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DL - only the most purple colored glasses believe the front seven for LSU are elite. LaCouture, Gilmore, and Herron may all be seniors, but they frankly haven't been very good (comparatively). If any are NFL quality, it hasn't shown to date, and at best they would be late round draft picks. The two sophomore backups are unknown quality and few if any sophomores can make much of an impact on the DL in the SEC.

Gilmore started all last year at NT and LaCouture started in 2014 and 2015. Both are competent but not great. I actually think two out of the three will lose their spots.

Alexander and Lawrence are both proven because they played a ton last year. Alexander is our best anchor at nose and rarely ever moves back. Rashard isn't as powerful but he's a much better pass rusher. I expect both of them to be great.

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Unfortunately, those five are pretty much all there is. It is hard for a team to play an SEC season with five DL, none of which are a true NG. And right now, ... none of them are SEC team in quality. I do not see this year's DL being as good as last year (which was average)

It's literally the same line as last year. Godchaux had a disappointing year and Neal regressed. The DL goes deeper than just those 5 and Alexander and Shelvin are both true nose tackles.

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RE: LBs. Divinity looks like he will be a SEC quality LB in another year, maybe not elite this year, but serviceable. Key, if he has his problems solved, is a real talent and potential 1st team SEC DE-LB. Right now, I'm not sure how he will be used in a 3-4 scheme that has no true NG. But, White and Alexander would not start at Alabama, or probably not even Auburn. Behind them are... get this two incoming freshmen. No team ever has tried to play a successful SEC season with true freshmen LBs

At this point you're just trolling. LSU was 3-4 last year and Key played buck linebacker. If White wasn't good enough to start anywhere else, why was he a 5 star with offers from everyone? Divinity probably won't even win the F linebacker spot because Corey Thompson is far better in coverage and is fast as hell. Once again, LSU has two true NGs.

The point about the two backups being freshman is valid but wasn't Ben Davis one of the ILB backups at Alabama? Just because they're freshman it doesn't mean they can't play. White as a freshman played a damn good game against Alabama.

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Re: Secondary - LSU lost their starting secondary. They have lots of talent (as does every team in the SEC), but as we know, hanging your hat on the development of a brand new secondary is risky. They might be good individually, but might be confused in play.... or they might be good. In any case, the newness of it is grounds for caution.

LSU didn't lose its entire secondary. It lost White, Adams, Dwayne Thomas (not a starter) and Rickey Jefferson (injured all year)

Donte Jackson, KT2, Battle, and all of the 5 star talent is still there. If they can't find a nickel out of all of the 5 star talent on the bench then we're royally fricked. History has proven otherwise and Raymond is by far the best DB coach in the SEC.

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The two best OLmen are gone, but the good news is that older is better on the OL and maybe the returnees are juiced up. Right now, no one even knows where the returning individuals will play next year, or what type of scheme they will be playing in, or even if they are suited to that scheme. Don't worry, there doesn't seem to be much depth. Are any of the OLmen all-SEC quality? Maybe one

Pocic and Boutte were not the best. Both Clapp and Teuhema were better and the only position that isn't solidified is RG. Expect Clapp and Teuhema to be all-Americans.