Blake Baker elevates LSU's defense behind elite linebacker play

LSU’s linebacker group had the toughest task entering this season, with expectations of being the heartbeat of this defensive unit under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker. Harold Perkins, Greg Penn, Whit Weeks and West Weeks all returned giving the unit quality experience and elite playmaking potential to lead the way, but through the first five games of the year, it was a mixed bag in terms of results.

Penn at times looked slow, Perkins continued to struggle finding his role, Whit Weeks was uncomfortable in his run fits and West Weeks continued to battle injuries. As a result, the defense was reacting instead of being the aggressors. Baker went to a 4-3 defense as a result of the secondary struggles, but it didn’t help, continuing to yield yards to mediocre offenses.

Then LSU flipped the page over the bye week. With Harold Perkins out for the season and West Weeks out for a prolonged stretch of time, the pressure on Whit Weeks and Penn turned up significantly – and they stepped up. Baker dedicated all of the first team reps to the 4-2-5 defense with those two at the heart of his plan and therefore getting the best out of them.

In back-to-back wins over Ole Miss and Arkansas, Weeks has totaled 28 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble. Penn has been right behind him, with 15 tackles and a forced fumble of his own. Weeks has played 133 of the 134 defensive snaps the last two games, while Penn has played 113 of the 134.

Together, they’ve helped fuel a defensive resurgence that has LSU as a top-10 team and hungry for more.

“That’s what we expect. We’re the LSU Fightin’ Tigers, that’s how you’d expect us to play,” Whit Weeks said after the Arkansas win. “I’m proud of our guys. It’s so fun to be out there with my ten other brothers out there on the field. I know the group of guys we got and I’m taking us over anybody. 

“I really credit coach Baker. There’s so much more that I can do. There were plays out I should have made but I didn’t and coach Baker is going to get on me for them and he’ll coach me up good.”

Building depth and relationships at LSU

Coach Baker’s work with Penn and Weeks should be commended, but he’s begun to bring the younger players along as well. Against Arkansas, Davhon Keys played 11 snaps and made four tackles. Xavier Atkins played 11 snaps late with most coming in coverage at middle linebacker. The two are now firmly in the two-deep and will continue to hover in that 10-15 snaps per game range moving forward as true freshmen.

Blake Baker has completely restructured and reshaped LSU’s defense this season, including unique blitzes, a clear identity, and a redeemable swagger that the Tigers have lacked in recent years. The players continue to put it on the line for their new defensive coordinator and it has resulted in a seismic step forward for his unit.

“Clearly, there’s a connection there through belief, trust, and the ability to build a relationship with the players that fosters that,” Kelly said of Baker. “Relationships require time and Blake puts in the time with them. He’s around the building all the time. During the summer he’s here. It’s the only way you can build relationships. You can’t just show up on Saturday and [expect it to work]. It’s the time he puts in and because of that, he has built really good relationships based on that trust.”