LSU appears to be giving Jaiden Braker a new lane.
The linebacker is now working with the edge rushers and defensive ends, a shift away from the inside linebacker spot he’s held traditionally. For LSU, it’s a move that lines up with need as much as it does with Braker’s skill set.
Braker arrived in 2025 as a high school recruit and came into the program with plenty of recruiting shine. Rivals Industry Rankings had him at No. 128 overall, No. 10 among linebackers and No. 16 in Georgia. His first season on the field was quiet: he logged just seven defensive snaps in 2025, all of them against SE Louisiana in garbage time.
The path at inside linebacker is crowded, and that made a switch to the edge an obvious place to explore. LSU’s projected starters at defensive end are Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross, but the room behind them has more uncertainty and more openings. That need became even sharper in the spring when Gabriel Reliford tore his ACL and was ruled out for the year.
Braker’s frame also fits the job. At 6-foot-3, he has the length to work off the edge, and it’s the kind of position change that has become common across college football for athletic linebackers looking to make a bigger impact.
Whether the move turns into a real boost in 2026 remains to be seen, but LSU has at least found another body with upside at a spot where it needed help.
Elsewhere, LSU is still favored in its Week 1 matchup with Clemson. FanDuel has the Tigers at -9.5, with the over/under set at 50.5. Vegas is backing LSU in Lane Kiffin’s debut.
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