Emphatically, Sam Montgomery declared he knows who is LSU’s best defensive lineman.
It’s not him or fellow junior Barkevious Mingo, preseason All-Americans whose names are littered among college football award watch lists and websites.
And it’s not senior Bennie Logan, a trending name who inherited the number 18 for his hard work and dedication to the Tiger program.
Instead, he chose someone who some call a “reserve.”
“I think Lavar Edwards is the best defensive end in our room,” Montgomery said. “I think Lavar has the capability to be one of the greatest who ever played the game.”
On a team filled with future NFL first-rounders and postseason award winners, both Mingo and Montgomery maintained that there’s no such thing as a “reserve.”
With plenty of household names lining the defensive front, names like Edwards and senior Chancey Aghayere could sometimes be pushed aside and forgotten.
Just don’t tell Coach Les Miles.
“The repetition of our defense allows for highly heralded starters to be pushed and compete with very talented backups,” Miles said. “It really doesn’t do me service to call either of those two guys backups because they play regularly.”
Mingo, who only cracked the starting lineup three times last season, said being labeled a starter carries little merit once the helmets are on and the game begins.
“We have guys that, if they went anywhere else, they’d be a starter,” Mingo said. “Being labeled the starter only means you go out there first.”
Montgomery said the “sixth man” who comes off the bench is the spark the Tigers need, usually making the most stellar defensive plays to rile up his teammates.
Miles echoed Montgomery, saying he counts on Edwards and Aghayere to play like they were starters.
“We count on those guys to play as basically what would be starters, snaps and to keep those guys that might start to gain fresh anyway,” Miles said. “No one’s saying that those guys are lesser.”
With a stable of more than capable linemen, practices have evolved into “war,” according to Montgomery, with no one’s job being safe.
“Our practice is nothing to be toyed with,” Montgomery said. “It’s all full throttle.”
The first casualty of that “war” was Montgomery himself.
Miles sent a message when Edwards started over Montgomery in LSU’s opening victory against North Texas.
“Lavar had prepared way better than Sam did,” Mingo said. “He had to readjust his thinking and get it right.”
Edwards responded to his coach’s message, registering a tackle for loss against North Texas and terrorizing Washington’s Keith Price constantly in the Tigers’ 41-3 rout of the Huskies, getting to the quarterback for one sack.
Though Montgomery called the week one experience “humbling,” he lauded Edwards’ performance and kept the mantra of the defensive line at the forefront of his mind.
“The main thing that we want our D-line is for everyone to get recognition for their own talent,” Montgomery said.
While dealing with the disappointment of watching from the bench, Montgomery said he’s Edwards’ biggest supporter and cheered harder than anyone after Edwards’ sack against Washington.
With Edwards and Aghayere pressing the “starters” at every turn, the defensive front has gelled well so far this season.
For Edwards, the main goal is for the linemen to rely on one another.
“Everyone just works hard and we try not to let the next person down,” Edwards said. “No matter who gets the start, we try to make it look like no drop-offs or let-ups.”