasons, but we’re looking at a returning starter who has been around for both. [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] came on at the end of his true freshman season in 2021, and he became a full-time starter last season.

Greg Penn III Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland

Ht: 6-2

Wt: 235

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four Stars | No. 10 in Maryland | No. 23 Linebacker

Class in 2022: Sophomore

Career Stats

Year G Total Solo TFL Sacks FF PD INT
2021 10 11 5 0 0 0 0 0
2022 14 78 42 6 0 0 3 0

Depth Chart Overview

Penn certainly arrived at LSU as a true freshman with some expectations as a top-250 recruit, but he wasn’t expected to see the field a ton in his first season on the bayou.

In fact, he played in 10 games, though he was mostly a rotational player in all but one of them. He got the start for LSU’s loss to Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, where he notched seven of his 11 total tackles for the season.

His real breakout came as a sophomore in 2022, when he started all 14 games and finished second on the team in tackles. He has a chance to retain that starting job this fall, but it will likely depend on a few factors.

The Tigers added an All-Pac-12 inside linebacker in [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], and depending on how much work [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] sees inside, Penn could see more of a rotational role alongside players like brothers [autotag]West Weeks[/autotag] and [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag].

This will certainly be a position battle worth watching in fall camp.

Greg Penn III’s Photo Gallery

LSU cracks Greg McElroy’s preseason top 5

Greg McElroy may be a former Alabama player, but he’s the latest media figure to buy into what LSU and Brian Kelly are selling entering the 2023 season.

Greg McElroy may be a former Alabama player, but he’s the latest media figure to buy into what LSU and [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] are selling entering the 2023 season.

McElroy recently broke down his top 25 teams in college football entering the season, and the Tigers sit high up on his list at No. 5.

Offensively, McElroy praised the progress of quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] in Year 1, and he discussed his high expectations for both the receiving corps led by [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and the offensive line, which was led by a pair of true freshmen tackles last fall in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag].

On the defensive side of the ball, McElroy expects [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] to take a big leap this fall, and he praised transfer additions like [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and the players the Tigers brought in to help the secondary, which he said could be a weak point in 2023.

Still, this is a team poised to compete for another division crown and, potentially, a College Football Playoff bid in Kelly’s second season.

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2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 1 Omar Speights

Omar Speights should make an immediate impact after earning First Team All-Pac 12 honors last fall.

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.

It’s time to take a look at another transfer in [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag], a four-year starter at linebacker from Oregon State. Speights will likely come in as an immediate impact player after earning First Team All-Pac 12 honors from the coaches last season.

Omar Speights Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ht: 6-1

Wt: 235

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three Stars | No. 4 in Oregon | No. 30 Inside Linebacker

Class in 2022: Junior

Career Stats

Year G Total Solo TFL Sack FF PD INT
2019 (Oregon State) 12 71 42 7.5 3.5 00 2 1
2020 (Oregon State) 7 63 32 4.5 1 0 0 0
2021 (Oregon State) 13 87 34 5 0.5 0 1 2
2022 (Oregon State) 13 83 39 0 0 0 1 0


Depth Chart Overview

Speights burst onto the scene right away with the Beavers as a true freshman in 2019, starting six of 12 games while recording 7.5 tackles for loss and earning Freshman All-America honors. He went on to start the next 33 games over the following three seasons.

After leading the Beavers in tackles with 83 in 2022 and leading the team to a 10-win season, Speights was named a First Team All-Pac 12 selection by the coaches and was placed on the second team by the Associated Press.

He comes in likely to take over LSU’s starting middle linebacker spot. The Tigers saw some losses at linebacker this offseason in [autotag]Micah Baskerville[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag], and Speights should easily slide into a starting role after four years at Oregon State.

Omar Speights’ Photo Gallery