LSU Pass Rush Continues to Set the Standard Across College Football

The Tiger pass rush has rapidly become one of the best in the nation this season

Ethan Currie - LSU Tigers On SI

LSU football has been setting the tone defensively through the first four games of the 2026 season.

The Tigers currently lead the nation in sacks with 19, continuing a dominant start to the season for Blake Baker's defense. LSU entered its matchup with Texas A&M leading the country with 14 sacks before adding four more in a 35-6 demolition of the Aggies.

From established pass rushers to emerging young talent, LSU's pass rush has become one of the biggest strengths of the Tigers' 2026 campaign.

Multiple Players Making an Impact

Ethan Currie - LSU Tigers On SI

LSU's sack numbers haven't been built around one player.

Senior edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen has been the headliner after transferring to Baton Rouge from Ole Miss, where he recorded nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2025. Umanmielen entered the Texas A&M game leading the nation with six sacks and added another against the Aggies.

The Tigers have also gotten production from freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geralds, who has already shown why LSU was excited to bring him into the program.

Geralds was one of the nation's top defensive tackle prospects coming out of Collins Hill High School, where he recorded 16 sacks as a senior. He has already shown flashes of that same disruptive ability in Baton Rouge.

But it hasn't just been Umanmielen and Geralds.

LSU opened the season with 12 sacks through two games, with Umanmielen accounting for five of them. Against Louisiana Tech, Umanmielen recorded three sacks by himself, while the Tigers continued to generate pressure throughout the 45-14 victory.

Then came Texas A&M.

LSU added five more sacks and held Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed to just 106 passing yards. Safety Tamarcus Cooley also got involved, bringing Reed down for an 11-yard loss in the third quarter before later intercepting him.

The variety is what makes the production stand out.

Pressure Comes From All Over

Nov 29, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Louisiana State Tigers defensive back A.J. Haulcy (13) and Louisiana State Tigers safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) react during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tigers' pass rush isn't limited to their defensive line.

Cooley's sack against Texas A&M was another reminder that LSU can create pressure from the secondary, while the depth along the defensive front gives the Tigers several different players capable of getting into the backfield.

That was already evident during the first two games of the season.

LSU recorded 12 sacks against Clemson and Louisiana Tech while also leading the nation in total defense at 142.0 yards allowed per game through those two contests. The Tigers were also second nationally in rush defense at that point, allowing only 18.0 rushing yards per game.

The production has continued as the competition has changed.

After LSU's two early wins, the Tigers went on the road and suffered their first loss of the season at Ole Miss. Even in the 32-24 defeat, LSU's defense remained one of the better units on the field before responding with its dominant performance against Texas A&M.

Now sitting at 19 sacks through four games, LSU is averaging nearly sacks per game.

That pace will be difficult to maintain over an entire season, but the way the Tigers have gotten there provides reason to believe the pass rush is more than a short-term hot streak.

Umanmielen gives LSU an established edge presence. Geralds provides another disruptive option from the interior. Other defensive linemen continue to rotate into the front, while players like Cooley can create pressure from the secondary.

For LSU, that depth could be the biggest reason the pass rush continues to be a problem for opposing offenses.

The Tigers have already shown they can get after quarterbacks.

Now, with the national sack lead in hand, LSU has a chance to make its pass rush one of the defining characteristics of the 2026 season.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.