re: article on lsu defense and how we are recruiting to move toward a 3-4

Not sure we're fully going to a 3-4 so much as going to a multiple defense to match up to the multiple and diverse offenses we see in our conference.

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A 3-4 scheme vs all these spread teams...idk about that. Maybe more of a under look. Our philosophy on defense has worked these past few years

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Why would lsu go to a 3-4? Louisiana produces a ton of d-lineman and very few linebackers. They would just be shooting themselves in the foot. Has the defense not been great all these years? Just because something is different doesn't mean it's better.

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GREAT points. Look back at the success we have had on DEF since 2004 and it is DRIVEN by the DL and DBs. We have taken hybrid type S's and made them LB's under this scheme. LA is not set up to feed a 3-4 system. Look already at our 2016 commit list. It continues to look like a 4-3 set up with dominant DL play and athletic DB's. While we have a lot of offers to LB's, none are shoe-ins to commit and all appear to be in heavy demand around the SEC and other schools. FIX the qb recruitment/development issue and we will compete for conference titles and NC's, easy day.

Essentially, were recruiting different types of players in the front seven for different situations. We'll still have some 210lb linebackers, and also some 250 backers. We'll have some 34DEs, and also some speed rushers.

You have to realize that we will rarely be in a true base 43 or 34, we'll have 5 or 6 defensive backs on the field the vast majority of the time. just the way the game has transitioned (and where a lot of our studs are)

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I dont remember Tyson Jackson being anything special. Who knows how he was a top 10 pick

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Probably because the professionals are not as smart and special as you. With that special talent you should be a highly sought after player personnel director in the NFL. When do you start your new job?

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Jackson is the one who had to miss regular season then was about to come back for the 2007 BCSNC then dominated OSU.

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no, that was Ricky Jean Francois. the original Freak.

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Can anyone accurately say why LSU would benefit from the 3-4 as opposed to the 4-3?

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Relatively speaking, the 4-3 is a better run defense and the 3-4 is a better pass defense.
Now, that isn't saying that one can't do the other, but the schemes make it easier to accomplish one or the other.

The main difference between the two schemes is at the interior gaps of the offensive line. The 4-3 defense has a lineman for every gap. Whereas the 3-4 requires the nose tackle to have a two-gap responsibly. Now, this is where the personnel becomes an issue. It's hard to find an elite NT. The NT has to keep the lineman off of the linebackers and free them up to make plays. If the center/guard can get to the second level freely, the offense will have pretty good success running unless the defense commits extra men to focus on the A/B gaps.
The positive aspect of the 3-4 is that you can put more versatile players on the field. You are trading a DT for a LB. Therefore, better coverage, better blitz packages, and more flexibility in the game plan (if you can stop the run).

The 4-3 is a little nuanced in that the DCo can ask the line to eat blocks and have the LBs play sound gap assignments... Or he can free them up to be playmakers and be disruptive in the backfield. A lot of this depends on both personnel and down/distance. The key position in the 4-3 is the MIddle LB. LSU fans see the difference Beckwith had on the effectiveness of the defense. Just that one position (like the 3-4 NT) makes a huge difference.

So when choosing between the two, modern coaches face several factors:
1) can you get the personnel to run it.
- for the most part... Yes. Unlike the NFL where there are only a handful of guys that can perform at that level, college has enough talent to make it viable.

2) what kind of offenses do you face.
- with the increased popularity of the spread, the need to be better in coverage is starting to outweigh the need to slow down a power run game. More people away from the LoS and crowding passing lanes helps.

3)how are they going to handle the hurry-up.
- it's a lot easier to get OLBs off the field for a rest than DTs.

Both systems work, but lsu just might have decided they like the mix of pros and cons better at the 3-4 than the 4-3.
The saints have recently decided to do the same thing. It's becoming a passing game.

Batting down passes is a huge deal it shakes the qbs confidence , football players usually don't mind being tackled it is part of the game !

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Essentially, were recruiting different types of players in the front seven for different situations. We'll still have some 210lb linebackers, and also some 250 backers. We'll have some 34DEs, and also some speed rushers. You have to realize that we will rarely be in a true base 43 or 34, we'll have 5 or 6 defensive backs on the field the vast majority of the time. just the way the game has transitioned (and where a lot of our studs are)

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I hope you're right about this. I thought I had seen that Steele was not a fan of the so-called "Mustang" package that Chavis ran, and he would not be using it. The only thing that bothers me about the 3-4 is that Alabama uses it a lot, and they can't even slow down a spread offense, much less stop it. Maybe if we have some hybrid safety/linebacker types (Chatman?), I will feel better about it.