As many questions as there are on the offensive side of the ball for coach Brian Kelly and his squad, there may very well be even more for the 2024 LSU football defense. Even so, as EA Sports continues its “rankings week showcase,” the video gaming company appears to have a surprising amount of confidence in the group – led by linebacker Harold Perkins Jr – most recently including them in the top-25 nationally.
EA sports appears to believe the LSU football defense could be sneaky good in 2024
In 2023, the LSU football defense allowed some of the most yardage and points in the entire country. To make matters worse, the unit ended up losing their three best defensive tackles to the NFL over the offseason, and still made minimal moves through the transfer portal.
In turn, the expectations haven’t been all that high up to this point, even despite a completely revamped defensive coaching staff led by former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker, former Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis and secondary coach Corey Raymond.
Interestingly enough, while the majority of the country expects only a slight increase in production from the group, EA Sports most notably appears to be higher on them than most, listing Harold Perkins Jr and the LSU football defense as No. 18 nationally with an 84 overall ahead of the upcoming release of EA Sports College Football 25.
Along with the purple and gold, several other programs found themselves with an 84 overall rating, as the Tigers are expected to have a comparable talent level to Texas A&M (No. 19), Colorado (No. 20), Oklahoma State (No. 21), Louisville (No. 22), North Carolina (No. 23), Kansas State (No. 24) and Florida (No. 25). Ohio State is the early team to beat, taking the top spot nationally with a 96 rating.
The LSU secondary is set to be headlined by veteran senior Major Burns at safety and former transfer addition Zy Alexander at cornerback, while young cornerbacks Ashton Stamps, Javien Toviano and PJ Woodland are all expected to take a step forward. Furthermore, with the offseason additions of former Texas A&M safety Jardin Gilbert and former Ohio State cornerback Jyaire Brown, depth should be largely improved in 2024.
As far as the front seven goes, expect the linebackers to play a significant role in how much the defensive unit as a whole can improve. Led by veterans Greg Penn III and Harold Perkins Jr, along with impressive sophomore Whit Weeks, the Tiger linebackers have the potential to be one of the best position units on the entire team. The biggest question lies at defensive line, where several new additions could see plenty of snaps alongside returning impact edge rusher Bradyn Swinson and defensive lineman Jacobian Guillory.
The potential is certainly there for a jump in productivity, but the star players are going to need to step up if they are to compete within a challenging Southeastern Conference in 2024. Either way, EA Sports appears to see something in the group, so stay tuned. September is just around the corner.
Full ratings reveal
- Ohio State – 96
- Georgia – 94
- Oregon – 90
- Alabama – 90
- Clemson – 90
- Notre Dame – 90
- Michigan – 90
- Texas – 88
- Penn State – 88
- Utah – 88
- Florida State – 88
- Oklahoma – 88
- Iowa – 88
- Virginia Tech – 86
- Wisconsin – 86
- USC – 86
- Auburn – 86
- LSU – 84
- Texas A&M – 84
- Colorado – 84
- Oklahoma State – 84
- Louisville – 84
- North Carolina – 84
- Kansas State – 84
- Florida – 84
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