"It's a line of scrimmage league." Matt House assesses LSU's D-Line

Matt House knew what he was getting into when he took the defensive coordinator job at LSU ahead of the 2022 season, but there were still eye-opening moments. The veteran coach knew what the SEC was about from his years at Kentucky, but one aspect in particular stood out in every single game.

“It kept reinforcing that it’s still a line of scrimmage league,” House said. “You have to have depth in this league because there is a grind and there’s a wear and tear and there has to be a next man up mentality. That’s why spring is so important.”

On the interior of the defensive line, LSU is without Mekhi Wingo, Maason Smith, and Jordan Jefferson this spring, forcing some new faces to the forefront. Jacobian Guillory is the biggest returning name that fans are waiting to see perform and he’s had plenty of reps so far this spring.

“I’m really pleased with Jacobian’s growth,” House said. “Then you still have Mekhi Wingo who’s at every practice, you still have Maason Smith, so I’m excited by the potential depth of that group. There’s a lot of guys that are growing and that’s exciting.”

With those three out, House has been intrigued to watch the rest of the room work and grow. 

“Mekhi played so many snaps for us, we know what he can be,” House said. “I have a pretty good feel for what Maason can do because he went through a whole training camp and spring. What you see is you get the opportunity to work with guys who really need more reps. It gives you a chance to see that growth. The spring is all about setting the stage for how you’re going to work in the summer and fall camps.”

New focus on JACK Linebacker

LSU promoted John Jancek to an on-the-field coaching position as the new outside linebackers coach, meaning he gets control of the Jack linebacker position. In 2022, BJ Ojulari made the transition with ease and manned the position all year.

Now, LSU has some question marks when it comes to replacing Ojulari. Ovie Oghoufu is an experienced transfer from Texas, Bradyn Swinson is a great athlete who transferred in from Oregon, and Jaxon Howard is an enticing four-star freshman getting his feet wet.

“I’m encouraged by the power in numbers with that group,” House said. “Right now you’ve got four guys that can really compete. Ovie has a lot of experience, but we’re happy with the development of Bradyn, Princeton [Malbrue], and Jaxon. We have a long way to go, but those guys have shown growth potential.”

With LSU in the market for a new defensive line coach, Jancek’s new position on this team is even more important. There are options for him to work with at Jack and House is excited from what he’s seen so far.

“I’m a big John Jancek fan, I love having him out there,” House said, “He gives great energy. He’s a great teacher. He’s been successful in this league. That position has to do so many things. The defensive line plays as part of the front all the time, but the JACK is a little bit different. We can move him all over the palace, we can drop him in coverage, so it’s very important to drill the technical aspect of that position.”