As LSU football enters the 2026 season loaded with new talent, new coaches, and new energy, the team is held to new standards to produce success all season long. That means being successful in their daunting SEC schedule and getting one step closer to proving dominance over the conference for the first time in recent years. And there's one sneaky weapon that the program has that could ultimately decide the Tigers' victory as SEC champions.The Daunting DefenseAlabama running back Najee Harris (22) is stoped by LSU defensive end Glen Logan (97) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday November 9, 2019.
Bama959 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectOne of Lane Kiffin's most important moves this offseason was securing Blake Baker's stay at LSU after the head coaching change, signing a record-setting three-year, $9.3 million contract. In his fourth season, Baker is still creating a mean defense for LSU's dominance, developing players into first-round draft picks, and holding some of the toughest offenses in college football. And to no surprise, Baker has done it again. With the No. 2-ranked defensive unit in the nation. That doesn't just enable a fear factor, but puts them far beyond "guaranteed success." With Oregon seen as a team holding the unofficial No. 1 spot for defensive unit rankings, the Tigers' defense is already dominating the conference on paper. While the entire side of the ball earned that ranking early, there's a reigning position group that stands as a sneaky weapon within the roster. Defensive End DominanceLSU Tigers defensive end Ali Gaye (11), linebacker Greg Penn III (30), linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (40) and cornerback Mekhi Garner (2) celebrate an interception against Auburn as the Auburn Tigers take on the LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
