LSU Football: Grading LSU's Defense Through Six Games
Defensive coordinator Matt House’s unit has been a bright spot for the Tigers through the first half of the season. Despite losing star defensive lineman Mason Smith for the year, this group has proven their depth and grit is what will keep them going.
House has dialed up near flawless game plans to get SEC play going, but Saturday’s loss to Tennessee is certainly an outlier. With the Volunteers putting 40 points on this LSU defense, it proved there is still work to be done with the Tigers, specifically in the secondary.
Here we graded each position group with the first half of the season in the rearview mirror:
Defensive Line: B+
Losing Smith in the season opener certainly didn’t help this group, but the “next man up” approach has gone their way. Missouri transfer Mekhi Wingo has been a major factor this season for the Tigers even if his statistics don’t show it.
With Wingo stepping in next to Jaquelin Roy, the interior of this defensive line has looked extremely poised. The two have made for a lethal duo while this unit has also received contributions from reserves as well.
READ MORE: Grading the Tigers' Offense Against Tennessee
On the outside, Ali Gaye and BJ Ojulari have been menaces for House’s defense. Ojulari has already earned the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Award two times on his way to a career year. For Gaye, he’s beginning to put it together and show out in his final season for the Tigers.
This unit has an A grade written all over them, but inconsistency against Tennessee, specifically in them allowing over 200 yards on the ground, is what has held them back. Look for this grade to be an A in the coming weeks.
Linebackers: B-
It’s difficult to grade this position group with such a wide variety of rotations being thrown out there. With Mike Jones Jr. seeing less playing time given the rise of true freshman Harold Perkins paired with Micah Baskerville beginning to emerge, it’s been an inconsistent approach from this unit.
Let’s talk about Perkins. The freakish athlete has done it all in his first six games for the Tigers, proving he isn’t just on his way to being a key piece to this defense, but rather he has already arrived. Leading the Tigers in tackles in two of his first four games, his ability to line up in a number of spots is what makes his versatility unmatched.
READ MORE: Harold Perkins - A Star in the Making
Consistency has come with Greg Penn III. The sophomore linebacker out of Baltimore has been a key contributor to this defense and will certainly play a major role as the season goes on.
All in all, with Penn, Baskerville, Perkins and Jones Jr. leading the way, this unit has star potential, but putting it all together throughout the back half of the season will be what makes them go from good to great.
Cornerbacks: B
It’s hard to be successful given this unit has only played six games together. With this entire position group being led by transfers, continuity is forming, but it isn’t quite there yet. Yes, the entire position group is led by transfers. Louisiana transfer Mekhi Garner, Oklahoma State transfer Jarrick Bernard-Converse, McNeese State transfer Colby Richardson and Ohio State transfer Sevyn Banks are what has made up this group with others emerging.
The Tigers’ highest graded corner through six games has been Garner. With extreme size and strength, he’s put it together rather quickly for this group.
This unit has the talent to be successful towards the backend of the season, but until they put it together, they’ll remain around that B grade.
READ MORE: LSU Secondary Just Scratching the Surface, Depth Emerging
Look for Garner and Bernard-Converse to get this cornerbacks room together before the season ends. The two leaders of this room have played well, but it’ll take a little more to handle the rest of this schedule.
Safeties: B-
A position group made up of Major Burns, Sage Ryan, Joe Foucha, Greg Brooks and Jay Ward, there’s been fluctuation in who is on the field at times. The most consistent defensive back for LSU this season has been Brooks, who has shown flashes of Tyrann Mathieu type tenacity in a few short games.
With Foucha and Brooks both transferring in from Arkansas, they certainly have chemistry together. Foucha returned to the starting lineup in Week 5 following a four game academic suspension, so it’ll take some time for him to get on the same page as the rest of these guys, but it should come together quickly for them.
Look for the pair of Arkansas transfers, along with Burns once he returns from injury, to be major pieces to the success of LSU’s defense. Limiting explosive plays and taking on more of a leadership role, this Tigers defense has all the tools to be ranked amongst the best in the country, and it's only a matter of time until it all comes together.
