Blake Baker confident in LSU football's pass rush during fall camp

LSU football faced a depth problem at defensive end heading into the offseason. It addressed by keeping multiple highly-rated 2026 commits and bringing in proven talent from the transfer portal. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker shared confidence in the group during fall camp.

Baker highlighted Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen and Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross, saying he’s seen “a lot of growth” since their arrival in the spring. He also highlighted redshirt junior Dylan Carpenter, who developed into a key depth piece in 2025.

“Dylan Carpenter is a guy that he’s absolutely been outstanding,” Baker said. “When you talk about where he came in as a freshman to where he is now, you know, you don’t see that much anymore because a lot of times they’ll leave before that, but, man, I can’t be more complimentary to him.”

The Tigers lack experience down the depth chart past their starters on the defensive line, but Baker showed confidence in young guys like five-star true freshman Lamar Brown and redshirt sophomore Kolaj Cobbins. He feels LSU displays balance with different strengths, which will be the key to success.

“I feel good about our depth,” Baker said. “I think we have some really good explosion off the edge as well and they’re all complimentary of each other. Some guys have really good strengths in one area compared to another, so we’re going to be able to play around with those weapons.”

Baker coaches a philosophy that a healthy pass rush leads to more interceptions and success in the secondary, saying “rush and coverage work together.” He pointed out that LSU only had four fumble recoveries as a way to say the purple and gold must generate more pressure on the quarterback, another thing the staff is hammering home during fall camp.

“When you look back at us last year, we have a great pass rush and maybe just weren’t able to close and finish on the quarterback,” Baker said. “You see us being a lot more proactive, coaching strips on the ball and punches at the ball and trying to increase that number, but definitely the better the rush, usually the more interceptions you have.”

• 91 career pressures, 12 sacks, 13 hits, 66 hurries, 1 batted pass, 46 tackles, 20 assists, 47 stops (Stats from PFF)

91 career pressures, 12 sacks, 13 hits, 66 hurries, 1 batted pass, 46 tackles, 20 assists, 47 stops (Stats from PFF)

Jordan Ross signed with Tennessee as a five-star recruit in 2024. There were flashes of brilliance in Knoxville, but Ross never quite put it all together. Baker’s praise of Ross is a good sign for the Tigers’ defense as Ross hopes to have a breakout year in 2026. Last year, Ross racked up 13 pressures and two sacks with Tennessee. He posted a pass rush grade of 81.1, which was among the best in the SEC.