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LSU football suffered a gut-wrenching loss in the first week of spring practice, with LSU edge rusher Gabe Reliford suffering an ACL tear that will likely keep him off the field for most, if not all, of the 2026 season.
Reliford, a former four-star recruit, was expected to make a serious impact in his junior season for the Tigers. He played three games last season before a rotator cuff injury ended his season, but Reliford showed some real potential in that short stretch.
Now, it appears Tigers fans will likely have to wait another year before getting to see Reliford fully unleashed.
In the meantime, LSU needs to figure out how to replace Reliford’s production. The Tigers did a solid job of adding impact players through the transfer portal, but the edge position still seems a bit thin beyond transfer Princewill Umanmielen. Here are two Tigers who are the top candidates to replace Reliford on the Tigers’ defense.
Ross signed with Tennessee out of high school, ranked as the No. 9 overall player and No. 1 edge in the 2024 recruiting class, but his first two seasons in Knoxville didn’t feature the level of play you’d expect from that caliber of recruit. However, with his athletic profile and 6-5, 246-pound frame, Ross was still a top transfer, ranked as the No. 6 edge rusher in the portal by 247Sports.
Although he didn’t get many starts, Ross showed flashes of brilliance. His 16.1% pass rush win rate was a top 10 mark among SEC edge rushers with 100 or more pass rush snaps, per PFF. His 13 pressures and two sacks on the season were far from impressive, but if he can develop some this offseason under LSU defensive line coach Sterling Lucas, Ross could make a serious impact this upcoming season.
Although LSU has edge rushers Jaylen Brown, Damien Shanklin, and Dylan Carpenter on the roster, some believe Brown — a true freshman — could see significant reps on the edge for LSU in 2026. Brown was the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, and at 6-4 and 295 pounds, he's expected to play defensive end for the Tigers next season.
Although Brown aligned mostly along the interior defensive line in high school, he appears to have the athletic ability to be a force outside as well. With the depth LSU has on the interior of the defensive line coming into next season, it would be fantastic if Brown could make an impact on the edge during his freshman year — especially given the Reliford news.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football loses key defender: Who will step up in his place?
Continue reading...
Reliford, a former four-star recruit, was expected to make a serious impact in his junior season for the Tigers. He played three games last season before a rotator cuff injury ended his season, but Reliford showed some real potential in that short stretch.
Now, it appears Tigers fans will likely have to wait another year before getting to see Reliford fully unleashed.
In the meantime, LSU needs to figure out how to replace Reliford’s production. The Tigers did a solid job of adding impact players through the transfer portal, but the edge position still seems a bit thin beyond transfer Princewill Umanmielen. Here are two Tigers who are the top candidates to replace Reliford on the Tigers’ defense.
Jordan Ross
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Ross signed with Tennessee out of high school, ranked as the No. 9 overall player and No. 1 edge in the 2024 recruiting class, but his first two seasons in Knoxville didn’t feature the level of play you’d expect from that caliber of recruit. However, with his athletic profile and 6-5, 246-pound frame, Ross was still a top transfer, ranked as the No. 6 edge rusher in the portal by 247Sports.
Although he didn’t get many starts, Ross showed flashes of brilliance. His 16.1% pass rush win rate was a top 10 mark among SEC edge rushers with 100 or more pass rush snaps, per PFF. His 13 pressures and two sacks on the season were far from impressive, but if he can develop some this offseason under LSU defensive line coach Sterling Lucas, Ross could make a serious impact this upcoming season.
Lamar Brown
Although LSU has edge rushers Jaylen Brown, Damien Shanklin, and Dylan Carpenter on the roster, some believe Brown — a true freshman — could see significant reps on the edge for LSU in 2026. Brown was the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, and at 6-4 and 295 pounds, he's expected to play defensive end for the Tigers next season.
Although Brown aligned mostly along the interior defensive line in high school, he appears to have the athletic ability to be a force outside as well. With the depth LSU has on the interior of the defensive line coming into next season, it would be fantastic if Brown could make an impact on the edge during his freshman year — especially given the Reliford news.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football loses key defender: Who will step up in his place?
Continue reading...
