LSU’s 45-14 win over LA Tech had no shortage of standout performances, but the night belonged to a freshman on the interior of the defense.
Deuce Geralds earned the overall game MVP after turning in the kind of performance that makes people around the sport sit up and take notice. For a true freshman to have that kind of influence on a defensive unit is impressive enough.
To do it while helping fuel a dominant showing like this? That’s the part that really jumps off the page.
Geralds finished with four total tackles, all solo, along with one sack, one QB hit, two hurries, an assist, and a forced fumble. He wasn’t just around the ball - he was forcing the issue. The push from Geralds and the rest of LSU’s interior defensive line played a major role in the pressure the Tigers created all game long.
This wasn’t framed as a breakout so much as a statement. It was the kind of performance that tells the rest of college football this freshman is going to be a problem for a long time. Geralds already looks like a player LSU can build around, and the next test will be a big one: a true road game at Ole Miss against one of the best teams in the country and in the SEC this Saturday night.
If Geralds can back this up with another performance like it, the conversation around him will get loud in a hurry.
He wasn’t the only Tiger who made a case for top honors, though.
Trey’Dez Green was a handful all over the field and kept LA Tech busy trying to get him on the ground. On multiple plays, it took more than one defender to bring him down.
Green finished with six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown, but he also had a drop in the end zone on the play before that score. That mistake kept him from being the overall MVP, though he was still the offensive MVP.
On defense, TJ Dottery put together the kind of game that leaves very little to nitpick. Through two weeks, he’s making a strong argument for being the best linebacker in the SEC.
Against LA Tech, he posted nine total tackles, six solo tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. His PFF grade backed up how clean the outing was: 95.1.
Dottery and Weeks in the middle of LSU’s defense is a pairing that gives this unit a real edge.
Princewill Umanmielen also deserved a mention after another disruptive day off the edge. He recorded three sacks, giving him five on the season.
That’s already more sacks than any single player from LSU’s 2025 defense had through the entire season in just two weeks, and he finished one sack short of matching LSU’s individual sack leader from that entire 2025 season. His presence is giving this defense the edge pressure it has been missing for years.
Still, Geralds was the one who took the spotlight in this one.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
Landry Kiffin picked a familiar college-football backdrop for the launch of her new clothing brand, Fifth Year, rolling out the live sale during the LSU-Ole Miss game. The brand leans into activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel especially on-brand for a family that has spent plenty of time around both sidelines.
For LSU fans, the launch adds another layer to a week already shaped by the Kiffin familys connections to both programs. Landrys ties to LSU and Ole Miss give Fifth Year a built-in crossover appeal, and the coincidence of debuting it on game day only sharpened the spotlight around a matchup that was already going to draw attention well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge Ole Miss Question At Quarterback
An already important trip to Ole Miss got more complicated for LSU when quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful because of an undisclosed injury. Leavitts availability had been one of the biggest factors in how this matchup was being framed, and his status now hangs over everything LSU is trying to sort out before kickoff.
If Leavitt cannot go, Elon transfer Landen Clark is expected to step in and make the start, which would put a lot more on LSUs shoulders in a tough road environment. The betting line has already moved in Ole Misss favor since the news broke, a pretty clear sign of how much this quarterback situation has changed the outlook for the Tigers. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry already has plenty of edge on the field, but now it has spilled into the courtroom in a way that reaches straight into the Tigers roster. Ole Miss has filed breach-of-contract lawsuits against former Rebels Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper after both transferred to LSU, putting a legal wrinkle on what is usually just another bitter SEC football matchup.
Umanmielen was served court papers tied to the lawsuit just before LSUs game against Ole Miss, and he now has to respond with discovery documents as the case moves forward. The suit seeks nearly $1 million in penalties and is aimed at sorting out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools, turning a familiar rivalry into something far messier than a Saturday in Oxford or Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]