Depends on if Tyson Jackson and Darry Beckwith come back and if Kirston Pittman gets another year. These three things pan out and I think the defense will be in good shape....if not, young and talented.
I believe that Jackson, Beckwith and Pittman all come back to play next season. It would be a case of being foolish to come out prematurely, especially Jackson who would be losing millions of dollars in being drafted as a 3rd rounder vs a top 15 first rounder in 2009. Simply foolish, and I think he realizes what's best for him. Factor in Patrick Johnson starting at one of the cornerback positions by the time we play our SEC schedule (game 4), along with Chad Jones at safety, and our backfield will be just fine. Remember, Johnson is enrolling in the spring, so he can get up to speed quickly. And with the new DC bringing in a new scheme, the other DBs won't have nearly the edge they would have had on him otherwise. Lots of blitzing, an overly aggressive defense is what you will see next year. Throw in Ricky Jean-Francois for good measure, and this defense will be much better than what we were maybe anticipating. National Championships are possible for the next 4-5 years. EVERY YEAR. Not just every odd year. Phuck that. We're LSU. We ain't going nowhere. We're your worst nightmare. Deal with it.
Oh, I forgot about Mr. Charles Alexander. Geez, we're stacked beyond belief. Only concern is the outside linebackers. But I think they will come into their own (Sheppard and Riley). The domination by the D-line will help overcome any shortcoming in the linebacking corps however.
Why would Pittman come back? This is probably his best shot at the NFL now. He's had a hard time staying healthy and I believe this is his best shot to play on Sundays. There is no guarantee he'll stay healthy next year. Next year,the defense will be young, uber-talented with some growing pains early. It' s way too early to project starters.
Amen. I believe this is the first seson in a string of about 4 to 5 in a row where we will be in the hunt for the title EVERY season. Like you said, everyone else can deal with it, because quite frankly, I'm a little sick and tired of hearing about USC being the powerhouse. I think Miles and the gang will have a little something to say about that.
We've been in the hunt for the past several years too, this is not the "First seson in a string" to come. Oh, and USC has been and will also be a powerhouse in the next few years, for certain, too.
