When linebacker Kevin Minter decided to forgo his senior season and declared for the NFL Draft in January, he left a large hole in the middle of the LSU defense.
Minter started every game at middle linebacker last season and led the Tigers with 130 total tackles. He was a first team All-Southeastern Conference performer and a third-team All-American.
LSU coach Les Miles said senior Lamin Barrow will likely get the first chance at the job. Barrow started every game at outside linebacker for LSU and finished second to Minter with 104 total tackles.
“You know that you have Barrow that can play well,” Miles said. “He’s done that at a number of spots. He continues to improve at mike [middle] backer. It is probably his.”
Barrow said he doesn’t care which linebacker spot he lines up in and isn’t working on anything different this spring to adjust to the middle.
“I’m just trying to be a better player overall,” Barrow said. “Linebacker is two different positions but it’s pretty much the same thing. I’m just working on my quickness and my diagnosing plays, which would help me on the inside or outside.”
Miles said after he and defensive coordinator John Chavis figure out who will be playing in the middle, they can begin fitting guys on the outside around them.
While Barrow is the frontrunner for the position, Miles said he’ll keep Barrow on the outside if he is able to find another player who can start in the middle.
“If D.J. Welter or somebody else can play inside, then we’ll move Barrow outside,” Miles said. “But initially, we’ll start with Barrow.”
As a sophomore last season, Welter missed the entire regular season after being ruled out along with senior linebacker Tahj Jones and three other Tigers.
Tahj Jones and sophomores Kwon Alexander, Lamar Louis and Deion Jones are candidates to play outside linebacker, Miles said.
Alexander appears poised to grab one of the outside starting positions. He started two games for LSU last season before breaking his ankle against Florida. Miles said Alexander was added to the Unity Council, the team’s official leadership corps, this spring as a young player because of the way he developed his skills as a true freshman.
“What we expect from Kwon is that he will take up where he left off and will have a great spring and a great fall,” Miles said.
Louis and Deion Jones also saw playing time during their freshman season. Louis started five games at outside linebacker after Alexander’s injury while Jones totaled 23 tackles, more than any other LSU freshman linebacker.
Tahj Jones began last season as the Tigers’ starting strong side linebacker but was ruled ineligible and sat out the regular season before returning to start in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Miles also identified sophomore Ronnie Feist as someone who could see time at middle linebacker. Feist saw some playing time at linebacker last season, but Miles said he has worked with the defensive linemen this spring to help provide depth.
“He is a guy at linebacker that could step down and be physical enough to play at short-side end,” Miles said. “He is also a guy who can play mike [linebacker], and so when you put him in the game they don’t know how you might use him.”
