Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
LSU’s defense has smothered all three opponents on the schedule thus far.
The Tigers have forced six turnovers and allowed three touchdowns. One of those came late in a 23-0 ballgame.
The production has been exceptional, but the depth has been as impressive when looking at snap counts and a pair of disqualifications.
Take the defensive front. LSU has played eight defensive linemen between 118 and 63 of the 196 defensive snaps.
Patrick Payton’s 118 snaps lead the way and are only 60% of the 196 snaps the Tiger defense has been on the field. Dominick McKinley has the second most snaps at tackle, and he hasn’t even played half of LSU’s total defensive plays.
For reference, Mekhi Wingo played 821 of 962 snaps in 2022. That’s 85%! That season Jaquelin Roy played 70% of the snaps right beside him.
Maason Smith missed the opener of the 2023 season due to a suspension. In the final 12 games of that season, he played 69% of LSU’s defensive snaps.
Bernard Gooden’s 61% workload through three games is significantly less. The guys behind Gooden aren’t even in the same zip code as 69 and 70%.
EDGE (Snap Count) Percentage of Snaps
- Patrick Payton (118) 61%
- Jack Pyburn (115) 59%
- Gabriel Reliford (82) 42%
- Jimari Butler (74) 39%
TACKLE (Snap Count) Percentage of Snaps
- Bernard Gooden (117) 61%
- Dominick McKinley (86) 45%
- Jacobian Guillory (71) 37%
- Ahmad Breaux (63) 33%
- Walter Mathis (25) 13%
Then, you look to the linebacker corps which lost Whit Weeks for an entire game on Saturday. Davhon Keys, who started four games last year, was the next man up. He led LSU with 14 tackles coming off the bench.
When AJ Haulcy had to sit the first half against Clemson, Jardin Gilbert moved back from his new STAR spot to safety. He’s started 23 games at the SEC level. LSU didn’t miss a beat. Dashawn Spears is the third or fourth safety who is being used in a dime role. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Week last week.
Ashton Stamps has started 17 games at LSU. He’s currently the fourth cornerback behind Mansoor Delane, PJ Woodland and DJ Pickett. Should LSU need a reserve cornerback moving forward, they will turn to an extremely seasoned player.
The talent level has certainly been elevated on the defensive side of the ball. The players have all suggested Blake Baker’s system has been easier to digest and execute in year two.
The depth, though, has been every bit as impressive as the talent and the execution. Injuries and ejections are going to happen over the course of a 12-game season that LSU hopes extends north of 13 games.
This unit has shown early that it can rotate freely now with the flexibility of dealing with some attrition when it inevitably comes.
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