The scoreboard might have read 24-17 in favor of the White squad in Tiger Stadium when the Spring Game finished Saturday, but the real winners were a few underclassmen on the Purple team.
Sophomore safety Ronald Martin and freshmen linebackers Ronnie Feist and Lamar Louis raised some eyebrows with their play in the annual finale to spring practices.
With the Tigers losing seniors in linebacker Ryan Baker and safety Brandon Taylor, some unknowns will have to step up to fill the void left by such significant contributors.
The Spring Game was the perfect opportunity for those young players to get some much-needed experience in order to make an impact.
Sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu is convinced these underclassmen are ready to become vital parts of the LSU football team in 2012.
“We have a lot of young guys that are ready to see some SEC football and championship football,” Mathieu said. “They’ve been working on it all spring long, and they’re going to work over the summer to prepare for the season.”
Of the three youngsters, Martin had the best day.
The sophomore from White Castle, La., led the Purple squad with eight tackles. He also picked off quarterback Zach Mettenberger in the end zone in the first quarter.
It was a horribly thrown pass, but you have to give Martin credit for coming up with the ball.
Martin won state titles in football and basketball his senior year of high school. He knows how to win.
Martin’s performance definitely made a good first impression on new defensive backs coach Corey Raymond. This fall, look for Martin to battle for the starting strong safety position against Craig Loston, who missed the game with an unspecified injury.
LSU coach Les Miles burned Martin’s redshirt against Ole Miss last season due to injuries to Eric Reid and Loston. It’s clear he already has the confidence of the coaching staff.
Even if he doesn’t end up starting to open the season, Martin is poised to break out in 2012.
The linebacker position was the weakest part of LSU’s 13-1 team in 2011. Losing Baker and fellow senior Stefoin Francois to graduation didn’t help the cause.
Miles has to be impressed by the performances of the two early enrollee linebackers, Feist and Louis. Both players used the absence of linebacker Tahj Jones to get extra reps to impress the coaches.
Feist’s 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame makes it hard to believe that he graduated from high school only a few months ago.
He proved with his seven tackles he can be a run-stopping presence along with fellow linebacker Kevin Minter right away.
Louis had the highlight of the day, returning a Mettenberger pass 74 yards for a score. He was also third on the Purple squad with five tackles.
The lack of linebacking depth will force Miles to play Feist and Louis for many snaps in 2012. They will contend for one of the outside linebacker spots immediately along with freshman Kwon Alexander when he arrives next fall.
On the field Saturday, Martin, Feist and Louis showed, with an improved offense, that the defense won’t miss a beat when North Texas comes to town for the 2012 season opener.
Micah Bedard is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Houma. Follow him on Twitter @DardDog.
 
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Contact Micah Bedard at [email protected]