Spring Practice Preview: Defensive Backs; New Tight-Ends Coach

FOOTBALL

LSU hired Steve Ensminger to coach tight-ends.  Ensminger is a former LSU quarterback and was a long time assistant at Auburn under former coach Tommy Tuberville.  He has coached tight-ends, quarterbacks, and has been an offensive coordinator at Clemson and Texas A&M. 

While I was hopeful for a young, energetic coach who could hit the recruiting trail hard, I will take a wait and see approach with Ensminger.  He has a lot of experience coaching offense in the SEC, and he has experience helping quarterbacks.  If he can help Jordan Jefferson take the next step, then it will be tough to criticize the hire. 


SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW:  DBs

Defensive backs coach Ron Cooper made great strides in his first season at LSU in 2009.  By and large, the secondary played very well, and they were much improved over the 2008 group.  LSU must replace free safety Chad Jones and cornerback Chris Hawkins.  While the cornerback positions seem relatively locked down, the safety positions are up for grabs. 

At one cornerback will be junior All-American Patrick Peterson (pictured).  Peterson is the ultimate NFL cornerback, and he has everything you look for.  Peterson seems to have a knack for making big plays as evidenced by his interception return for a touchdown against Mississippi State, his blocked field goal return for a touchdown against Ole Miss, and his interception that got stolen by the refs in Tuscaloosa.  Peterson needs to be a bit more disciplined though.  He was burned a few times in 2009 by gambling while looking for the big play or by being caught peeking into the backfield.  LSU needs an All-American effort from Peterson in 2010. 

While most thought that senior Jai Eugene would start at the other corner spot, he has apparently been moved to safety.  The reason Eugene made that move is due to the impressive play of freshman Morris Claiborne.  Claiborne impressed at fall camp last year and did so again during the bowl practices.  Claiborne played special teams in 2009 and a little mop up duty at cornerback.  We'll have to watch how he handles being the starter. 

The big thing to watch at cornerback is how the backups look because with Eugene at safety, LSU has very little depth.  The primary backups will be junior Ron Brooks and redshirt sophomore Ryan St. Julien.  Brooks has a bit more experience, and he has played both cornerback and safety, in addition to special teams.  Brooks has really excelled whenever he has been on the field.  St. Julien primarily played special teams in his first season of action.  He has good size, listed at 6'1" 180 pounds and as a former track star in high school, he's very athletic.  These two will be looking to make a statement that they should see the field. 

Reportedly, redshirt freshman Drayton Calhoun has moved back to defense and will work out at cornerback this spring.  Calhoun has plenty of speed, and is 6'0".  Once he acclimates to the position, the sky is the limit.  We'll hope to see some progressoin from him this spring. 

Walk-on Daniel Graff will continue to be a special teams standout while trying to earn some playing time on defense. 

In the fall, true freshmen Tryann Mathieu and Ronnie Vinson will join the mix at cornerback. 

Safety is a much bigger question mark. 

Junior Brandon Taylor started most of 2009 at strong safety, and he played fairly well.  Taylor finished the season with 41 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two interceptions.  For the most part, he tackled well.  I expect him to be even better in 2010 with a year of experience under his belt.  He has to be considered a front runner for one of the starting safety positions. 

With senior Jai Eugene (pictured) moving over from cornerback, he should be in the mix for playing time.  He's on the small side for a safety at 5'11" 180 pounds.  As far as cornerbacks go, Eugene was a sure tackler and was pretty physical.  He may be a pretty good fit at safety.  What I'm looking to see is whether Eugene is at safety to stay, whether he's doing some training for a nickel back position, or whether he's just doing some cross training. 

The guy I'll really have my eye on is sophomore safety Craig Loston.  Loston came to LSU as the top rated safety in the nation out of high school, but a hand injury shortened his freshman season.  He should be ready to go, and we'll have to see if he's ready to play a big role.  Loston is 6'2" and around 200 pounds. 

Junior Karnell Hatcher is another guy who has a lot of experience that will be trying to earn a starting position.  Hatcher has great size at 6'2" 205 pounds and is a very physical player.  He struggles a bit in coverage but is outstanding near the line of scrimmage. 

Junior Derrick Bryant has been a good special teams player for his first two seasons, and he'll try to get into the mix at safety as well.  Bryant has good range and is probably a better fit for free safety.  He started his career at cornerback, and he may practice at both positions. 

In the fall, true freshmen Sam Gibson, Eric Reid, and Tharold Simon will join the fold. 

Depth Chart:
CB
Peterson (Jr)
Claiborne (So)
Brooks (Jr)
St. Julien (Fr)
Graff (Sr)
Vinson (Fr)
Mathieu (Fr)

S
Taylor (Jr)
Hatcher (Jr)
Loston (So)
Eugene (Sr)
Bryant (Jr)
Reid (Fr)
Gibson (Fr)
Simon (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Linebackers; Some Football and Baseball Notes

FOOTBALL

Les Miles held a press conference on Wednesday in preparation for spring practice, which starts Friday.  While I've been speculating in my spring practice previews, Miles shed some light on some position changes that will take place this spring. 

In a very interesting move, Miles indicated that senior Jai Eugene would be working out at safety.  First and foremost, this is a testament to what the staff thinks about Morris Claiborne at cornerback.  It will be interesting to see if Eugene is just doing some cross training, whether he's actually practicing at nickel back, or whether he will be at safety to stay. 

As expected, former defensive end Chase Clement, will be working at tight-end. 

Former safety Rocky Duplessis will be working as a linebacker. 

Defensive linemen Pep Levingston and Michael Brockers will be working at defensive tackle. 

Drayton Calhoun will be giving cornerback another try.  He practiced last spring at cornerback before working at running back last fall. 

I've also heard that tight-end Deangelo Peterson may be moving back to wide reciever, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion.   We'll see where he practices once spring gets going. 

BASEBALL

LSU defeated McNeese State 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon.  Daniel Bradshaw started for LSU and pitched much better than he did over the weekend.  He only allowed two hits in three innings of work.  Lefty Chris Matulis then came in and pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to Matty Ott, who notched his second save of the year.  It's especially nice to see Matulis throwing well because I'm guessing the staff would love to use him to start mid-week games this year. 

Micah Gibbs broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with a solo home-run, his second on the season. 
SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW:  LBs

The addition of John Chavis to LSU's coaching staff did wonders for LSU's linebackers in 2009.  Players that underachieved in 2008 reached their full potential last year.  The player who improved the most was Kelvin Shephard, who returns as the leader of the group in 2010.  Chavis had the luxury of working with three seniors and one junior last year.  That luxury is gone this year.  Even though Sheppard returns, the rest of the linebacking crew is very inexperienced.  A look at the depth chart below shows a ton of youth. 

As mentioned, senior Kelvin Sheppard returns to lead the linebackers and to serve as a leader for the entire team.  Sheppard had one of the best seasons for a linebacker in the SEC last year, and he should land on several pre-season All-SEC teams heading into 2010.  A year ago, Sheppard led the team in tackles with 110 and also recorded 8.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception.  LSU absolutely needs him to be the rock in the middle of the defense again and to be honest, LSU will rely on Sheppard to make even more plays in 2010.  

Starting at one of the outside linebacker positions will likely be junior Ryan Baker, on the weak side replacing Perry Riley.  Baker has been a beast on special teams during his first two seasons on campus where he has also served as a reserve linebacker.  Baker's talent is evident.  He has great speed, and he hits with an attitude.  He's a bit on the small side at 6'0" and around 220 pounds.  I have little doubt that Baker will be able ot make some big plays behind the line of scrimmage.  But can he be consistent? 

John Chavis likes to have a very athletic linebacker playing on the strong side.  Last year, safety Harry Coleman moved into that role and had a fantastic season.  Another former safety, junior Stefoin Francois, seems to have the inside track on the strong side position at this point.  Francois has similar size as Coleman at 6'1" 210 pounds and similar skills.  I think he can really excel at this position, but the question is whether he's ready to be a full-time starter. 

While those three will likely enter spring as the starter, we will still see a whole lot of competition. 

Redshirt freshman Lamin Barrow reportedly turned quite a few heads during bowl practices.  He's developing nicely and will likely be Baker's back up on the weak side heading into spring. 

In the middle, look for redshirt freshman Kevin Minter to be the primary back up to Sheppard.  Minter has very good size at 6'1" 240 pounds.  He is a thumper and can mix it up with the big boys in the SEC.  Many have high hopes for Minter in the future, and it will be interesting to see how Minter plays this spring and in the fall in a back up role. 

Another redshirt freshman, Tahj Jones, will likely work at the strong side position behind Francois.  Jones came to LSU at only around 200 pounds but with lots of speed and athleticism.  I'm curious to see how he has filled out and whether he can compete physically as a linebacker in the SEC. 

Also competing at the strong side position will be a pair of converted safeties in redshirt freshmen Rocky Duplessis and Josh Johns.  Both guys have similar size and skills.  I've heard a little more noise about Johns looking good than Duplessis but I'm very anxious to see both this spring.  They are both very athletic and if they can fill out their frame, they could be play makers for the Tigers. 

Sophomore Kyle Prater will again try to make an impact this spring to earn playing time.  In his first two seasons on campus, Prater has yet to make any noise.  It will be interesting to see if he remains with the team next fall. 

In the fall, true freshmen Justin Maclin, Houston Bates, Luke Muncie, and D.J. Welter join the mix. 

Depth Chart:

WLB
Ryan Baker (Jr)
Lamin Barrow (Fr)
Kyle Prater (So)
Justin Maclin (Fr)
Luke Muncie (Fr)

MLB
Kelvin Sheppard (Sr)
Kevin Minter (Fr)
D.J. Welter (Fr)
Houston Bates (Fr)

SLB
Stefoin Francois (Jr)
Josh Johns (Fr)
Tahj Jones (Fr)
Rocky Duplessis (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Defensive Line

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW:  DL

Jarvis Green. Marcus Spears. Chad Lavalais. Marquise Hill. Kyle Williams. Claude Wroten. Glenn Dorsey. Tyson Jackson. The core of LSU’s success over the last 10 years was due to the outstanding players along the defensive line.  LSU won championships with great defenses, and those great defenses started up front. We haven’t seen the same caliber of defensive linemen over the last two seasons and not surprisingly, the team has not been as successful.


LSU has recruited well over the last three years, and they have a nice group of talented young players that will be looking to make their mark in 2010. Competition for playing time will be heated this spring.

Starting with the defensive tackles...

Senior Drake Nevis (pictured) returns as LSU’s most experienced player on the defensive line. Though he wasn’t a starter, Nevis was outstanding in 2009. He led all defensive linemen with 50 tackles, and he was the team leader with 11 tackles for loss. He also logged four sacks.  Nevis is explosive off the line of scrimmage and can frequently get into the backfield and disrupt plays.  Nevis could stand to be more consistent, especially against the run, but he's poised to have a big-time senior season.   He'll almost certainly start at one of the defensive tackle positions. 

Sophomore Josh Downs earned playing time as a true freshman in 2009, and he did fairly well.  Though undersized, Downs showed a great motor and an ability to rush the passer.  At around 275 pounds last year, he struggled with stopping the run.  I expect Downs will be a bit heavier this year in hopes to be an every down player.  He'll certainly be in the playing rotation, and he's a candidate to start alongside Nevis. 

Senior Pep Levingston started at defensive end in 2009 and performed adequately.  He will reportedly move inside to defensive tackle this season.  Levingston has played some defensive tackle for LSU in the past.  He mostly played inside as a reserve in 2008, and he played significantly in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Georgia Tech.   As a defensive end, Levingston is a legitimate SEC player but as a defensive tackle, he could be a real play maker.   One thing to watch this spring is where Levingston lines up and how he progresses if he's at defensive tackle. 

Redshirt freshman Chris Davenport came to LSU last year as a five star recruit.  However, a knee injury during his senior season caused him to be behind on his conditioning when he arrived at LSU and he redshirted as a result.   Davenport is a massive space-eating type of defensive tackle than can occupy blockers and free up the linebackers to make plays.  He was listed at 6'4" 320 pounds last year, and he's very athletic for someone his size.  He'll be counted on to contribute in 2010, and it will be important to observe his progress this spring. 

Redshirt freshman Bennie Logan was widely considered one of the steals in the Class of 2009.  Originally recruited as a defensive end, Logan has grown and will reportedly move to tackle this spring.  His skill set is very similar to Pep Levingston as a guy that could play either end or tackle.  He'll be competing in efforts to earn some playing time in 2010. 

Now, on to the defensive ends...

Sophomore Lavar Edwards (pictured) played a good bit as a reserve in 2009, and he was awfully impressive.  With limited playing time, Edwards logged two and a half sacks and four and a half tackles for loss to go along with 23 tackles.  He has ideal size for a defensive end at 6'4" 265 pounds.  I think Edwards is a lock to start at defensive end, and I think he's poised for a bit of a breakout season.  He's my early favorite to be the surprise player of the year on defense and maybe on the whole team. 

Another sophomore, Chancey Aghayere, also played a good bit as a reserve last year.  He wasn't quite as impressive as Edwards, but he performed admirably for a young player.  Aghayere may not ever be among the SEC leaders in sacks, but he looks to be a very solid player.  He's squarely in the mix to compete for a starting position opposite Edwards. 

Competing with Aghayere will likely be redshirt freshman Mike Brockers.  Brockers is a big defensive end in the mold of Marquise Hill or Tyson Jackson.  Listed at 6'6" 285 pounds, Brockers carries his weight very well and is unusually nimble for such a big guy.  He really impressed the coaching staff last year, and he's expected to play a good bit in 2010.  There's some talk that Brockers could make the move inside to defensive tackle, so that's something to watch. 

Junior College transfer Ken Adams will jump into the mix in efforts to get on the field.  Adams was highly sought after by Auburn, Tennessee and others.  He has good size at 6'5" 250 pounds, and he'll be counted on to rush the passer.  It will be interesting to see how Adams stacks up during his first spring practice. 

Redshirt freshman Sam Montgomery brings something different to the table.  Montgomery has a ton of athleticism and he can really, really rush the passer.  Listed at 240 pounds on last year's roster, I'm curious to see if Montgomery has put on any weight.  240 is probably not big enough to be an every down defensive lineman in the SEC, but he's not too far off from being where he needs to be.  In my opinion, Montgomery has more potential than anyone else at his position on the team and I'm excited about his future. 

Similar to Montgomery, former linebacker Barkevious Mingo is a guy who needs to put on some weight.  Mingo came to LSU as a linebacker but has since been moved to defensive end, and he is a terror rushing off the edge.  He was much lighter than Montgomery, so he has a longer way to go before seeing the field.  He could see some time as a situational pass rusher in 2010. 

In the fall, defensive tackle J.C. Copeland as well as defensive ends Jordan Allen and Ego Ferguson will join the mix. 

Here's a shot at a depth chart:

Depth Chart:

DT
Nevis (Sr)
Downs (So)
Levingston (Jr)
Davenport (Fr)
Logan (Fr)
Copeland (Fr)

DE
Edwards (So)
Aghayere (So)
Brockers (Fr)
Adams (Jr)
Montgomery (Fr)
Mingo (Fr)
Ferguson (Fr)
Allen (Fr)