LSU Football Depth Chart: Predicting LSU's interior defensive line

LSU football's defense has a chance to be elite in 2026. The Tigers were strong under Blake Baker in 2025, finishing as a top-15 unit nationally. Baker has delivered dramatic improvement in each of his two seasons in Baton Rouge, so it was no surprise when new head coach Lane Kiffin sought to retain LSU's defensive playcaller.

LSU's defense has a top-five ceiling this fall. Baker's return allowed LSU to embrace continuity on the defensive side of the ball. Along with impact returners, LSU added talent from the transfer portal, too.

But if this defense is to be national championship-caliber, it starts up front. A strong interior defensive line is critical when building a top-notch defense. It's hard to make a deep playoff run without one. Strong nose tackles are the heart of a good run defense, athletic three-techs can rush the passer and collapse the pocket from the inside, something even the most polished quarterbacks hate dealing with.

Today, we'll take a look at LSU's projected interior defensive line. A mix of returnees, transfer signees, and true freshmen should allow LSU's defensive line to be one of the best in the SEC.

Nose Tackle

Baker doesn't use a traditional nose tackle -- LSU spends most of its snaps in over and under fronts, meaning there's a 3-tech and a 1-tech. For our purposes, we'll call the 1-tech the nose.

Starter: Dominick McKinley

McKinley, entering year three at LSU, took a sizeable step forward in 2025. McKinley was a role player on LSU's 2024 defense, but last year, played 370 snaps in a near fulltime role. McKinley made seven stops while racking up eight pressures. Stats don't tell the full story, though. McKinley's was a physical presence and his size opened oppurtunities for playmakers on the defense to make stops.

He's tough to block and can eat double-teams. Still, he's good for the occasional splash play too. McKinley owns LSU's best combination of experience, size, and athleticism on the defensive line.