LSU Tigers Fall Camp Intel: The Latest on LSU's Defensive Line Depth

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers prepare for Day 14 of Fall Camp, defensive tackle room showing improvement.

Brian Kelly and the LSU program have reached the midway point of Fall Camp with the coaching staff continuing to evaluate the defensive tackle depth.

Veteran Jacobian Guillory, the longest tenured member of the defensive line room, has asserted himself as the leader in the locker room.

Position coach Bo Davis continues working through preseason practices with his unit, but who has stepped up during camp?

A look into who's stood out, who's trending in the right direction and who is pushing for snaps come Week 1 against the USC Trojans.

The LSU Defensive Tackle Depth

The First-Team: Jacobian Guillory and Gio Paez

If the season started today, Jacobian Guillory and Wisconsin transfer Gio Paez would be LSU's starting defensive tackles. Guillory is the heartbeat of the interior defensive line and has proven that throughout camp.

After suffering an injury scare on Tuesday, Guillory returned as a full participant on Wednesday with no current worries surrounding the left knee.

For Paez, he's still coming into his own as a starting caliber player in the SEC, but will be relied on heavily this season. He's impressed in flashes during 1v1 reps against the LSU offensive line and is trending in the right direction for the program.

“It’s a faster tempo than I was accustomed to in the Big 10," Paez said earlier this week. "We don’t really have teams that are up on it like this. There’s a drill we do to get us conditioned and get us able to adjust in the heat of the moment and do our jobs effectively. It’s exciting, you look at what we do and what coach Sloan does [with the offense], and I’m looking forward to being apart of this team.”

He's looking to make a difference by utilizing his experiecne and physicality. It's a new-look defensive line and Paez and utlizing his experiecne to make a difference.

“I bring physicality, a [veteran’s] mentality and leadership. I’ve been in college football and I’m going into my sixth season. I’m 23, so every year I’m stacking experience and relatability among other people," Paez said. "We have a room without much experience, so I need to convey a message to them in a certain way depending on the person and I’m here to do my job.”

The #LSU Practice Report:

- Gren Penn with a pair of sacks. One of his best days of camp.
- DaShawn Spears with an INT in 11v11.
- Jay’Viar Suggs showing flashes with the DL 2’s.
- Ashton Stamps with 2 PBUs. Consistency showing.
- Jacobian Guillory returned.

Day 11 wrapped up. pic.twitter.com/kbmSm8dGot

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) August 14, 2024

The Backups: Jay'viar Suggs, Shone Washington, Dominick McKinley, Kimo Makane'ole and Jalen Lee

After Guillory and Paez, it's Shone Washington and Jay'viar Suggs who have turned heads the most during camp. Both players filled in with the first-team on Tuesday when Guillory went down.

Washington has improved seemingly every day during camp with three 1v1 wins on Monday. He's improving well under Bo Davis and will be a name to keep tabs on. The same goes for Grand Valley State transfer Jay'viar Suggs.

Second-year Tiger Jalen Lee is back in the mix, but the belief is that both Washington and Suggs have passed him on the depth chart and will be in the two-deep come Week 1 against USC.

The name everyone wants to hear about: Dominick McKinley.

The five-star freshman will play in 2024. He's beginning to improve his technique under Davis and it's evident the program is ramping up his reps.

The physical traits are clear. At 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, McKinley looks the part as an SEC defensive tackle and it's only a matter of time until he works into the two-deep depth chart.

Davis and Co. will continue evaluating the depth of the interior defensive line with players emerging in Week 3. With the final practice of the week coming on Saturday, Week 4 will be telling in which direction the coaching staff is going in.

More LSU News:

Fall Camp Week 3 Preview: Storylines, Position Battles and Depth Chart Predictions

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

The Eye-Catchers: Who's Standing Out During Fall Camp?

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