The LSU Football team has struggled on defense for the entire Brian Kelly tenure but, 2025 was a step in the right direction. Part of LSU's struggles has been a secondary that hasn't come close to meeting the LSU standard which is why Corey Raymond is back at LSU. In 2024, LSU's cornerbacks improved but, the safety play was still an issue.
Two of the three safeties leave the roster as Major Burns is out of eligibility while Sage Ryan moved on to Ole Miss. The returning safety Jardin Gilbert didn't have a great year but, he played in a brace the majority of the year as he played through a shoulder injury. As LSU's Spring Practices are underway, Brian Kelly shared an update on Gilbert's status during his Saturday Press Conference.
"He'll be out all spring. But he's there every day. He's been a great leader. And he's actually been the kind of veteran guy that you want. He's been around those young guys. He's been accountable. He's been really good."Brian Kelly
While LSU would like to have every starter available this Spring it doesn't always work out that way as Jardin Gilbert, Harold Perkins Jr, and Whit Weeks are all recovering from injuries. As is the case at Linebacker, Jardin Gilbert missing the Spring may end up being a positive for LSU.
The Tigers know what they're getting from Jardin Gilbert, and as a veteran, 15 Spring Practices won't do a ton for his development. The question for LSU is who is going to fill the two open roles and will they be better than Sage Ryan and Major Burns were so LSU can improve?
Coming into the offseason, NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley seems most likely to earn a starting role but, LSU has some young promising pieces that will challenge him. Dashawn Spears, Joel Rogers, and Javien Toviano will all compete with Cooley for the two open safety roles.
Taking the elder statesman Jardin Gilbert out of the picture this Spring allows the younger crop of players to earn more reps while also forcing them to step up as leaders. On Saturday, Brian Kelly spoke about the development of the young safeties in Gilbert's absence saying the following:
"I would say pleased. When I assess the safety play, it's only five practices so it's hard. I'm not going to be able to give you a deep dive on everything. But there are a couple of things that I'm looking for. The first is, are we making tackles at or near the line of scrimmage? And we are. Are we making open field tackles and getting the ball down when the ball breaks through the second level of our defense? And we are. We weren't doing that and haven't done that on a consistent basis."Brian Kelly
The question now is which of the returning pieces takes that jump development wise becoming a starter? Dashawn Spears saw a ton of playing time as a Freshman and made the mistakes you'd expect from a freshman at the position but, also showed a ton of promise. The biggest threat to Spears earning that role is Javien Toviano who has a ton of experience in the secondary but, just moved to safety.
Which safeties earn starting roles will be one of the biggest storylines to follow this Spring and it'll be interesting to see if the results of the Spring send any players into the transfer portal.