LSU’s defensive end room has a clear pressure point, and Lamar Brown may be the freshman who helps ease it.
Brown hasn’t taken the usual path into camp. The five-star freshman did not enroll early, so spring practice never came into play for him. Even so, he has already turned heads since making his fall camp debut.
That kind of buzz is no surprise when you look at the résumé. Brown, a Baton Rouge native, was rated the No. 1 recruit in the country by ESPN.
In high school, he was a two-way force on both the offensive and defensive lines. Now he’s focused on defense, but the versatility is still part of the package.
Brown has the ability to line up inside or work off the edge.
He’s also part of a bigger wave of true freshmen on LSU’s defensive front who are pushing for snaps. Defensive tackles Richard Anderson and Deuce Geralds are in that mix as well, and all three matter. But Brown may be the one who changes the math for LSU most if he can settle in at defensive end.
That’s because the Tigers are thin there after Gabriel Reliford tore his ACL in spring practice. Princewill Umanmielen and Jordon Ross are expected to be quality starters, but the depth behind them still comes with questions. LSU is also hoping to bring in former Notre Dame defensive end Junior Tuihalamaka, though his eligibility is uncertain.
If Brown can handle quality SEC reps right away - even just 10-15 a game - that would ease the load on Umanmielen and Ross. It would also help keep both of them fresher.
The pass rush should be solid, and LSU has reason to trust its two projected starters. But Brown has the kind of upside that could lift the entire group. He’s the leverage point for this defense.
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