By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU’s defensive problems at critical times – at the end of the Ole Miss and Kentucky close losses and at critical times against Alabama in the 31-13 blowout on Saturday – is not on defensive coordinator Blake Baker.
It’s on LSU’s personnel and lack of depth after key injuries to defensive back Dashawn Spears and linebacker Whit Weeks, former middle linebacker Darry Beckwith (2005-08), who won the national title in the 2007 season with LSU, told Tiger Rag Radio on Tuesday night.
“I believe it’s a personnel issue that they have going on right now on defense,” Beckwith said. “Against Alabama, you can’t get away without the personnel that you could against Auburn, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Alabama’s roster is too talented and has depth.”
Alabama is in the third season of coach Kalen Deboer, and most of the Crimson Tide’s starters and key backups have been in the program for two or three years. LSU, on the other hand, underwent a complete roster reconstruction by new coach Lane Kiffin. Because it needed it as the roster had gone south under former coach Brian Kelly in dropping to 7-6 last season and below .500 in the SEC at 3-5 for the first time since 2021 when coach Ed Orgeron was fired.
Kiffin’s portal class of 42 was ranked No. 1 in the nation, but remember a large portion of portal players are like used cars. And a highly ranked portal player only outranks other used cars. Often the best players in the country do not enter the portal. And many of those stay at consistently winning programs like No 3 Alabama (7-2, 5-2 SEC), which is on its way to its fifth College Football Playoff in seven years and second straight, and No. 1 Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC), which is headed to its fifth CFP in six years and won national championships in the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-3 SEC) hosts No. 6 Texas (7-2, 4-2 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC. A loss, and LSU is out of the playoffs for the seventh straight season.
Neither Alabama or Georgia lean heavily on the NCAA Transfer Portal as Kiffin did at Ole Miss for the previous five years there and at LSU last year. Georgia, in particular, barely enters the portal because it recruits so well.
“When portal heavy teams get a guy or two hurt, they’re in trouble,” Beckwith said. “Losing Dashawn Spears and Whit Weeks has hurt the defense, because you don’t have backups able to play at a high level. LSU has got to get back to recruiting high school talent at a high level – four and five stars. And the fan base and administration has to be patient with that. That is why Georgia is so elite and so consistent year after year, because they are not portal heavy. They build depth from recruiting high schools. LSU has to get back to building the foundation in recruiting high schools. And dab in the portal just a little bit. When you do that, you build depth.”
That actually was Kiffin’s plan coming into LSU last December. His philosophy was a quick and drastic roster fix via the portal in the first year and gradually move to prioritizing high school recruiting more. His class of 2027 is only ranked No. 12 in the nation with 16 commitments, however. There is still time, though.
Beckwith said Weeks’ backup Davhon Keys – a sophomore LSU signee – and Spears’ backup Ty Benefield – a senior Boise State transfer who was the No. 3 safety in the portal – have not fared well.
“Losing Whit Weeks has been huge,” Beckwith said of the senior linebacker who broke his fibula in game four against Texas A&M and has not returned. “Davhon Keys is a thumper and can run from tackle to tackle, but he’s unable to diagnose and read the way Whit Weeks can. That’s the issue. Not so much a scheme issue. Ty Benefield is a great safety, but he’s not used to the position he’s at.”
Benefield moved to the star position closer to the line of scrimmage when Spears was lost for the season with a knee injury against Ole Miss in week three.
“And Alabama knew that, so they put a slot receiver on him (Benefield),” Beckwith said. “Ty was not able to cover him. And Blake Baker has not been putting an extra defensive back on the field, and Alabama knew that. They took advantage of Davhon Keys being out there on third and long.”
Be the first to comment