LSU’s defense enters the season with the kind of talent that makes expectations hard to ignore, but Blake Baker’s biggest job is simpler than the rankings suggest: get everybody on the same page.
The Tigers have spent the offseason reshaping the program around a new head coach, offensive additions, and a transfer portal haul that brought in an elite play-caller in Sam Leavitt from ASU. On defense, though, the story is less about a total reset and more about blending what already worked with what just arrived.
Baker remains in place as defensive coordinator, and that continuity matters. Lane Kiffin’s decision to keep him was one of the key moves of the offseason, giving LSU a chance to keep building around the “Bayou Bandits” while the roster changes around him.
The challenge now is fitting together a defense that is ranked No. 2 in the nation heading into the season. That comes with real pressure, but it also reflects the level of talent Baker has to work with.
LSU brings back senior linebacker Whit Weeks, cornerback DJ Pickett, and safety Tamarcus Cooley. Each flashed major defensive ability last season, and all three are expected to take another step this fall, potentially in what could be their final run in Baton Rouge.
The additions are just as notable. Ole Miss transfers Princewill Umanmielen and TJ Dottery join the front seven, while Boise State transfer Ty Benefield adds depth at safety. The freshman class brings more high-end pieces in defensive tackles Duece Geralds and Richard Anderson, along with defensive end Lamar Brown.
That mix of returning production, transfer talent, and five-star recruits gives LSU a defense with plenty of upside. It also gives Baker a real puzzle to solve.
He has options at safety, linebacker, and on the edge, and that kind of depth is exactly how he likes to operate. Baker has long preferred a steady rotation, especially up front, to keep his players fresh. The question is how quickly all of those pieces can become reliable once the season starts in Death Valley.
For LSU, that first test is not just about talent. It’s about whether Baker can turn a loaded roster into a defense that actually plays like one when the SEC schedule starts rolling.
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Still, the path does not have to be perfect for LSU to stay in the hunt. A couple of losses could leave the Tigers in workable shape if the rsum is strong enough, and there is even more room to improve the playoff case by reaching the SEC championship game. The bigger question now is how the seasons toughest stretches will shape the committees view when LSU starts running into the games that will define its standing. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Took Another Painful 2027 Recruiting Blow Up Front
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For LSU, the timing stings because the Tigers have been trying to hold their ground up front in a class that already has plenty of national competition attached to it. Losing a player with Camaras profile leaves the Tigers still chasing answers in a recruiting race that has become increasingly unforgiving, especially with other elite linemen around the country narrowing their choices and making every miss feel bigger. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Voice Sees Something Different In This Loaded 2026 Schedule
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The home lineup is what makes it jump off the page, with Clemson, Alabama, Texas and Texas A&M all coming to Baton Rouge. The Texas game carries a particularly old-school edge, since LSU will host the Longhorns in Tiger Stadium for the first time since the 1953 upset of an unranked Tigers team over No. 11 Texas, a reminder that this kind of matchup has a way of tying present-day expectations to a much deeper history. [Read more 🡒]