How Maason Smith's reported suspension hurts LSU football vs. Florida State
BATON ROUGE — LSU football defensive tackle Maason Smith will be unavailable to play in the Tigers' season opener against No. 8 Florida State in Orlando on Sept. 3 (6:30 p.m., ABC), according to The Advocate.
The NCAA suspended Smith for a game for receiving an "improper benefit," according to the report.
The rematch with the Seminoles was supposed to be Smith's return to the field after the former five-star recruit missed nearly the entirety of last season with a torn ACL, an injury he suffered on LSU's first defensive series of the season against Florida State in New Orleans.
Smith will eventually return. But his absence, although brief, is a major blow for LSU's defense against the Seminoles' lethal attack.
LSU football: How Maason Smith's absence hurts the Tigers vs. Florida State
The Tigers already enter this matchup with question marks at cornerback. Ohio State transfer JK Johnson's left leg injury and Texas A&M transfer Denver Harris's underperforming at preseason practices have left LSU with a cornerback room that is unproven and light on depth.
And right off the bat, they'll be going up against one of the best passing attacks in college football.
Florida State brings back quarterback Jordan Travis, a potential Heisman Trophy candidate this season. He threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the win over LSU a year ago.
The Seminoles also return wideout Johnny Wilson and add Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman. Both receivers led their respective teams in receiving yards a year ago.
LSU's secondary — and specifically its projected starters at cornerback in Duce Chestnut and Zy Alexander — was going to need a lot of help from its pass rush in order to contain Wilson and Coleman. And between Smith, Harold Perkins, Ovie Oghoufo, Bradyn Swinson and others, LSU seemingly had the pieces upfront to keep the Seminoles' offense off balance.
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But without Smith, LSU loses its best pass rusher on the defensive line, as the Tigers may not have the necessary pass-rushing juice to make life easier for their secondary. Smith had four sacks in seven games his freshman season, displaying the promise that made him the top prospect in Louisiana's 2021 class.
Jacobian Guillory, Florida transfer Jalen Lee or West Virginia transfer Jordan Jefferson will start in Smith's stead. The Tigers have more depth than they had a year ago when they had to survive Smith's absence for nearly an entire season, but none of their potential replacements provide the same explosiveness or pass-rushing presence that Smith was supposed to bring.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football: Maason Smith suspension impact vs. Florida State
