Analysis: The Importance of Andre Sam's Commitment to LSU
LSU dipped into the NCAA Transfer Portal once again after landing a commitment from Tulane safety Andre Sam on Thursday. The well traveled defensive back heads to Baton Rouge with six years of college football experience where he looks to add depth to the Tigers’ secondary.
Sam, who played the 2022 season at Marshall, made an impact in a variety of ways. The biggest game of his season? When the Thundering Herd took down Notre Dame in one of the more shocking upsets of the season where he totaled 10 tackles for his squad.
The hard-hitting safety signed with McNeese State in the 2017 class where he played in 33 games for the Cowboys. The standout defensive back totaled 179 tackles, five interceptions and 20 pass breakups with McNeese, earning all conference honors twice, before transferring to Marshall for the 2022 season.
Once with the Thundering Herd, Sam tallied 53 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception in 12 games played.
The journey of Sam’s has been rare. He left Marshall to follow his then defensive coordinator Lance Guidry to Tulane this offseason, but once Guidry departed New Orleans, so did Sam.
Now, Sam heads to Death Valley with the chance to make an immediate impact in his final year of eligibility.
Much-Needed Depth
LSU enters the summer with Major Burns and Greg Brooks as the headliners of the safety position, but adding a player of Sam’s caliber provides a major boost moving forward. We saw both Burns and Brooks suffer lower body injuries during spring camp, and with a lack of experience in the secondary, Sam’s commitment became that much more valuable.
Burns, a starting caliber guy, has dealt with injury after injury during his college career. With the Tigers securing Sam, it gives them some insurance moving forward. For the Tulane transfer, it isn’t a matter of coming in and being a backup, he has the chance to compete for starting reps this summer heading into fall camp.
Heavy-Hitter
Sam has a nose for the football in open space. In fact, he’s one of the hardest hitting players pound for pound in college. The film doesn’t lie. When Sam has a full head of steam, he’s proven to rock opponents on a routine basis.
After playing for a talented Marshall defense last season, Sam was the focal point. He took on a major role, and at times, looked like the best player out there. He has the ability to close out on opponents extremely well and get to the ball in the blink of an eye.
When moving downhill, good luck, because Sam has the explosiveness to get from Point A to Point B faster than many at the college level.
More Versatility
LSU has their fair share of versatile defensive backs, namely in freshman Javien Toviano, but Sam provides much of the same. He can play safety and nickel for this defense, giving Matt House another flexible stud ahead of the 2023 season.
With tremendous instincts, he has the chance to thrive at either role for the Tigers. LSU has battled the injury bug during the last few seasons but Sam has stayed relatively healthy. For this program to add another durable, consistent player to their secondary is a big move as we continue through the offseason.
