Baker ready to evaluate safeties, prep for Clemson

By Hunt Palmer

As LSU fall camp commences at the end of the month, defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s eye will wander toward one position group early on.

“I think the safeties especially with AJ Haulcy coming in,” Baker told Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn on Off the Bench Tuesday morning. “Most of the guys we had through spring practice, so you have somewhat of an expectation for those guys going into fall camp…I’d say the safety position is what I’ll be the most interested in and seeing how those guys gel. It’s important to have such chemistry back there. We’ve been mixing and matching them this summer, and it’ll be an intriguing position battle.”

Head coach Brian Kelly bemoaned safety play multiple times during the 2024 season.

LSU surrendered huge touchdown runs against Nicholls and South Carolina early on. Ole Miss also struck for a 50-yard score on a fourth down play.

Jardin Gilbert returns, but Sage Ryan has transferred to Ole Miss. Dashawn Spears and Joel Rogers return as promising young players alongside Javien Toviano. Transfers Tamarcus Cooley (NC State) and AJ Haulcy are expected to make major impacts.

Cooley and Haulcy join of group of eight defensive transfers LSU has brought in to try to return the unit to a championship level. Last week at SEC Football Media Days in Atlanta, Kelly acknowledged to defensives struggles over the last two seasons but expressed optimism in the additions.

Baker echoed that sentiment.

“Throughout that entire process, you have to make it a fit for the culture, and all the guys…have been A+ and really fun,” Baker said. “We needed some upper classmen, to be honest with you, and these guys have come in humble and hungry. It’s been fun to watch the integration to the current players we have once they arrived. It’s been pretty seamless.”

Spring football was about tactical and technical work according to Kelly, but Baker admitted that some work was done to try to snap a streak of five consecutive season-opening defeats. With a major showdown with Clemson looming, LSU spent some time on Dabo Sweeney’s team.

“That last weekend of spring ball we started introducing Clemson and some other base plays and honestly some of their problem plays just to kind of get a look at what we think we might like going into fall camp,” Baker said. “Coach Kelly has been open to talk about it. It’s something that we’ve talked about without our guys throughout the spring and throughout the summer.”

Kelly’s three-year stint at LSU has produced some highs and lows. A Heisman Trophy and an SEC West title aren’t to be completely dismissed. However, the expectations exceed that in 2025, and Kelly has embraced that target. Dropping a fourth straight opener would be a massive roadblock in the path to the playoff.

When Kelly has made mistakes, he has worked to correct them externally and internally.

“I think that’s the coolest thing about Coach Kelly,” Baker said. “He’s always learning, always adapting. I think he does it year to year based on the opponents and who is on our current roster, and I think we have a very mature roster that can handle it. When you have a young team, sometimes you can build it up too much.”