LSU’s roster for the 2023 season is starting to take shape as the Tigers added yet another addition from the transfer portal. Oregon State transfer Omar Speights is headed to Baton Rouge as Speights becomes the 11th transfer signee for Brian Kelly. Speights will look to add depth to the linebacker position and will have a chance to make some noise for the Tiger defense heading into next season. With January 18th behind us, that means players who enter the transfer portal will have to wait until the spring window.
Omar Speights Career At Oregon State:
The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native was rated as a four-star recruit before committing to Oregon State. He joined the Beavers in January 2019 in time to participate in spring practices. Speights would see the field in all 12 games during his freshman season and he would be named the Pac-12 Honorable Mention Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Adding to his accolades, Speights would be listed on the Athletic Freshman All-American Team, FWAA Freshman All-America, USA Today Freshman All-America and 247Sports True Freshman All-America.
He would finish the 2019 season second on the team with 73 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Speights would continue that success during the 2020 season as he finished second on the team and in the Pac-12 with 63 tackles. He would also post 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack on the year. Before the 2020 season he would be named on the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 Second Team, Coaches All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, Athlon Sports preseason All-Pac-12 Fourth Team and Phil Steele preseason All-Pac-12 Fourth Team.
The accolades would continue to pile up during the 2021 season for Speights as he would continue to have an impact for the Beavers defense. He would finish the year with 89 tackles with five tackles for loss, half a sack and two interceptions. Speights would have his best season yet for his junior campaign in 2022 as he finished the year with 83 tackles, eight tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. He ended the year with 308 tackles for his career, which is ninth most in the history of the Oregon State program.
For his performance on the field in 2022, Speights would be listed on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List and the Bednarik Award Watch List. In the bowl game against Florida, Speights would post six tackles and two tackles for loss in the win against the Gators in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
What Omar Speights Will Bring To The Tiger Defense:
Speights will be able to fill a void that LSU has at the middle linebacker position. The Tigers lost Micah Baskerville and Mike Jones Jr. to the NFL Draft. While, DeMario Tolan, entered his name into the transfer portal and has committed to join the Auburn Tigers. Along with Speights, LSU will now have five scholarship players at the position. Those players include: Speights, Harold Perkins, Greg Penn III, West Weeks and Whit Weeks. Christian Brathwaite won’t be joining the team until the summer.
Speights was one of the coveted defensive players that Brian Kelly and his staff made an all-out push to land the veteran linebacker. The inside linebacker spot was LSU’s biggest hole heading into the offseason and Speights will be the clear starter for the quarterback of the defense. The linebacker core is filled with talent, but there is youth involved. Speights will be able to provide that veteran experience and leadership to be able to take charge of the linebacker room.
Coming off a breakout year last season, there is only room for improvement for the Philadelphia native and he will have a chance to prove what he is capable of against SEC offenses. If Speights can put up more big numbers for the 2023 season he will only see his draft stock improve heading into next year’s draft.
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