Defensive Additions for LSU Football in 2021 Class Will Contribute Right Away
With the addition of several impact talents on defense, the LSU football program should see true freshmen making the 2021 two deep depth chart.
It’s hard to play early at a program such as LSU. There are at least five LSU recruits that signed with the Tigers today that could do just that. Here are five LSU defensive signees to watch for the 2021 season.
Maason Smith is as important a recruit as LSU has signed since Leonard Fournette. Yes, he’s that talented. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle presents challenges for offensive linemen usually reserved for highly talented defensive ends. Great lateral quickness, first step, and striking power all make Smith a player that will absolutely be counted on next year.
Rare is it to find a defensive tackle that’s a good pass rusher. Even rarer yet to find an interior pass rusher that’s also big enough to be able to two-gap because of his size and strength. That’s Smith, the talent from nearby Houma (La.) Terrebonne. He’s an absolute bull. Maybe it’s too much for Smith to be a starter from the early portion of the 2021 season, but it’s not out of the question either. This young man is a future NFL player.
Navonteque Strong will come to Baton Rouge from the junior college ranks. He’s already acquired the size to play inside linebacker at 6-foot-0, 230-pounds, and he’s agile enough to play in space with talented tight ends, running backs and wide receivers that is required of modern day linebackers. Flipping Strong’s commitment from Mississippi State to LSU was huge.
Will he play middle linebacker or weak side linebacker? Both? That’s what spring practice is all about. More importantly, LSU landed Strong from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as a plug and play talent. The Tigers needed linebackers desperately due to a lack of proven depth and Strong will provide immediate help.
Another imposing linebacker that will help next fall comes from the nation’s capitol. Greg Penn III played for famed DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville (Md.) just outside Washington, D.C. A thumper against the run, Penn III offers something that few high school linebackers possess, the ability to change direction and get into pass coverage.
Sometimes defensive players will be fooled, at least at first, but Penn III possesses the ability to change direction well and that will serve him, and LSU, well when it comes to playing inside linebacker. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound talent is going to make a lot of plays for the purple and gold.
LSU is also bereft of depth at the safety position. With Sage Ryan coming to LSU from Lafayette (La.) Lafayette Christian Academy, there’s a good chance that an ultra athletic and yet crafty freshman will make the two deep depth chart and help LSU right away.
Ryan’s size at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds combined with his natural hitting power makes him a strong safety candidate that one could compare to former SEC players from the mid-1990s; powerful attackers who play the run well. Ryan’s best asset, however, would be his closing speed in an effort to make a play on the ball or the ball carrier. The knack for getting to the football before the offensive player can make a play is uncanny. Ryan is a natural football player.
And finally, from the signees from today, a wild card. LSU went to Pennsylvania to land another big-time safety in Derrick Davis, Jr. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound prospect could be labeled a running back, safety or even a linebacker based on his high school film, athleticism, and body type. Perhaps LSU will use Davis in a multitude of ways.
Davis played for powerful Gateway High School Monroeville (Pa.) just outside of Pittsburgh. He’s used to playing in big games and carrying the burden of being the prime target because he was such a talented running back. But his ability to move laterally, and still hit with power, made him a very attractive safety recruit as well.
Depending on how big Davis becomes, it’s plausible to see him play the hybrid safety-linebacker role that’s common in college football, if not simply becoming a weak side linebacker. His power is uncanny and Davis possesses the frame to weigh 220-pounds without a doubt.
As the early signing period began, LSU’s recruiting class brought in several important defensive recruits. These are but five of the talented prospects and it’s fitting to point out that more signatures will be headed to Baton Rouge. It’s a great class of LSU defenders already, and it will get better very soon.
