LSU Tigers: Top 5 defensive players to watch for in 2023

The LSU Tigers are a projected top-10 team going into the 2023 season. We concur and believe there’s 5 top defensive players that will make it happen. 

As with the LSU Tigers offense, there is so much talent on the defensive side of the football. As such, narrowing the roster to the top five defensive players to watch for in 2023 is difficult.  Regardless, we begin with an honorable mention.

Our honorable mention goes to a 5-star freshman out of Baltimore, MD. He’s 6’4, 240 Ibs and can wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Honorable Mention – Dashawn Womack, Defensive End

Brian Kelly went into the 2023 recruiting cycle knowing he had to improve the defensive line after multiple NFL Draft departures. He picked up three defensive line prospects, but none more significant than Dashawn Womack.

We expect Womack to step in early and fill the voids caused by Ali Gaye and BJ Ojulari departing for the NFL Draft. Womack is an athletic freak that offers the LSU Tigers solid speed off the edge.

Womack played his high school ball at St. Francis Academy in Baltimore, MD. He won Max Preps Player of the Year in Maryland in 2022. In addition, he was ranked as 247’s 6th-best defensive end and 36th overall prospect for the 2023 class.

Brian Kelly continues to recruit outside of LSU’s typical footprint, and it pays off with this singing.

No. 5 – Greg Brooks Jr, Safety

Greg Brooks Jr. is a dynamic playmaker in the secondary. He can fly around the field and make plays at all levels. After posting his best season as a starter in 2022, look for Brooks to elevate his game more in year two under Brian Kelly and Matt House.

Greg Brooks Jr. transferred to LSU from Arkansas alongside Joe Foucha in 2022. In three seasons with the Razorbacks, Brooks tallied 103 tackles, eight passes defended, and one interception. Thus far, Brooks totaled 63 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two interceptions down in Death Valley.

Moreover, one of his interceptions was the game-sealing play again Auburn.

LSU was leading the ‘Tiger Bowl’ by four when Auburn was enjoying a late-4th-quarter drive. However, Brooks bullied former LSU receiver Koy Moore and literally ripped the game away from the Auburn offense.

As the play was developing, it looked like Moore had the reception, but a second later, Brooks wrenched the ball from Moore’s hands and returned it another 20 yards to secure the win.

Brooks’ enters his fifth year of eligibility in 2023. His veteran leadership along with experience in big games will prove important as the Tigers look to capture another National Championship.

No. 4 – Zy Alexander, Cornerback

Brian Kelly went into this offseason knowing he needed to beef up the defensive back room again. So Kelly and the LSU Tigers landed four 4-star transfer portal cornerbacks, quickly turning one of the weaker rooms in the building into a strength for this defense.

All transfers have a chance to earn a starting role, but Zy Alexander has been the most productive so far out of all the transfers in this class. Alexander was not as highly touted of a recruit as his fellow cornerback transfers, but it’s hard to argue with the production we’ve seen from him.

Zy Alexander was a three-year starter at Southeastern University before transferring to the LSU Tigers following the 2022 season. He has nine interceptions in his collegiate career, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

Alexander was not ranked by 247 Sports or On3 despite serving as the quarterback, wide receiver, and safety for Loreauville (La.) High School. He also was the lead-off hitter for their baseball team and led the Tigers to the Louisiana Class 2A State Championship as a sophomore.

In 2021, Alexander earned FCS All-American and All-Southland Conference honors after posting six interceptions. He was also awarded All-Southland Conference honors in 2022, after appearing in all 12 games and securing three interceptions and four pass breakups.

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Southeastern made the FCS playoffs in both of Alexander’s seasons but never advanced past the second round.

The 6-2, 188-pound cornerback enters Baton Rouge as the LSU Tigers’ tallest cornerback. Such allows him to use his size and length to match up with some of the taller wide receivers in the SEC. However, four other corners on the roster weigh more than him.

Look for Alexander to put on some weight in the offseason and compete for the chance to start for LSU in his junior season.

No. 3 – Denver Harris, Cornerback

The most significant get of Brian Kelly’s LSU career is arguably Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris. Coach Kelly knew he needed to rebuild the defensive back room again, and picking up Harris was the first step in the right direction.

247 Sports ranked Harris the third-best overall transfer in the 2023 class. He, JK Johnson, Sevyn Banks, Deuce Chestnut, and Zy Alexander must combine to form one of the best secondary units in the SEC.

Harris has the skills to become a starter when he steps on the field in Baton Rouge, giving the Tigers a much-needed CB1.

Harris appeared in five games during his freshman season at A&M, tallying 14 tackles and three passes defended. He was suspended midway through the year for a violation of team policy and did not play the rest of the season.

Although Harris saw limited action in his freshman season, he was still one of the most sought-after transfers in 2023. He ranked only behind Travis Hunter and Ernest Hausmann in the 2023 overall transfer portal rankings.

Brian Kelly did his due diligence and decided to extend an offer to the highly talented CB.

Coming out of high school, Harris was the 4th best cornerback recruit in the nation. Harris is from Houston, Texas, and committed to Texas A&M over LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas.

No. 2 – Maason Smith, Defensive Line

Maason Smith was named to the preseason All-SEC Third Team entering the 2022 season. Unfortunately, his time was cut short after he tore his ACL celebrating in the first game against Florida State. Such was a massive blow for LSU Tigers fans expecting a breakout season from him.

However, we expect Smith is back on the elite pass rusher track for the Tigers in 2023. Look for him to stack among the SEC’s best defensive linemen.

The 6-6 and 330-pound defensive tackle will look to make an enormous impact in the 2023 LSU Tigers’ season. Smith returns to a defensive line group that lost BJ Ojulari, Ali Gaye, and Jaquelin Roy to the NFL Draft.

Smith will be eligible for the NFL Draft next year, which he currently ranks as the 33rd best prospect. We expect Smith to do everything he can to improve his draft stock and become the player LSU Tigers fans have anticipated since he stepped on campus in 2021.

Smith was a highly touted, Louisiana high school recruit. 247 Sports ranked him as the nation’s 20th-best football prospect overall and the 5th-best defensive lineman. In his freshman season, Smith performed well, totaling 19 tackles and four sacks in seven games.

No. 1 – Harold Perkins Jr., Linebacker

Much like our top offensive player to watch for, the top defensive player surprises no one. Harold Perkins Jr. is the number one LSU Tigers defensive player to watch for in 2023.

As a true freshman, Perkins was one of the best college football defenders. He gains another offseason with Brian Kelly and Matt House to perfect the scheme and grow as a linebacker.

It’s hard not to get excited when thinking about how great Perkins can be in 2023. The linebacker took college football by storm as a true freshman last season. Perkins pieced together a few solid non-conference games, but Kelly and House realized they had a star on their hands in late October.

Perkins tallied five tackles and a sack on October 22 against Ole Miss. The performance earned Lane Kiffin’s praise. “They started playing 40 [Harold Perkins] more, which we thought they’d eventually do because he doesn’t look like anybody else out there,” said the Rebels head coach.

Kiffin’s statement sums up Harold Perkins.

Perkins is a one-person wrecking crew who can completely shut down opposing offenses by making big plays in crucial situations. He finished his true freshman season with 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception.

Moreover, Perkins’ ability to rush the passer and drop into coverage makes him one of the most versatile defenders in college football. He has the strength and quickness to come off the edge while also having the speed to cover backs and tight ends in the open field.

His best game was a defensive battle against Arkansas in sub-freezing Fayetteville temperatures. Perkins completely shut down the Razorbacks’ offense recording eight tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. He should have tied the school record with four sacks in the game, but the NCAA changed his final strip-sack to only a forced fumble after the game.

Against Georgia, Perkins still found a way to shine despite the defense surrendering 50 points. He notched a career-high ten tackles in the SEC championship game against the eventual national champions and tacked on another forced fumble.

Perkins wore No. 40 last season, reminiscent of former LSU Tigers great Devin White. However, LSU Football reported that Perkins changed his number to No. 4 for the 2023-24 season. The trend could continue next year, as Perkins, a Louisiana native, could find himself in No. 7 in his junior season.