LSU Defense Preview 2025: The Best Defense Yet Under Brian Kelly

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 11:03 PM ET

The LSU defense fell off the map in 2020. It hasn't been that bad over the last four years, but it hasn't been able to pop back to the Tiger defense of the recent past.

Two years ago, the Tigers were 108th in the nation in yards per game allowed. Last year was better.

It wasn’t great, but moving up to 61st in total defense was a solid step. After allowing 30 points or more eight times in 2023, the Tigers gave up that many or more four times in 2024.

There needs to be more tackles for loss, and a few more third down stops would be nice, but as long as this bunch can hold serve to let the offense do its thing, it’ll be fine.

LSU Tigers Preview 2025: Defense

- The line is going through some changes, and that might end up ramping up the pass rush even more.

Patrick Payton (Florida State) is an NFL-caliber edge rusher on one side, Jack Pyburn (Florida) made 60 tackles with four tackles for loss last year for the Gators, and Jimari Butler (Nebraska) came up with 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss over the last two years.

There’s talent in place from last year’s team, too. Gabriel Reliford is a rising star prospect on the end, and the sophomore tackle combination of Ahmad Breaux and Dominick McKinley is good enough to grow into the gig. 6-6, 355-pound Sydir Mitchell (Texas) is coming in to bring the mass.

- How quickly can Harold Perkins Jr. get back up to speed? When he’s right, he’s a top 15-caliber NFL prospect and one of the best pass rushers in America, but he’s coming off a torn ACL that cost him almost all of last year.

Whit Weeks is back after leading the team with 125 tackles with 3.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss, and West Weeks is a fifth-year senior who can fill in at one of the outside spots, if needed. Davhon Keys - who came up with a pick six in the bowl win over Baylor - is a 230-pounder who can work inside or out.

- It’s LSU. The cornerbacks are good, helped by the addition of Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech), who made 146 tackles with six interceptions with 16 broken up passes over the last three seasons.

Ashton Stamps was a broken-up-pass machine last season, batting away 14 to to along with 51 tackles, but the real star of the near future should be DJ Pickett, a 6-4, 190-pound five-star recruit who might be the best corner in this year’s class.

The safeties are terrific, too. Javian Toviano, PJ Woodland, and Dashawn Spears had a nice freshman seasons as they got their feet wet, and now the stats will come as they take over the bigger roles. The talent is there to be great fast.

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2025 LSU Preview
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This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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