Earlier in the season, it felt like there were going to be issues on the defensive side of the ball. Not a shocking development based on how the unit performed in 2020. Bo Pelini was replaced by Daronte Jones after Ed Orgeron whiffed on Marcus Freeman.
Following the open week when the team was coming off a loss to Ole Miss, they flipped the switch. A conversation with Orgeron’s friend Lane Kiffin just might have been the difference. They switched to a 3-4 defense that utilized more pressure on blitzes. They held Alabama to just 20 points, Arkansas to 16 points, and Texas A&M to just 24 points. In today’s college football world you will take that every single time.
Who would you say was the best defender of 2021? You would be hardpressed to find anyone who wouldn’t start with linebacker Damone Clark, who is a finalist for the Butkus Award.
Looking at the regular season grades for LSU, here is how they graded out on Pro Football Focus: