In a recent 11-on-11 team drill, LSU running back Kaleb Jackson took a backfield pass up the right hand side and exploded into the second level.
After bursting past the Tigers' front line of defense Jackson had his eyes set on the next man in front of him, linebacker Whit Weeks. If you've been around LSU social media the last few days, you've probably already seen the hit we're referring to.
At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Weeks is not a small man but the hit Jackson put on the sophomore linebacker was reminiscent of a few we saw Jackson make as a true freshman in 2023.
"I'm sure you've all seen the video. I've been playing football all my life, I can remember stuff like that happens. He made a good play and you want a dude like that on your team," Weeks said. "You're gonna get made fun of a little bit, I got rocked. Coach Baker really was telling me what I did wrong, gotta get lower on a big guy like that."
It was a play that was a teaching moment for Weeks but also hasn't been indicative of how this fall camp has gone for the front seven. Because when the pads have come on and the Tigers have lined up for 11-on-11 drills, the linebackers and defensive line have been a bright spot on the field. From Weeks to Saivion Jones, Harold Perkins, Jacobian Guillory and Greg Penn, there have been more than a few standouts in that pass rush/linebacker grouping making plays.
On Tuesday the offense ran a two minute drill and the defense was able to make a stand for a long field goal attempt. Monday, Perkins got his hands on a ball at the line of scrimmage that landed right in the lap of Paris Shand for an interception. The communication up front is what's stood out to veteran right tackle Emery Jones, who has seen first hand some of the improvements along the front seven.
"You see a difference in effort. I feel like coach Bo Davis and Blake Baker have those guys willing to die for each other. That's what's required to do their job and I feel they're really locked in with the linebackers. Communication, you can hear those guys talk, slap them on the butt to get them to scoot over, just kind of way more hands on with everybody and they're doing a great job," Jones said.
"I think coach Peoples coming in has been the biggest difference to our pass rush honestly. He knows what he's talking about and every dude I talk to in that room says 'my pass rush has gotten so much better.' Having him here will be a huge advantage for us," Weeks added.
While they've occurred, explosive plays have been earned by the offense during this fall camp. The linebackers like Weeks, Perkins, Greg Penn and West Weeks are flying around the ball. Under Baker, the Tigers have implemented many new blitz packages, some on third down that we've been able to see in media viewing that includes Perkins and Whit Weeks on the field for an athletic, pass rush heavy package.
Weeks talked about wanting to improve as a pass rusher this offseason with the goal of getting more sacks and into the backfield consistently. That goes hand in hand with what the overarching theme for this front seven has been through 10 practices.
"I like that we can fly around and the linebackers have a lot of freedom to go make plays. We're very aggressive now, we like to blitz a lot and have fun doing it," Weeks said. "We've all evolved from last year, we're a lot better and gotten a lot closer. Any of us can be out there on the field at a time. Also being linebackers any four of us can make the calls to set the fronts and get the coverage right.
"I feel like coach Baker's defense is meant for linebackers to make plays and he feels he's got four guys that he can trust to go make plays and the d-line, there are some plays where you gotta hold your gap and have good gap integrity to be a good run stopping defense."
What's become apparent in watching this defense through these first few weeks of camp is that the front seven's growth will play a huge role in the improvements made on that side of the ball. How big of a jump overall this defense can make will depend on the consistency element and the ripple effect the play up front can have on the back end.
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