LSU’s Jack Pyburn praises Kevin Peoples, growth of defense

When LSU brought in transfer edge Jack Pyburn, it came with the expectation that the Tigers would be improved in the run defense category. The pitch for Pyburn, though, focused mainly on his potential development as a pass rusher under the tutelage of Kevin Peoples.  

“Coach Peoples has helped me tremendously with my footwork, hands, eyes, and just being able to kind of play within my skill set. Also, expanding my skill set is the biggest thing. So, I think he’s helped me really improve as a player, honestly,” Pyburn told the media on Friday. “Just the detail of my handwork, strike placement in the run game and in the pass game, playing with levers, longer, bigger steps, quicker get off. Overall, I’m just a much more athletic human right now than I’ve ever been. So, when you have a coach who teaches you how to do things the right way and provides the fundamentals you need and then caters to your exact skill set, it’s the perfect combination.”

The early returns on the defense from fall camp have been overwhelmingly positive. The limited media viewing windows have given reporters a sense of confidence that LSU’s defense will improve in year two under Blake Baker. It’s not just along the defensive line, but at all three levels where Pyburn has been impressed.

“All the guys in our room have done a tremendous job if I’m being honest. I think we have tremendous depth in our room and just overall run game. With Harold and Witt, it’s really fun to play behind really good linebackers. It makes my job even easier, and me playing in front of them makes their job a lot easier too,” Pyburn said. “It’s fun to feed off their energy, help each other, and be successful. Finally, at safety, they added a couple of guys who are veterans like you who have played a lot of football.” 

Those veteran additions have been a key topic of conversation throughout LSU’s fall camp. As the media has also observed, the additions at all three levels have led to a higher level of play across the board. The floor of this defense has improved significantly, primarily due to the influx of experienced transfers. 

“Yeah, you can definitely tell a lot of guys on our team have played a lot of ball. You know, just situational awareness is a big thing. Understanding when you can do things and can’t do things, when you can be aggressive, when you need to be a little more passive, and just having that experience and having guys that have played a lot of ball,” Pyburn told the media. “And the best thing is, even though we brought a lot of guys in, you know, the way we’ve meshed together, it feels like we’ve been playing together for a few years, not a few months. It’s pretty special.”