5 reasons LSU football can win the national championship
Aug 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; LSU Tigers safety Jalen Mills (28) is congratulated after making an interception during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at NRG Stadium. The Tigers defeated the Badgers 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
LSU’s secondary will give opposing quarterbacks nightmares
LSU has recently become known as Defensive Back University, aka ‘DBU’, after years of exceptional play in the secondary. This season, a talented group of defensive backs is prepared to carry the torch.
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The Tigers return nearly every key part of a secondary unit that boasted the third most efficient passing defense in the country in 2014. The only missing piece: cornerback Jalen Collins.
While Collins was a very valuable asset, his departure to the NFL is not going to not hurt LSU whatsoever.
Tre’Davious White, Jalen Mills and Jamal Adams are all returning starters who were arguably better than Collins in 2014, and all three have All-SEC potential. Sophomore Ed Paris is a very promising player who will be filling the void at cornerback, with highly-touted freshmen Kevin Tolliver II and Donte Jackson competing for playing time in nickel and dime packages.
And perhaps the most versatile player of the group, junior Dwayne Thomas, has recovered from a season-ending ACL tear and is expected to be an impact player at several areas on the field.
With the season just two weeks away, however, the Tigers have received some bad news. Mills, a senior leader and starting safety, will miss at least the first two weeks of the season with an ankle injury. He is hoping to return for LSU’s Week 3 showdown with Auburn.
Fortunately, the Bayou Bengals have a talented player in junior Rickey Jefferson who will be filling in for him in the meantime. Jefferson was the star of LSU’s thrilling comeback victory over the Florida Gators last season, with his last-minute interception setting up the game-winning field goal.
Next: Brandon Harris is the real deal at quarterback