In the age of the transfer portal, paranoia is at an all-time high among college football coaches. Consequently, most won\u2019t offer any information of substance this time of year. LSU Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker talked recently about Spring camp developments regarding the Tiger defense. Now that Baker has spoken to the media, we read between the lines to extract what he really thinks of his defense so far.<\/p>\n
The one thing that every coach seemingly has in common in April is that they love their team. We\u2019re all accustomed to the boilerplate, copy-and-paste statements that indicate every player is \u201cbuying in\u201d and \u201cimproving every day\u201d. Here\u2019s what we really learned after looking beyond the surface of his words.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, when you look at DJ Pickett from the first three bowl practices to now, he’s a different animal out there\u2026Every day I go in the indoor, he’s got the VR (virtual reality) on. He works at it. He’s very, very humble. He loves football. He’s very hardworking. Mansoor<\/a>‘s a guy we can put all over the secondary\u2026Ja’Keem<\/a> is really good, really fast, really long. So all those guys are bringing something different to the table.\u201d<\/p>\n “Then you mix it in with Ashton Stamps, who started 12 games. Michael Turner<\/a> has gotten significantly better as the Spring has gone on. PJ’s a defensive weapon. He’s so smart. We put him at nickel. We put him at dime. \u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Baker was asked specifically about the newcomers, so don\u2019t read too much into him mentioning them first. He is obviously pleased with the progress of the true freshman, Pickett. He seems to have the work ethic to match his physical gifts. If that\u2019s the case, we lean towards him starting in Week One.<\/p>\n While careful not to read too much into what Baker didn\u2019t say, it\u2019s possible that he likes Mansoor Delane\u2019s versatility as much as his coverage ability. Delane and PJ Woodland could be used in different ways depending on the needs of the team. Of the two, Delane is more likely to win a starting job.<\/p>\n On that note, don\u2019t forget about the returning starter<\/a>, Ashton Stamps. He has length and competitiveness, but one name we continue to hear is Michael Turner. His athleticism rivals that of the Florida transfer Ja’Keem Jackson. It doesn\u2019t matter who the starters are at this point, but it\u2019s clear that Baker likes his options in this competition<\/a> more than he did last season.<\/p>\n “I think it’s been really good. When you talk about Davhon<\/a> and West<\/a>, they’ve played a bunch of snaps\u2026We’re actually flip-flopping them every day to their position. One day they’re playing Mike. Then the next day they’re playing Will\u2026So they’re getting a lot of position flexibility. It’s helping them.\u201d<\/p>\n “I tell C.J. Ross, when you look at Davhon Keys and Ty Singleton<\/a>, I believe we had one more early enrollee last year because of the depth we had. They were getting like three to five snaps a day. Like, Charles, you’re getting 30. It’s been really good for his development. Ty Singleton’s another one that last spring, he didn’t get a lot of reps\u2026So I kind of look at it almost like this is his real first spring. He’s getting better.\u201d<\/p>\n Davhon Keys and West Weeks are getting valuable reps at different linebacker positions that will only help their understanding of the responsibilities on the defense. Keys and Whit Weeks have athleticism reminiscent of playmakers like Patrick Queen and Deion Jones. To improve as a unit<\/a>, it\u2019s critical that they increase their understanding of the game to read and diagnose quicker.<\/p>\n Early enrollee Charles Ross is in a better position than the freshman linebackers of last year due to the extra rep opportunities. Ross is the fastest of the group and has a leg up on the linebackers of this class who didn\u2019t enroll early. No slight to Singleton, but that wasn\u2019t exactly a glowing review. It\u2019s a critical year for him to climb the depth chart, as LSU added three new linebackers in the 2025 class.<\/p>\n “Quite frankly, we sat down at the end of the year and I said, ‘Where are you most comfortable?’ And he said, ‘The STAR.’ He’s got that capability to still allow us to be flexible from a coverage standpoint. But I do think that he’s a really good space player\u2026It’ll also keep offenses not necessarily knowing where he’s going to line up every single snap.\u201d<\/p>\nBaker Talks Linebackers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Baker on Harold Perkins<\/strong><\/h3>\n