LSU Tigers 2015 Football Depth Chart Preview: The D-Line
By Scotty Nola
With Fall Camp over and the final scrimmage completed, LSU is moving on to prepping for games that count.
Les Miles hasn’t released an official depth chart yet, which means he is still pretending there’s a QB competition between Brandon Harris and whoever backs Brandon Harris up this season.
Without an official depth chart we still have to project a little, and there are still a couple of possible changes in the pecking order between now and the McNeese St. game.
Still, we know enough about the 2 deep lineup at every position to have a very good idea what this years Tigers are going to look like when they take the field on September 5th.
Today, we start our LSU 2015 Football Depth Chart Season Preview Series with the 2015 LSU Tigers Football Defensive Line — and first, we look at……
The Returning Starters
Oct 11, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU Tigers defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (57) tackles Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. LSU Tigers defeated the Florida Gators 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Right now with Quentin Thomas buried way down the depth chart, DT Christian LaCouture is the old man on the line. He’s a solid building block for the Tigers, played immediately as a freshman and started all 13 games last year as a sophomore.
LaCouture is a high motor athlete with the frame to play inside in the NFL. He is also acknowledged as a leader not just on the Defensive Line but on the team at large.
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LaCouture is joined at the Defensive Tackle position by returning starter Davon Godchaux. Godchaux, a Plaquemine native started 10 games for the Tigers last year and impressed enough to make the Preseason All SEC Team third string.
Godchaux and LaCouture will be backed up by a combination of Frank Herron, Greg Gilmore and Quentin Thomas. This group makes this position one of top level strength and top level depth and Defensive Tackle should be one of the strengths of the team.
Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron will thoroughly enjoy coaching this particular bunch.
The First Time Starters
Oct 12, 2013; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers defensive tackle Anthony Johnson (90) celebrates with linebacker Lamin Barrow (18) and defensive lineman Tashawn Bower (46) during the second half of a game against the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Florida 17-6. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
When Maquedious Bain unexpectedly left the Tigers this summer it supposedly cleared up the depth chart at Defensive End. That was before our incoming freshman arrived on campus and started earning reps. More on that later.
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The top two returning veteran players at End are Tashawn Bower and Lewis Neal. Bower played in 13 games last year as Jermauria Rasco’s primary backup. Neal has bounced back and forth between End and Tackle during his LSU career, with Bain out and a lack of depth at End he moved back outside this spring.
Bower and Neal are solid but unspectacular players. Neither is a liability, but neither has shown any real ability to move upfield and generate a pass rush in spite of playing regularly the last two years. That makes their hold on the starting spots at Defensive End a little shaky, and a couple of new Tigers are looking to shake things up right away.
The Freshmen Who WILL Play
Jan 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Highlight defensive end Arden Key (17) poses for photographs before the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Arden Key was a little under the radar during recruiting last year, but when he committed coaches started talking him up right away.
Great pass rush skills, the next KeKe Mingo, all he needs to do is add some weight and he’ll be a star. The last comment was the important one.
Arden Key was so lean as a high school player many thought he would need years in the weight room before he added enough size to compete with SEC athletes. The people who thought that were not taking Arden Key’s level of commitment under consideration.
He worked himself into game shape during the offseason and summer after his senior campaign and showed up on LSU’s campus ready to play from day one. Isaiah Washington, who was almost an afterthought after Key in last springs all star recruiting class did the same.
The two freshmen have been ‘upsetting the apple cart’, from their first practice.
Both were quickly moved from the rookie camp to working with the vets, and almost as quickly the coaches started giving them reps with the first team during practice.
The pair are LSU D-Line Coach Ed Orgeron’s first real star recruits.
Key could move into the starting lineup at any time with Washington just a tick behind him.
Whether they start or not both will play early and often, which will alleviate LSU’s biggest concern on the defensive line: depth at the End position, after Maquedious Bain’s departure…….