LSU Run Defense

[Eckwood43]

FOOTBALL - SPRING CAMP REVIEW: RUN DEFENSE
Fourth in a series

LSU's defense was overwhelming in virtually every respect last year, and based on the show the Tigers put on in the spring it shouldn't be a surprise if 2004 offers more of the same. But based on some rather heavy personnel losses in the front seven, if there's a question about the stop troops it's run defense.

Not that the Tigers are lean talent-wise up front, mind you. That certainly isn't the case; in fact, no team in the nation can boast a trio of front-seven players with as much past production as Marcus Spears, Kyle Williams and Lionel Turner bring to the table for LSU. Spears gave off the look of a fully-developed superstar at left defensive end in the spring, getting sacks and TFL's pretty much whenever he wanted against the second offense and getting the upper hand on a future NFL tackle in Nate Livings as often as not when working against the first team.

As for Williams, he appears ready to come into his own this year. The Ruston native is a chiseled 295 pounds, his motor never stops running, he's cat-quick into the backfield and he's extremely difficult to push off the ball. He looks like he could emerge as the alarming-type player in the interior that Chad Lavalais was last year.

Of course, Turner came on at the end of the season last year and might actually have been LSU's most effective player. He made sacks, he picked off passes, he plugged the middle and he began quarterbacking the defense - something head coach Nick Saban was looking for. As a senior, the 6-2, 257-pounder should be a finished product and a relatively hot candidate for postseason honors.

Another asset along the Tiger front seven is Cameron Vaughn, who has added weight and now checks in at 235 or so. Vaughn looked a bit more physical in the spring and seems to have a better feel than he had last year. He didn't play a tremendous amount though he was listed as a starter, owing to the fact that Eric Alexander was the second linebacker and Vaughn came out when the Tigers went to a nickel defense. This year, Vaughn moves up into the No. 2 spot, and he'll have an opportunity to break out.

The other three positions in the front seven are still open at this point, but it looks like there are several options at each one. At the right tackle position, for example, it appears Saban found a potential star in JC transfer Claude Wroten. The 6-3, 300-pounder has a terrific first step and is extremely active against the run. Consistency is the only issue confronting Wroten, but he basically just showed up and he's still a rookie. One gets the impression that Saban and the rest of his coaching staff are very excited about what he'll bring to the table in the fall.

Wroten split time at right tackle with Melvin Oliver in the spring, but Oliver's real home appears to be at right end. The junior has made a name for himself as a pass rusher thus far, but it appears he's improved against the run. Oliver is a playmaker whose quickness and tenacity are his greatest assets, but he's being pinched at both ends in LSU's position battles - specifically due to the fact that sophomore Kirston Pittman is coming on like gangbusters as a defensive end. Pittman hasn't yet moved Oliver out of the mix; as of right now Wroten starts at right tackle and Oliver at right end in running situations, and Oliver slides down to tackle and Pittman comes in at end when it's time to rush the passer.

Depth along the defensive line is a little bit of an issue. The Tigers seem pretty well set with that first five of Spears, Williams, Wroten, Oliver and Pittman, and Brian West is another high-quality player as a defensive end as well. Beyond that, however, the line is long on potential and short on production. Sophomore Alonzo Manuel and redshirt freshman Sean Merrill had their moments in fighting for the No. 2 spot at left end behind Spears, while soph Carnell Stewart currently has the fourth defensive tackle spot. Saban expressed concern about depth behind the threesome of Williams, Wroten and Oliver, though, so Stewart has some developing to do. Strange, then, that Brandon Washington moved from defensive tackle to offensive line in the spring; though Washington apparently will still play defense in short-yardage and goal line situations.

Sophomore Ryan Willis showed flashes moving from end to tackle in the spring, but Willis is undersized to say the least at 6-3, 265. If he can add weight the Holy Cross product might be able to challenge Stewart for the fourth tackle spot. Redshirt freshman Jarrod Carter, who hasn't made a move for playing time yet, is also available.

Much of the story on the defensive line has not yet been told, however, as LSU will welcome six newcomers into the mix when August rolls around. It's hard to imagine that none of the three among the highly-rated trio of Glenn Dorsey, Marlon Favorite and Charles Alexander would be good enough to push for playing time at tackle, and Tyson Jackson, Tim Washington and Trumaine Johnson are all good enough to push Merrill, West and Manuel for action with the second unit.

That leaves the final position on the front seven - Sam Linebacker. Eric Alexander was such a vital part of the LSU defense last year and made so many plays that on the surface it would seem he's going to be extremely difficult to replace. And further, with the additional loss of Jason Ledoux, Dave Peterson and Adrian Mayes to graduation LSU is without any of the backups who saw action last year. So the Sam is going to be green this fall, whoever it is.

It could be that raw talent might overcome a lack of experience here. True freshman Ali Highsmith, a midyear addition, grabbed a hold on the Sam spot in spring camp and seems to have the eye of the coaching staff. Highsmith didn't really do a lot that we saw in the three spring scrimmages, but there's no doubt the Miami product can run like a safety. That was one of the attractions Alexander and Mayes, who were both converted safeties, brought to the table. One would think using Highsmith's 4.55 speed on the blitz would be a productive endeavor.

There's a good deal of talent available in reserve at linebacker. Redshirt freshman Darius Ingram is a physical 235 pounds with speed and can play a number of positions. Sophomore Willie Demps has emerged as a solid backup at the Mike spot. Redshirt freshman Dominic Cooper saw his action curtailed in the spring by a bum ankle, but if he's healthy in the fall it might not be a surprise if the cat-quick, lanky New Orleans product actually mounts a serious challenge to Highsmith for the Sam job. Junior Ken Hollis can play Sam and Mike, and he has terrific athletic ability and can translate that into making plays. And of course, senior Dorsett Buckels is a decent backup who will mostly play special teams. Ditto for junior Philip Maxwell.

The recruiting class should affect the linebacking corps as well. JC transfer E.J. Kuale, who some thought was the best JUCO linebacker in the country, could have really helped himself if he'd managed to get eligible to come in as a midyear addition. Kuale has already redshirted, so that option is not on the table. If he's as good as billed, it might not be a surprise to see him dislodging Highsmith at the Sam. If not, perhaps freshman blue-chippers Luke Sanders or Matt Stoltz might - though Stoltz looks like a perfect fit for duty as a Mike linebacker. Quinn Johnson and Harry Coleman are solid sleepers from smaller high schools who will likely redshirt, though Coleman might sit out the fall for academic eligibility reasons and might end up at strong safety in any event

[Eckwood43]

LSU FOOTBALL - SPRING CAMP REVIEW: RUNNING GAME

While the quarterback situation and the passing game overall might be a bit unsettled, one thing about LSU's offense seems abundantly clear at this point - opposing teams had better bring their "A" game if they want to stop the Tigers from running the ball at will.

LSU history isn't exactly replete with offenses capable of running wild on opponents without balancing the attack with a liberal dose of a passing game, and in the SEC it's usually fairly difficult to just line up and cram the ball down the other team's throat. That having been said, the collection of assets the Tiger running game has at its disposal is perhaps greater this year than in any season in memory.

Start with the tailbacks. LSU simply has an embarrassment of riches in the backfield, boasting no less than five players who would be expected to start for most of the teams in the SEC. In Justin Vincent, a 1,000-yard rusher as a freshman last season despite opening the campaign as a third-stringer, the Tigers have a feature back who will likely rank among the nation's most celebrated. Vincent has the speed, moves, strength and vision to rush for another 1,000 yards in 2004; the only real question is whether he'll get enough carries to amass the numbers he's capable of.

Why would this be a problem for Vincent? Two words - Alley Broussard. The sophomore from Lafayette lost 15 pounds and had a phenomenal spring camp, so much so that it now doesn't seem improbable that Broussard might join Vincent as a 1,000-yard rusher. He's an absolute load to bring down, and with his slimmer figure Broussard now has the burst through the line and the acceleration in the open field to become a breakaway runner.

The Vincent-Broussard combination looks like it will compare favorably to other fabled duos in LSU history like Dalton Hilliard and Garry James, Kevin Faulk and Rondell Mealey and LaBrandon Toefield and Domanick Davis. Thing is, behind the sophomore pair is a trio of others who could be feature backs in their own right.

Joseph Addai, who moonlighted as a wide receiver in the spring and produced some nice results, looks like he'll continue the third-down back role he assumed at the end of last year. Addai is a solid choice for that job; he's the best of LSU's backs in pass protection, he has excellent hands out of the backfield and his running style is well-suited to the draw plays a third-down back gets to run. But hidden among all the other strong efforts in the spring was Shyrone Carey's outstanding performance. Carey, like Broussard, shed some excess weight and gained some added acceleration. He's a slippery runner who can be a terrific change-of-pace back for LSU, and it's expected he'll see some action as a kickoff return man as well as occasionally sharing the punt return duties with Skyler Green.

Of course, sophomore Barrington Edwards gets lost among the other four - but Edwards had a good spring as well. The Maryland native has a terrific combination of size, speed, moves and hands, and he has as much big-play potential as any of the others. Edwards needs to continue developing his work ethic and become more consistent, but for the most part all this guy needs is an opportunity. Most of what he'll get a chance to do this year will be running down on special teams, though - a role fellow sophomore Jason Spadoni is probably destined for as well.

At fullback, LSU has Kevin Steltz as a pure lead blocker, David Jones as a receiving threat and Shawn Jordan as a combination of the two, plus a potential ballcarrier as well. The Tigers will likely use the fullbacks more this year than last season owing to a renewed emphasis on the ground game, though much of that could be Jones playing an "H-Back" position with Keith Zinger occupying the tight end spot. Either way, the Tigers have as much talent here as anybody in the country.

With Marcus Randall set to open fall camp as the starter, LSU has even another weapon in the running game. Randall is as good a running quarterback as LSU has had - he's stronger and faster than Herb Tyler was, though his decision-making in running the option might not quite be as effective. It's not expected that offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher will ask his quarterbacks to run the ball as much as in, say, 2002, but Randall can be highly effective when Fisher chooses to use him. Having a dangerous running threat like Skyler Green at wide receiver adds another dimension to the ground game that defenses must prepare for.

Most of what LSU does in the running game will work not just because of the people carrying the football, but because of an offensive line which has no less than three high-level NFL prospects on it. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has been thought of as a potential first-round draft pick for some time now, and he'll likely be one of the top three-rated offensive linemen in the SEC. Couple Whitworth with an All-SEC-quality center in Ben Wilkerson, and the anchors of the line are as good as any in the country.

But in the spring, junior Nate Livings moved from left guard to right tackle - and that move was probably the most productive of any the Tigers made. Livings has tremendous size at 6-5, 325, great feet, a nasty disposition and outstanding athleticism. His pro stock is probably not far off that of Whitworth or Wilkerson, and it isn't inconceivable that this might be Livings' final season.

With steady, solid junior Rudy Niswanger moving in to lock down the left guard spot, the only position still unsettled on the line is right guard, where sophomore Brian Johnson appears to have nosed ahead of junior Terrell McGill. McGill, who apparently has run into some off-the-field problems arising from a fight he was in over the weekend, has unlimited potential but for whatever reason hasn't harnessed it yet. If he can get those issues behind him, the Miami product could really solidify the line at the right guard spot. If not, Johnson is more than capable of getting the job done.

Depth on the line has become a strength. Redshirt freshman Will Arnold had a good spring despite nursing a sprained ankle in the last week of camp, and Arnold is capable of backing up either guard spot (or maybe even pushing his way into the right guard position). Sophomore Garrett Wibel, also a guard, made some nice progress in the spring. Sophomore Doug Planchard is solid behind Wilkerson at center, while sophomores Paris Hodges and Peter Dyakowski are adequate backups at right and left tackle, respectively. But junior Brandon Washington, who moved over from defensive tackle, has the potential to be a real asset at one of the tackle positions. Washington is tremendously strong and appears to have tremendous potential as a drive blocker; he just needs to learn some pass protection technique. A year as an understudy behind Whitworth and Livings should prepare him to emerge as a starter in 2005.

It's not altogether impossible for one of the recruits to make an impact. In Ryan Miller and Herman Johnson, LSU recruited two of the biggest (in more ways than one) offensive line stars in the country, and both look capable of seizing whatever opportunities for playing time may exist, especially at tackle. Center Max Holmes and guard Brett Helms look a bit more like potential redshirts, particularly due to the mass of people ahead of them.

[Eckwood43]

LSU: PASSING GAME

Rather than offer a blow-by-blow account of Saturday's Spring Game, we figured it might be better to split this week up into sections and talk about a different area of football each day. So today's installment is the passing game, since all anybody wants to know is who the quarterback is going to be.

The answer is Marcus Randall - at least for now. Randall isn't as good as Matt Mauck was last year, but he probably doesn't have to be. With the offensive line and running backs LSU has to work with (see tomorrow's Wire), Randall's main job will be to (a) not drop the snap, (b) not pull away from center in a direction opposite where the play is going and (c) not fumble the handoff. If those three things can be successfully accomplished, at least two-thirds of the Tiger offense will work just fine.

When LSU does pass, though, Randall - or Jamrcus Russell, who looks like a pretty clear choice as the second-string quarterback after outperforming Matt Flynn in the spring game - has enough weapons to be productive. Skyler Green looks ready to emerge as the Second Coming Of Josh Reed that everybody has been touting him for since arriving at LSU, and Dwayne Bowe has now come on as a strong candidate to assume the mantle of the big receiver who goes over the middle and makes tough catches.

Finding a third receiver is going to be interesting in the fall. So far, it looks a little like Buster Davis has that job, and at times he shows off some excellent potential - there's no doubt Davis will be a good one at LSU before he's through. But in the fall, Davis will have to hold off...

1. What should be a healthy Amp Hill, who was ahead of both Bowe and Davis before he hurt his knee last fall;
2. All-everything recruit Early Doucet;
3. All-everything recruit Xavier Carter;
4. Cornerback Corey Webster, who looked terrific moonlighting as a wide receiver in the spring and who head coach Nick Saban said could be as helpful playing wide receiver this year as he thought Clayton could have been as a defensive back in 2003;
5. Track star and sometimes-wide receiver Bennie Brazell, who if he could hold on to the ball gives LSU an unbelievable weapon in the downfield passing game with near-Olympic speed; and
6. Joseph Addai, who like Webster moonlighted as a receiver in the spring and who like Webster was impressive. Addai offers an interesting combination of good hands, nice speed and a sturdy 215-pound frame, and the idea of putting him in the slot in three-wide receiver sets is thought-provoking to say the least. Think about it - you're an opposing defensive coordinator, and you're faced with Bowe and Green on the edges and Addai in the slot along with David Jones lining up as the tight end. You've got to match up your nickel back on either Jones or Addai, and with either matchup you're likely to be at a huge size disadvantage. The temptation would be to put the strong safety on Addai and maybe put a linebacker on Jones, but we know from last year that's a bad idea. Not to mention the major matchup problems you'll already have with a 6-3, 215-pounder in Bowe sitting on the flank.

Personnel-wise, LSU seems to have all it needs in the passing game. They can even mix and match with Jones and Keith Zinger at tight end to meet whatever situation arises - Jones played a lot of fullback in the spring, but when it's time to pass he's the likely choice to line up at tight end or even spend time in the slot himself.

But the key will be the trigger man. Right now, even with what looks like a Randall-Russell-Flynn hierarchy in place, it's impossible to say whether LSU has what it needs. Good news is that the passing game won't have to carry this team by any means

[Eckwood43]

LSU: SPECIAL TEAMS

Ig there's an overall area where LSU fans can truly have some concern, it seems to be in the kicking game. After all, the Tigers lose Donnie Jones, a seventh-round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks, and that creates a major void at punter. And though most of the other principals on the LSU special teams are back, that doesn't necessarily translate into the dominating unit Nick Saban is looking for.

Replacing Jones is paramount, but at this point it migh not be easy. Redshirt freshman Patrick Fisher, a highly-rated recruit in the 2003 signing class, has potential. But Fisher's consistency has been something of a problem, and he has a tendency to kick line drives. Fisher emerged as the starting punter ahead of sophomore Chris Jackson, but he'll have to fight off a challenge from incoming freshman Brady Dalfrey, a walk-on from Carencro who many think can be a terrific college punter. Either way, somebody needs to emerge as a punter who can generate some hang time. One of the biggest strengths LSU had last year was their ability to get down in coverage and smother the opposing punt returner, thereby controlling field position. If the punter is outkicking his coverage with line drives all day, even with some truly outstanding athletes running down in punt coverage that might not be so much of a strength this fall.

The placekicking situation looks a lot like it did last year. Jackson had a little better spring than fellow sophomore Ryan Gaudet, though the latter has added some strength to his leg and looked pretty good as a kickoff man in the spring game and some of the scrimmages. Neither looks like a truly reliable field-goal kicker just yet, which if LSU is going to be a pure running team might be a problem.

The good news in the special teams is that LSU has the bulk of its return game back from last year. If Skyler Green isn't the most dangerous return man in all of college football, we'd like to know who is. Green could be worth four or five touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns this year, and he has an able understudy in Shyrone Carey - LSU might even have some returns where both are on the field at the same time, which could cause all kinds of problems. Carey could join Green on kickoff returns as well, though guys like Corey Webster, Bennie Brazell, Amp Hill, Xavier Carter and Ronnie Prude might also be good options. LSU should be a very difficult team to defend in the return game.

All in all, special teams will probably still be a strength. But with Jones' departure and the persistent lack of an emergent placekicker, that strength might not be quite so pronounced.

[Eckwood43]

LSU: PASS DEFENSE

While there might be a question here and there about some of LSU's other areas, there's absolutely, positively no doubt about this one. The words "embarrassment of riches" could not possibly begin to describe the talent pool in Nick Saban's secondary.

Specifically at cornerback. While most teams, even most good teams, struggle to find two quality cover men, LSU appears to have SEVEN capable of playing in this league - including a pair of unquestioned All-Americans in Corey Webster and Travis Daniels, a pair of potential honors candidates behind them in Mario Stevenson and Ronnie Prude, an emerging young star in Nick Child, who was brilliant in the spring game, and an outstanding pair of athletes in Jonathan Zenon and Daniel Francis. Nobody else in the country has this much talent at cornerback.

Webster and Daniels were the best pair of cornerbacks in the country last year (between them they broke up 50 passes for the season, which is a lot more than most entire teams), although they didn't get the recognition they deserved until the duo shut down Oklahoma's passing game in the Sugar Bowl. This year that will likely change, as all the preseason publications are likely to push them on all the All-America checklists.

One of the things which helped Webster and Daniels to such a great extent last year, though, was the rock-solid play of Randall Gay as the nickel man. Now that Gay is in camp with the New England Patriots, it's up to Stevenson and Prude to fill that "Star," or nickel back, role. Prude made five starts last year before Daniels overtook him, and though he had some ups and downs it was still pretty obvious that he was a capable corner in this league. But Prude, who has gained weight and now checks in around 190, might be relegated to the "Money," or dime back, spot - because Stevenson came on like gangbusters in the spring after transferring from Northeast Mississippi JC, and it appears he's going to be the Star.

Stevenson brings some size and "physicality" to the table. At 6-2, 200 pounds with the speed to cover just abgout anybody, he also seemed to be a quick study as both a corner and as a nickel back. When Webster and Daniels are gone after this season, Stevenson is going to be the next guy hyped as an All-American.

At safety, sophomores LaRon Landry and Jesse Daniels are firmly ensconced. Landry was a freshman phenom as the free safety last year, putting his tremendous natural ability to good use and becoming a consistent playmaker in the secondary. Landry developed into a rock-solid tackler despite weighing in at only 180 pounds last year and did a nice job in the free safety spot despite not completely knowing what he was doing. Now, Landry has added about 15 pounds and has become a student of the game, so much so that he's the guy who will serve as the quarterback of LSU's defense - a role Jack Hunt filled as the strong safety last year. Landry could be ready for stardom - that is, if the guys in front of him aren't making all the plays before he gets a chance to.

Jesse Daniels plugs in to Hunt's strong safety spot, and in doing so he gives the Tigers a bigger, stronger and faster player who has better cover skills to handle the receivers in the slot. Daniels might not have the kind of command of LSU's defensive scheme than Hunt did, but given Landry's assumption of that role it might not matter. There's no reason to expect anything other than rock-solid play from the strong safety spot.

Depth at safety is something of an issue, but given the presence of Stevenson and Prude, Travis Daniels' ability to move to either safety position at the drop of a hat and the steady progress of sophomore Keron Gordon as the backup free safety, if injuries were to hit there it wouldn't cripple LSU's defense.

Gordon, a converted corner who could still stand to pick up another 10 pounds on his 6-1, 174-pound frame, has good speed and ball skills. He's a bit shaky as a tackler, but as a backup free safety the Tampa product isn't bad. At strong safety LSU has walkons Greg Hercules, a senior, and Joe Lawrence, a freshman who is actually four years older than Hercules (figure that one out). Both were OK, not great, in the spring. Hercules has adequate speed, nice size at 6-1, 195 and a little experience, mostly as a special-teams guy. Lawrence, a former Major League baseball player, has the makings of a bigger, faster Jack Hunt. But a knee injury suffered at the end of the spring could slow his progress.

The arrival of Craig Steltz and Curtis Taylor in the fall should bolster LSU's depth at safety, though as said above the wealth of players at cornerback can compensate for whatever needs the Tigers find themselves in.

Of course, the ability of Webster and Travis Daniels to shut down opposing receivers means LSU will once again blitz like crazy, and with the front seven having a slightly smaller/quicker look to it with Ali Highsmith plugging in for Eric Alexander at the Sam linebacker and the ability to play pass-rush specialists Melvin Oliver and Kirston Pittman at the same time on the right side of the defensive line, one item to look for with the 2004 team is a school record for sacks. The Tigers are likely to conduct an assault on opposing quarterbacks never before seen in Tiger Stadium.