By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
When Ty Benefield made the 2000-mile move from Boise, Idaho, to LSU, which is a 30-hour drive by the say, he had several adjustments to make.
The heat has been one. The culture change. Playing in the Southeastern Conference after three seasons in the Mountain West.
But Benefield, who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada and the Los Angeles area, didn’t count on another move – to basically a linebacker position after three seasons at safety.
Benefield (6-foot-3, 208 pounds) had to move to LSU’s star position – a combination of linebacker and defensive back – in game four this season – a week after Dashawn Spears was lost for the season because of a knee injury suffered at Ole Miss on Sept. 19.
“I feel like I’ve been doing okay,” he said at player interviews on Tuesday. “I’ve got a lot to work on for sure. Big shoes to fill as well.”
His fifth game at star may be his most challenging. The No. 18 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 SEC) play at Auburn (4-2, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC), and Auburn has a dangerous quarterback in fifth-year senior Byrum Brown. A transfer from South Florida along with his offensive-centered coach Alex Golesh, Brown has thrown for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns on 119-of-185 passing while rushing for 459 net yards on 107 carries with five touchdowns.
In a 27-24 upset at No. 1 Georgia last week, Brown completed 15 of 26 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown while rushing 26 times for 115 yards and a TD.
“He puts the team on his back, you can see,” Benefield said. “Runs the ball hard. He’s got a good arm.”
Benefield has tended to put LSU’s defense on his back at times. He is third on the team with 30 tackles with a sack, an interception, two pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. He also did that at at Boise State as he made 235 tackles in three seasons, including a team-high 107 last year with two interceptions and five pass breakups as an All-Mountain West first team performer. But that was all at safety.
He is making the best of his new situation and likes being closer to the action.
“I do enjoy how fast everything happens at star,” he said. “You’re closer to the ball. You’re closer to the line of scrimmage, so everything really happens fast.”
He also likes have defensive backs behind him for protection.
“You can pull you trigger faster,” he said. “But I’m really willing to do whatever for this team and my brothers.”
Particularly, safety Jhase Thomas, a redshirt freshman safety from Destrehan who replaced Benefield at safety when he moved to star.
“I want to give out a huge and special shout out to him,” Benefield said. “Don’t want his head to get all big, but he’s been working his tail off and really just impressing me and Tamarcus.”
That’s Tamarcus Cooley, a redshirt junior who transferred from North Carolina State after the 2024 season. He is the other veteran safety.
“Tamarcus and I believed in Jhase, and he’s doing an amazing job,” Benefield said. “I’m proud of him.”
LSU cornerbacks DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland have been watching Benefield’s back and sides, too.
“It definitely is fun to have trust in your corners and be able to make those plays,” he said. “And bring the hammer.”
Be the first to comment