Youth is all the rage this season on an LSU defensive line that returns two seniors to the trenches.
The LSU defensive line is working through some major turnover after losing several standouts from the last couple of seasons.
The Tigers have had success in recent years replacing quality players on the defensive line. Defensive linemen Glenn Dorsey in 2008 and Tyson Jackson in 2009 were both selected in the top-five in the NFL draft.
This year is no different as the Tigers have to find a way to replace the senior leadership of departed defensive end Rahim Alem and defensive tackles Charles Alexander and Al Woods.
Lazarius ‘Pep’ Levingston, one of the line’s two returning seniors, has taken lessons learned from previous star LSU defensive linemen to impart on the young lineman this season.
“I tell the younger guys to pay attention to the coaches — they’re not going to steer you in the wrong direction,” Levingston said. “We try to play a leadership role, telling the guys, ‘Do what you need to do to succeed. Follow me. I’m going to show you the way. That’s how we’re going to be good as a unit.’”
The Tigers have nabbed some of the top young defensive linemen in the country in the last couple of years, including redshirt freshman defensive end Sam Montgomery and sophomore defensive tackle Josh Downs.
Montgomery will be expected to display some of the pass-rushing skills that made him the No. 2 defensive end by ESPNU and the No. 3 pass rusher by Rivals.com in the 2009 class.
LSU coach Les Miles sees the potential in the young players, but said they still have much to learn.
“All of those guys are making good, quality progress,” Miles said. “Some of those young guys are playing too high. [Redshirt freshman defensive end Michael] Brockers and [redshirt freshman defensive tackle Chris] Davenport play too high.”
Miles looks for his younger linemen to play with a lower center of gravity, so they can hold the point of attack better against towering offensive linemen.
“We got to crank it down. We got to get them to come to the line of scrimmage a little bit more aggressively,” Miles said. “When that happens, those two guys can play. At times they show flashes, but that takes some time.”
Aside from Levingston, senior defensive tackle Drake Nevis is the only returning defensive lineman with more than one varsity letter to his credit.
Nevis is the Tigers’ returning sack leader. He tallied four sacks in his junior campaign last season, but LSU is looking for better returns from their young defensive line.
The pass rush has been major point of focus for the Tiger defensive lineman this spring. LSU only recorded 21 team sacks in 2009, the team’s lowest sack total since 2001.
“We played the run good last year as a unit, so we’re trying to improve our pass rush skills,” Levingston said. “We kinda struggled with that, being productive in the pass rush game last season, but this season I think we’re gonna do wonderful things.”
The Tigers averaged 35.7 sacks per season from 2002-08. The Tigers received seven or more sacks from one of their defensive linemen in that time frame in every season except 2002.
“Our defensive line pass rushed pretty well today, and I think that is a piece that at some point in time we have to readdress because we have to be balanced,” Miles said after a March 13 scrimmage.