LSU has had one of the most electric offenses in college football in recent years in 2023.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy leading an electric group that featured a pair of first-round receivers in Malik Nabers It is Brian Thomas Jr. But despite this group being able to score at will, one of LSU’s preseason top-five teams finished just 10-3 and failed to repeat as SEC West champions.
If you watched that team, the reason for this is no mystery. The defense was abysmal in 2023 and proved particularly vulnerable against the pass. This group could improve in 2024 with a new defensive coordinator Blake Bakerbut after adding just one key transfer in Gilbert Gardenwhich should start at safety, the Tigers are really banking on development in the secondary.
In a team with many questions, the the pass defense was called the greatest by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
The Tigers ranked 118th in the FBS last year in pass defense, allowing 255.6 yards per game, prompting coach Brian Kelly to overhaul his defensive coaching staff in his third season at LSU. Kelly hired defensive coordinator Blake Baker from Missouri and brought back highly respected secondary coach Corey Raymond.
Seeing receivers open in the spring game must be concerning, but the Tigers feel progress has been made during the spring. LSU expects Major Burns to be more comfortable at the hybrid star position, which will put him closer to the line of scrimmage, and Sage Ryan played better after moving from cornerback to strong safety.
Only time will tell how much the offseason resolved the issues, but even with the optimism surrounding LSU’s 2024 offense with quarterback Garrett Nussmeierthe defense looks like it could be a limiting factor once again.
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