For former five-star defensive lineman Maason Smith, it’s been quite a journey through college. Coming out of high school, expectations were through the roof, deservingly so. However, following a season-ending injury in his sophomore season, things took a turn for the worst. That was, at least until this year, as the LSU football star looks to take over college football this year.
Defensive lineman Maason Smith is ready to be a star for LSU football
Everything was lining up for a breakout moment in 2023 when it came to LSU football star defensive lineman Maason Smith. While his opportunity was delayed by a game due to suspension, things are finally falling into place.
Before his injury, he was looking like the star everyone expected. In 2021, he recorded just 19 tackles, but among them were four sacks, and that was all as a freshman in the SEC.
Through two games in 2023, the former five-star has yet to take over college football, but his presence is being noticed.
So far, he’s recorded just three tackles and one pass deflection. Still, at defensive tackle, he’s in a spot that won’t necessarily put up big numbers, but instead prevents the offense from putting up said numbers.
When asked about Smith and how he’s been coming along so far, coach Brian Kelly seemed optimistic. It’s important to remember that, coming off the major injury, he’ll likely need some time to get back in the swing of things. Here’s what Kelly had to say about the former five-star:
“Yeah, I think he’s getting there. I mean, we saw some things that he wasn’t doing against Grambling, that now he’s starting to impact the game a little bit more. And I think that’ll continue to grow as he continues to play himself in a position where he can play at a high level each and every snap. So, he’s physically a presence in there, and we expect him to continue as the season progresses. He’s going to be an impact player for us. So, feel good about where he’s gone over the last couple of weeks and expect to see more of him as we move forward.”
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