Across the country, there are big expectations for the LSU Tigers in 2023, with the preseason coaches’ poll ranking No. 5 in the country. Most expect LSU to stand firmly in the running for the SEC crown and the national championship. However, there’s no one with bigger expectations for LSU than the team in Baton Rouge.
That’s not to say that LSU isn’t a team with question marks. They say football is won and lost in the trenches, and if that’s true, there’s a huge obstacle to those winning expectations that not many are talking about: massive turnover on the defensive line, from the players to the coaches.
After a season in which the Tigers finished 10-4 and with a final ranking of No. 16 in the AP poll, their first ranked finish since 2019, the team lost three starters from their front four to the NFL. Edge rusher BJ Ojulari was drafted to the Arizona Cardinals in the second round, defensive tackle Jacquelin Roy was taken in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings and defensive end Ali Gaye was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.
Needless to say, the unit looks a lot different now than it did last year. With as great an impact as the defensive line can have on a defense’s success as the first line of defense, it’s not an overstatement to say LSU’s season could hinge on how this position group performs.
LSU now must replace three starters from what was already a relatively quiet unit. Though LSU’s talent on the defensive line last year was clear, the pass-rush production was middling. The unit produced only 29 sacks, 2.07 per game, a mark that was No. 9 in the SEC. Using another metric, LSU was No. 6 in the SEC in sack rate, the percentage of passing attempts that end in a sack, and No. 28 in the Power Five.
In addition, LSU’s defensive line was equally unspectacular stopping the run. The Tigers ranked No. 7 in the SEC in stuff rate, the percentage of runs that were stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage, and No. 25 in the Power Five.
While the unit had its moments, including a three-game run in the middle of the season with multiple sacks in each game against SEC West contenders Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas, it was generally solid, but not exceptional. For LSU to take the next step this season, exceptional is what it has to be.
This necessary improvement is a challenge left to a new coach: last year’s defensive line coach, Jamar Cain, accepted a job with the Denver Broncos as a pass-rush specialist in March.
LSU hired former South Carolina defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey to replace him. Lindsey is currently dealing with a private health issue that could possibly keep him away from the team for a significant amount of time, with head coach Brian Kelly saying as recently as Tuesday that he has a “long road of recovery ahead.”
In the meantime, John Jancek has moved over from his dual position as outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator to assume Lindsey’s role. Last year, Jancek served as a senior defensive analyst for LSU.
Regardless, the coach taking on the challenge of elevating the Tigers’ defensive line play to a championship level will be one in a new role on Kelly’s staff. Everything about LSU’s defensive line is changing this year–even the coaching.
The good news is that that coach will be faced with a wealth of talent, particularly in the interior d-line. Mekhi Wingo returns for his junior season after his first season with LSU after transferring from Missouri saw him named as a Third Team All-American.
Wingo stepped up big time after the loss of Maason Smith to a season-ending ACL tear in the season opener. The team expected to rely on defensively after he was named a Freshman All-American the year prior. Smith now returns from injury this year to flank Wingo, completing one of the best defensive tackle duos in the nation.
LSU will have good depth behind Wingo and Smith, including former four-star recruit Jacobian Guillory entering his redshirt junior year. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound interior lineman received a start in the Citrus Bowl last year and racked up three tackles. The Tigers also brought in transfers Jordan Jefferson and Jalen Lee, who both have multiple years of starting experience at Power 5 schools.
The outlook at edge rusher is a bit more murky, especially with star utility linebacker Harold Perkins expected to move to middle linebacker this season. However, the discussion without a doubt begins with junior Sai’vion Jones.
Jones was a key part of the edge rotation last year and ranked third on the team with 4.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. This year, he’ll be expected to lead the charge.
Kelly’s first option to rush from the other side seems to be Ovie Oghoufo, a Texas transfer who has familiarity with Kelly, having played at Notre Dame from 2018 to 2020. Oghoufo is joined by two other edge transfers with starting experience in Paris Shand and Bradyn Swinson.
LSU has a number of young options on the edge, as well. True freshmen Da’Shawn Womack and Jaxon Howard figure to factor in on the edge, as five-star and four-star signees this offseason. However, Quency Wiggins, who has been taking second-team reps in practice, may also get a look after redshirting last year.
The lack of continuity on the defensive line from the coaching staff to the players will undoubtedly be a challenge, but it’s one LSU has done the best it can to answer. It brought in transfer bodies and made sure that, at the very least, they have a lot of experienced and talented options to turn to. At as important a position as the defensive line, that’s crucial.
