Devin White has made a name for himself in Baton Rouge. The junior has solidified his place in Dave Aranda‘s defense. The one-year starter is beginning the transition into the leadership role on defense for the Tigers. White will be looked upon by his teammates as the new leader with Arden Key gone to the NFL. The Tigers’ best linebacker, White has a true love for the game. He plays with a lot of passion and that transitions into results on the field.
Devin White; A New Leader on Defense
The Tigers need a new leader on defense in 2018. White carried the Tigers’ defense last season in the absence of star defensive end Arden Key. During the games that Key missed, White took on the leadership role and played with a vengeance. The junior is now seeking to become the top leader for Aranda’s elite unit. Year in and year out, the Tigers tend to have top-10 defenses. White and the other dominant stars of this season’s elite unit can carry on that tradition. It takes a lot to become the alpha male of the LSU defense. But White certainly has all of the characteristics and capabilities to be a mentor to the younger athletes.
Another Elite Defense?
Nearly every season, LSU has put forth a top-10 defense in terms of defensive statistics. Aranda has done a phenomenal job the past two seasons continuing the streak of elite defenses that hail from Baton Rouge. The amount of talent the coaches recruit on the defensive side are always outstanding players and most end up making it in the NFL. Even when former defensive coordinator John Chavis was at the helm, the Tigers still put forth great statistics defensively.
With each new college football season, there are top offenses and defenses. Somehow, LSU manages to hang at the top on defense. Despite having bad games on that side of the ball, the Tigers’ defensive units always manage to put up good numbers. Devin White has been a contributing part to that the past two seasons. Entering his third season as DC, Aranda will need yet another elite defense in order for the Bayou Bengals to have success.
Defense Wins Championships
White may be taking on the role of becoming the new leader on defense in 2018. However, it takes more than one player to make a unit or team. For LSU, the defense will have to play top-notch Tigers football despite playing a tough schedule. The opener against Miami on September 2 will say a lot about Aranda’s group for this season.
Take the past two or three College Football Playoff title games for example. The two opposing defenses in those games were stout units that played very well together. If the Tigers are to make a run at their first championship since 2007, the defense will have to prove yet again that they can gel and belong at the top with the “elite” group. Defense goes a long way in winning championships, and that will need to be a source of reliability for the Tigers in 2018.
