LSU football lost defensive back Da'Shawn Spears for the season. Spears left LSU's Week 3 loss to Ole Miss and didn't return. Spears needed to be helped off the field, and the fears were confirmed on Sunday as Spears was diagnosed with a torn ACL.
Spears was a critical piece of Blake Baker's defense. At the star position, Spears played nickelback, linebacker, and safety for the Tigers. He did it all, even spending a few reps rushing the passer off the edge. Spears signed with LSU as a four-star recruit in 2024 and was emerging as one of the SEC's best defenders. Losing Spears hurts the Tigers.
LSU doesn't have another player like Spears on the roster. LSU has capable defenders who can fill in, but none possess all of the skills Spears has.
LSU's
defense will look a little different moving forward. Let's look at what DaShawn Spears' injury means for Blake Baker and the LSU defense.
LSU will shift its personnel
LSU initially replaced Spears with CJ Jimcoily, a 6-foot-3 sophomore linebacker from Nashville. Jimcoily was a blue-chip recruit when he signed with LSU but had very little SEC game experience when he entered on Saturday. The early returns weren't great, and LSU made a change.
LSU sent safety Jhase Thomas on the field to play a traditional safety role, while using TaMarcus Cooley and sometimes Ty Benefield in the star role. Given LSU played much better with this alignment, I would expect it to be the personnel moving forward.
Thomas drew buzz throughout fall camp but didn't earn a starting spot among LSU's experienced safety group. Now, with the Spears injury, Thomas will get his chance.
TaMarcus Cooley will be tested as a box player
The STAR role asks players to be more versatile than a traditional safety. The position requires the skill to play linebacker and nickelback. TaMarcus Cooley will be tested, especially as a run stopper. PFF lists Cooley at 208 pounds, a decent weight for a defensive back. However, Cooley is six feet and doesn't have the length of the 6-foot-3 Spears. That can make it harder to take on blocks.
Still, Cooley is no stranger to playing in the box. Last year, Cooley played 226 snaps in the box. Through three games in 2026, Cooley has played 46 snaps in the box.
Baker also likes to use this position to blitz. We'll see if that changes with Cooley in the spot, as he's totaled only three combined pressures since arriving at LSU.
Cooley's coverage ability shouldn't be much of a concern. Cooley has roughly the same man-coverage skills as Spears, so we shouldn't see much change from a pass-defense standpoint.
What should LSU expect from Jhase Thomas?
Thomas filled in admirably vs. Ole Miss, earning LSU's top PFF grade with a 78.6 mark. Thomas made three stops and one reception for four yards. LSU will take that.
LSU needs a similar performance from Thomas on Saturday. Blake Baker plays an aggressive style of defense, which means the last line of defense is critical to preventing big plays. Texas A&M likes to throw the ball downfield, and the Aggies rely on big plays. If Thomas is caught out of position, LSU will surrender points.
But there's enough to suggest Thomas is on the verge of a breakout. He's talented, earned rave reviews throughout the summer, and looked good when given the chance vs. the Rebels. That many good signs are rarely a coincidence.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: What losing Da'Shawn Spears means for the LSU football defense
