BATON ROUGE, La. (WGNO) — LSU football held its first spring practice open to the media on March 7th. The viewing session itself was the Tigers’ second practice of spring ball, but for the first time in several season, the Purple and Gold had two key coaches back on the defensive staff: former linebackers coach turned defensive coordinator Blake Baker and DBU’s founding father and secondary coach Corey Raymond.
“I like the way we’re coaching, what we’re demanding and the attention to the real details of playing defense, and we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, understanding the basic tenets of playing really good defense. You can see that early on. We’re going to see a defense that’s going to play with a lot of energy, a lot of excitement. I know that our guys are excited. You can see just by the way they’re practicing over the last couple of days,” Kelly said.
The Tigers also hired Bo Davis as its new defensive line coach.
Baker’s return to the Red Stick could benefit one player more than anyone else: linebacker Harold Perkins, Jr. During Baker’s last year in the Purple and Gold, the new defensive coordinator guided former Tiger Damone Clark to a breakout season, leading the country in total tackles and ended 2022 as a Butkus Award finalist. Kelly has planned to move Perkins back inside, and Baker’s presence has added to the transition.
“I think collectively, Harold, myself and Blake felt like this is a place that is going to maximize his potential. This is the ability to get into different looks with him and utilizing his ability to be a multi-dimensional player. He knows the clock’s ticking. There’s a sense of urgency. I think you see a committed player, a new voice in Blake. I believe it’s his best opportunity to make that next step,” Kelly continued.
From the second to third level, Raymond’s return to the Tigers could signal the return of DBU and turning LSU’s defensive Achilles’ heel (defensive backs) back into its strong suit. The secondary coach has been known as a recruiter, but his coaching has already caught the Tigers’ head coach’s attention.
“I’ve been really happy with Corey’s attention to detail, his interaction with the defensive backs in particular. We’ve got a number of guys and some new players. He’s got a whole group of guys that he’s had to reintroduce himself to. Everybody talks about his recruiting, and it’s outstanding. What I’ve been impressed with is his ability to engage and connect with the players that are here now,” Kelly finished.
LSU’s next open practice will be on March 21st.
Click the video to view Kelly’s full post-practice presser.
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