LSU Football Lands Signing From Top Louisiana Prospect Maason Smith

LSU landed one of its biggest targets Wednesday afternoon when Terrebonne defensive tackle Maason Smith committed and signed with Ed Orgeron and company.

Smith is one Louisiana’s top prospects and top remaining interior defensive linemen in the 2021 class. With 15 players officially signed, the count now lies at 22 prospects either signed or committed to the program.

The program lost longtime defensive line commitment Keanu Koht early this morning so landing Smith became all the more important. LSU also has Louisiana defensive lineman Saivion Jones committed as well as Texas signee Landon Jackson.

A high priority talent for many years, Smith has been on campus many times over the last several months. Smith is also an SI99 prospect and adds to an already extremely impressive haul for the Tigers this season.

Smith said after the decision went public that it was very difficult to pick LSU over Georgia, Miami and Alabama but that he ultimately made the choice this morning.

There may not be a 2021 prospect with a higher ceiling than Smith. The massive defensive tackle already displayed major improvement from 2019 to 2020, and he still possesses plenty of room to improve.

For a full breakdown of Smith’s stellar film, click here.

Here is Smith’s SI All-American recruiting profile:

Frame: Good length and big hands. Wears weight well with a fairly flat stomach and midsection. Has noticeable hips and backside.

Athleticism: Heavy-handed big man with natural strength and power. Fair to use upper-body length to his advantage. Can punch and place blockers on skates. Decent agility behind the line of scrimmage in the chase phase. Has enough athleticism to impact throwing lanes with his mitts and leap timing when he can’t get home.

Instincts: Solid hand placement accuracy with a quick 2-hand punch to breastplate inside. Can sit and anchor versus base blocks in the run game. Good eyes versus run with quick scheme-read ability. Alert for cross keys and interior pulls. Solid mesh-point vision in traffic upon line of scrimmage entry. Forces will in the initial rush with size and stays under control for a big body.

Polish: Hand usage is built around swim move versus run and pass. He also has the ability to bull rush. Needs to add variety to his mitts. Size and strength compensate for average snap quickness. Inconsistent point-of-attack explosiveness. Gets a good fit and wrap on ball carriers, though he is a high-striker at collision points. Should be ready to contribute on early downs early in his college career.

Bottom Line: Smith currently plays as a 4i/LDE in a 3-man front. He relies heavily on his size, strength and a quick swim to make plays. An imposing figure, Smith must continue improving his snap quickness and acquire more variety in his hand usage. Smith projects best as a 0-technique in a defense with an odd front with 2-gap principles where he can man both A-gaps.