The 2010 edition of the LSU defensive line will feature new faces and a completely revamped look. LSU will have two new starters at defensive end. Defensive coordinator John Chavis was impressed with 6-foot-5-inch, 255-pound defensive end Kendrick Adams, a junior college transfer.”He looks totally different than the way he did when he got here,” Chavis said of Adams. “If you haven’t seen him yet, you will be impressed when you do see him.”Also competing for a spot at defensive end are returning sophomores Lavar Edwards and Chancey Aghayere, along with redshirt freshmen Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery. Adams thinks the competition for a starting spot ups the stakes at practices. “Everybody wants a spot out there,” Adams said. “So everyday you have to go out there and compete and work hard.”Chavis is excited about the impact redshirt freshman Michael Brockers could have at defensive tackle this fall. “Michael Brockers is a name that you are going to want to know.” Chavis said.Checking in at 300 pounds, the 6-foot-6-inch Brockers adds bulk and depth to the defensive tackle position. Chavis may have singled him out, but Brockers was eager to talk about the defensive unit as a whole.”I think we’re the best unit right now,” Brockers said. “We come together as brothers, we talk to each other, we go out as a unit. Right now I’m feeling really good about our unit and everything that we put into it.”While Seniors Lazarius Levingston and Drake Nevis will be veterans, Chavis expects that Brockers and fellow redshirt freshmen Chris Davenport and Bennie Logan will see some action at defensive tackle.Levingston, nicknamed “Pep,” started at defensive end last year but is hoping to bring more speed inside with a move to defensive tackle. Levingston played 11 games last year with 10 starts and finished the year with 28 tackles.Levingston said he knows what the defensive line needs to work on. Last year’s defense failed to generate enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks, with only 21 recorded sacks in the 2009 season. “We are trying to concentrate more on pass rush,” Levingston said. “Because we kind of fell short of pass rush last season, and we’re trying to bring that back.”While many agree the unit is talented, some have expressed concern about the lack of size inside. The 6-foot-4-inch Levingston is listed at 280 pounds but claims to be “292 plus.” Levingston dismissed any concerns fans may have about the defensive unit.”I like to see myself along with my team as a versatile group,” Levingston asserted. “You know we just don’t want to sell ourselves short for being able to do one thing.”
Football: Two new starters to join Levingston on defensive line
August 22, 2010