Jacobian Guillory reacts to role as veteran in defensive line group

LSU surprised a lot of people by winning 10 games in its first season under coach Brian Kelly‘s direction, leading many to wonder if the Tigers can take the next step in 2023. A veteran defensive line group might just make that possible.

The Tigers were hamstrung a bit last year by a season-ending injury to Maason Smith early in the year. Now he’ll be back, along with a host of other talented players, like redshirt junior tackle Jacobian Guillory, in an extremely veteran defensive line group.

“It’s why you come to LSU,” Guillory said this spring. “Coming here I already knew we were going to be deep at defensive line and I was going to have to wait my turn. I kind of got in there a little bit, but this year I’m trying to take that next step. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”

The spring provided a bit of a different experience for Guillory, in particular. No longer is he waiting in the wings after racking up 23 tackles and a half sack over the last three seasons. He’s expected to play a much bigger role this fall.

“I’m the oldest guy in the room. It’s different,” Guillory said. “I’m so used to letting everybody else go first and then here go my turn. Now me and Sai’vion (Jones) going first. Now I’m the old head in the room. I’m telling these boys, ‘No hands on the hips, let’s go, you’ve got to finish the day.’ With the group we’ve got now and everybody we’ve got coming in I still expect us to be one of the best defensive lines in the country.”

Additional motivation has been welcome in the group. The Tigers have a chance to have a special year, with quarterback Jayden Daniels back and some experience at virtually every position.

If LSU can be even better in the trenches, all the better. The good news is guys like Guillory have managed to learn from the veterans in front of them. Now they’re looking to pass down those lessons to help LSU’s veteran defensive line group turn into one of the best in the nation.

“Watching, before I got here, watching Rashard (Lawrence). Then getting here watching Neil (Farrell), watching someone in my class, Jaquelin (Roy) do it, I’ve had so many teachers,” Guillory said. “Those are still my brothers, they’re my boys, but like they taught me so much. Sometimes me and Jaquelin will bump heads, me and Neil will bump heads, me and Jaquelin will bump heads. I ain’t never bump heads with Rashard, but it’s just them teaching me how to be one of the best D-tackles on the field.

“That’s what my goal is. But I know Maason has that goal, Jordan (Jefferson) got that goal, Sai’vion got that goal. We all have that same goal of being the best defensive line out there.”