LSU Football: Former 3-star recruit could show up big for Tigers in 2021

When folks talk about LSU football‘s defensive line in 2021, one of the first names usually mentioned is true freshman Maason Smith.

And for good reason.

Smith is a former five-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the country.

The Louisiana native has already been mentioned by Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron (multiple times) as a player who will be a big part of LSU’s defense in 2021.

Smith, however, isn’t the only young defensive lineman who is ready to make an impact for the Tigers.

Joe Evans could be a key player for LSU football in 2021

Redshirt sophomore Joe Evans is a lot different than Maason Smith.

Evans wasn’t a highly touted recruit. He was a three-star recruit out of high school and was one of LSU’s lowest-rated 2019 signees.

Recruiting rankings, however, don’t matter at all once a player arrives on campus.

And Evans is ready to outperform his three-star rating.

Evans, who spent some time as an offensive lineman last spring, was recently mentioned by Shea Dixon as a player to watch this season.

Dixon, who covers the Tigers for 247Sports, said this weekend that Evans should “play a ton this year”. He also noted that Evans has “found his footing at defensive tackle” and looked solid in LSU’s recent scrimmage.

Smith will likely be the star of the show for the Tigers’ defensive line in 2021 and beyond. But it takes more than one player to make a defense great.

Evans may not have the same hype surrounding him as Smith, but he has the same opportunity to make a big impact for the Tigers.

And it sounds like Evans is ready to make the most of his opportunity.