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Top 101 LSU football players of all time: No. 30-21

Will Rosenblatt
·7 min read
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Earlier this year, I began a countdown of the top 101 players in LSU football’s history.

The countdown resumes today, as we enter the top 30 and really start looking at the best of the best. Before we get started, a reminder of the notes and criteria used when putting this list together.

  • I’ve tried my best to avoid recency bias.

  • Emphasis was placed on players who received all-American honors and other accolades. Leaders of championship teams received a boost as well.

  • I gave coach and eyewitness quotes about players significant emphasis.

  • Players who made significant contributions over multiple years were given priority over single-season stars. Production mattered more than talent.

No. 30 - Tyler Lafauci

We’re going heavy on the offensive line today and beginning with Tyler Lafauci. Lafauci was first-team all-American in 1973 and second-team all-SEC in 1972.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

He might be a little bit higher than his resume suggests, but he made contributions on both sides of the ball and LSU didn’t have many standout linemen in this era.

LSU’s team success during Lafacui’s tenure also gives him a boost.

No. 29 - Kevin Mawae

(AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

We begin with an offensive lineman in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Kevin Mawae took a redshirt his first year on campus but started seven games at left tackle as a redshirt freshman. He excelled right away, making the Freshman All-SEC team.

In the three years that followed, Mawae was a versatile force on the offensive line. He played all over and served as LSU’s center his senior year. He received all-conference recognition twice and was an all-American in 1993. LSU inducted him into its hall of fame in 2007.

Mawae followed up his LSU career by spending 16 years in the NFL where he was on eight all-pro teams, seven of which were first-team. He made eight pro bowls too and was on the NFL’s all-decade team in the 2000s.

No. 28 - Alan Faneca

Andy Lyons/Allsport

We’re going with back-to-back offensive linemen who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Faneca’s stint as a Tiger came just after Mawae’s.

He was one of the SEC’s best freshmen in 1995 before earning making all-conference teams his next three years. Faneca’s best campaign came in his final year where he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, given to college football’s best interior linemen.

He was a member of an offensive line that cleared paths for Kevin Faulk, LSU’s all-time leading rusher. In the NFL, he was named first-team all-pro on six different occasions and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

No. 27 - Warren Capone

Capone was a standout linebacker for LSU in the early 70’s. He was first-team all-American twice. He’s the only LB in LSU history to accomplish that.

With Capone leading the defense in ’72 and ’73, LSU finished top three in scoring defense both years. Capone is one of the best defenders in LSU history and was a member of some really good LSU teams.

No. 26 - Doc Fenton

We’re going way, way back again. Doc Fenton played at LSU in the early 1900s. I gave a couple of these guys a boost because of the role they played in establishing LSU as a legit program.

Fenton, playing quarterback, led LSU to its first undefeated season in 1908. LSU averaged 44.3 points per game that year, including a game where the Tigers hung 88 on Baylor.

LSU had the best offense in football with Fenton under center and may have been the best team in the country.

No. 25 - Devin White

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, this is one where I may have let some recency bias slip in, but its hard to watch what White did at LSU and not put him this high. White was a defining player of the [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] era at LSU. He was left just before LSU’s title run in 2019, but White helped set the culture in 2018.

White won the Butkus award in 2018, given to the best linebacker in the country. LSU named White its team MVP as he helped lead the Tigers to a 10-3 record.

He was selected fifth overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which made him the highest pick of any linebacker in LSU history.

White’s speed and size at that position was something different. He took over games and gave LSU flexibility on defense. It’s rare to see a playmaker at middle linebacker, but White was just that.

No. 24 Corey Webster

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Webster is one of the most decorated defensive backs at a school known for its defensive backs. He began his career as a wide receiver but soon moved to corner in 2002.

All he did in 2002 was lead the SEC in interceptions, largely in part due to his three-interception performance at Florida.

Webster emerged as one of the best defenders in the country, earning all-American honors in 2003 and 2004. He was a member of Nick Saban’s title team at LSU and picked off 2003 Heisman winner Jason White in the championship game.

Webster’s 16 interceptions rank second in LSU history. The New York Giants selected Webster in the second round. Webster would go on to win two Super Bowls.

No. 23 - Tyson Jackson

(Photo by G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

Jackson is one of the best defensive linemen in LSU history and received all-conference honors twice. Jackson was selected third overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. Up until [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] tied that mark, Jackson was the only LSU defender to be picked that high.

He led LSU’s 2007 title team with 15 QB hurries and added 10 pass breakups to go along with it. His size and athleticism made him a force to be dealt. He was a factor defending the run and pass.

Jackson is top 10 in LSU history in sacks and tackles for loss.

No. 22 - Leonard Fournette

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Very few players generated as much hype as [autotag]Leonard Fournette[/autotag] did when he stepped on campus. Fournette, a running back, was the top player in his class and a native of Louisiana.

Fournette joined a crowded running back room but emerged as LSU’s top back as the 2014 season progressed. In 2015, Fournette went on a tear. He put up 1,953 yards in 12 games. If the season opener wasn’t canceled, Fournette would have joined the 2,000-yard club.

Fournette began 2015 with seven straight games of 150 yards or more. He was a different type of athlete carrying the ball and one of the most impressive backs LSU has ever had.

Defenders didn’t want to meet Fournette running downhill in open space. He could run you over or had the athleticism to make you miss. Fournette was selected fourth overall in the 2017 draft and remains a productive NFL player.

No. 21 - Marcus Spears

Preston Mack-USA TODAY Sports

[autotag]Marcus Spears[/autotag] has made a name for himself as one of sports television’s most prominent talk show commentators, but before that, he was a dominant force on LSU’s defensive front.

Spears arrived at LSU as one of the top high school prospects in the country. His athletic ability was rare and it would eventually make him a first-round pick in the NFL draft.

He played offense and defense as a freshman in 2001 but went defense full-time in 2002. He had a pick-six in LSU’s national title win in 2003. He was first-team all-SEC that year.

In 2004, he was all-American and considered one of the best defenders in the country as he was a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Lombardi awards. Spears spent a good amount of time with the Dallas Cowboys before finishing his career with the Ravens in 2013.

Previous Rankings

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Story originally appeared on LSU Tigers Wire