LSU’s defense is leaning on youth this fall, and Blake Baker sounds more than willing to let those young players earn real snaps.
After the Tigers’ ninth preseason practice Friday, the third-year defensive coordinator said the depth chart concerns that existed at safety entering camp are being eased by the rise of redshirt freshman Jhase Thomas and a group of other young defensive backs. Thomas, along with Faheem Delane, CJ Jimcoily and Dashawn Spears, has helped stabilize a spot Baker viewed as a question mark.
“Jhase Thomas has been one of the biggest surprises to me in camp,” Baker said. “He's played outstanding.
You look at the growth Faheem (Delane's) had. I feel really, really good about a lot of those guys.
I probably wouldn't have said that when we started fall camp.
“They're all young. That was one of our biggest concerns when you talk about the depth pieces.
Jhase, CJ (Jimcoily), Dashawn Spears really hasn't played, Faheem, just a second year guy now. To see those guys step up and move the ball in game-like situations, it's been good and I'm happy where we're at right now.”
The bigger buzz around camp, though, has come up front, where true freshmen Deuce Geralds, Richard Anderson and Lamar Brown have all pushed themselves into the conversation early. Geralds and Anderson arrived in January and went through spring practice, while Brown joined later in the summer and had to make up ground quickly.
Even so, Brown has made enough of an impression to draw notice from both coaches and teammates. Geralds has worked with the first-team defense from the start of camp, and Anderson has picked up more first-team reps recently. Baker said the trio has handled a heavy load and is showing why LSU expects all three to play.
“They're as good as I've been around when you talk about a trio of freshmen. We've thrown more install at those group than I ever had in my career,” Baker said. “Those guys are repping with the one's and two's so they're getting the full install.
“There's been growing pains, we're going to have to fight through that freshman wall at some point. I think all three of them are doing a good job of fighting it right now.
But I am proud of where they are at now and where they've come from. They work at it, they all love football.
They've got really bright futures. You'll see all three of those guys on the field.”
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