Shutdown Corners: The Cornerstone of LSU's Dominant Defense

The 2010 LSU defense returns only four starters from the 2009 team that ranked 11th nationally in scoring and 26th in total defense. But, despite the youth and inexperience, the Tiger defense is as confident as ever.

"It's definitely the most talented and the most speedy defense I've been on since I've been here," said veteran Linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, who contributed 110 tackles in 2009. "I've played with a lot of great players. But this defense is definitely the fastest and the most talented."

The defense will undoubtedly be anchored by Sheppard (Senior) and cornerback Patrick Peterson (Junior), but the talent goes much deeper than these two.

The defensive line will be led by a pair of seniors in Drake Nevis and Lazarius Levingston, but will be dependent on some young guys with little or no college experience stepping in immediately.

Ego Ferguson, a highly touted high school recruit, will likely see playing time and could be the solidifying piece on the defensive line, but look for Defensive Coordinator John Chavis to rotate a host of undersized guys on the defensive line to take advantage of fresh legs and a plethora of speed.

Among these undersized linemen are Barkevious Mingo and Jordan Allen. Both from West Monroe High School, this tandem can bring tremendous speed from the edge.

As with the defensive line, the linebacking corp, with the exception of Kelvin Sheppard

, is very young and undersized but boasts a ton of speed, athleticism, and potential.  Sheppard will definitely have his hands full directing all of the young players that will make up the LSU front seven.

The secondary will, in all probability, be the most solid part of the 2010 LSU defense, with shutdown bookends in Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne.  These two cornerbacks could be the best tandem in college football and opposing quarterbacks and receivers will get little or no relief if either ever has to leave the game because of the depth that LSU has at the position.

Freshmen Tyrann Mathieu is being praised by John Chavis as a name that everyone should get familiar with. 

“A name I’m going to tell you that you need to know is Tyrann Mathieu,” Chavis said. “I think he’s caught everybody’s eye. He’s a guy that we expect to grow and a guy we expect probably to play some as a freshman. Certainly, he is very talented.”

And it’s not just the coaching staff praising Mathieu’s abilities. It also the guys he is competing with for a cornerback position.

“He is way ahead of where I was at this time last year,” Morris Claiborne said. “Without a doubt, he is one of the best young corners I’ve seen.”

The coaching staff is also very impressed with the progress that junior cornerback Ron Brooks has made. He has really impressed everyone and the feeling in the LSU locker room is that they have four cornerbacks capable of starting.

So despite the abundance of youth and inexperience, the LSU Tigers should have a very capable and possibly dominant defense in 2010.  This may be necessary as the offense is still a big question mark.  Keeping the score down and scoring a few non-offensive touchdowns could be exactly what the doctor ordered for LSU this season.