He had the option to stay. Maason Smith has the option of returning to LSU. The staff made an effort to persuade him by outlining the possible advantages of progress. Maybe he would then have the breakthrough season that so many had anticipated from him.
However, Smith considered his draft input and what he would return to when making his decision in early January. LSU needed to appoint a new defensive line coach since it had been through a lot of them. Plus, at the end of his first season back after repairing a ruptured ACL, he felt like himself.
“It played a big part at the time because I didn’t really know who the defensive line coach would be at LSU,” Smith said. “Just different things, different viewpoints that I heard from various people, and they all really helped me get to where I am now—the NFL.”
Speaking last month at the NFL scouting combine, Smith had his first opportunity to make an impression on organizations ahead of the draft. On Wednesday, he will attend LSU’s pro day. There will be six NFL head coaches in attendance who have not been disclosed, along with probable first-round selections Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas.
One month before the draft, Smith is projected to be selected in the third or fourth round. However, some analysts have raised his stock due to his considerable potential. Despite falling short of expectations in his redshirt sophomore year, Smith remains an athletic defensive tackle with coveted traits.
ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller noted, “There was legitimate Round 1 buzz about him… They really thought that he was going to come in and become that dominant player. That potential is still there. It will be interesting to see if somebody can unearth that from his game.”
Pete Jenkins, a coach who worked with LSU’s defensive line last season, advised Smith to stay for another year. Jenkins, a seasoned defensive line coach, believed that Smith would benefit both physically and mentally from an additional season before entering the professional ranks.
During Smith’s time at LSU, the defensive line coaching position saw frequent turnover, with different coaches leading the room each season. In fact, LSU employed five defensive line coaches in just the previous year alone, leading to uncertainty about who would oversee the position when Smith declared for the draft.
Smith announced his decision to enter the draft on January 9, one day before LSU hired Bo Davis from Texas as the new defensive line coach, and six days before the deadline for underclassmen to declare.
Pete Jenkins, who had come out of retirement to work with LSU’s defensive line, expressed his inability to assure Smith about the coaching situation. Jenkins wanted to inform Smith that Bo Davis would be taking over but couldn’t do so because Davis hadn’t confirmed his decision to Jenkins or head coach Brian Kelly. This uncertainty made it challenging for Jenkins to provide Smith with the information he needed to make his decision.
Jenkins reflected, “I think maybe if Bo had agreed to take the job a little sooner, it would have given us a stronger talking point to try to get him to come back. But that’s neither here nor there, it didn’t happen.”
As Smith assessed his season, he recognized improvement, particularly towards the end of the year. Despite playing with a torn left ACL sustained in the 2022 season opener and dealing with a right ankle sprain during preseason camp, he felt his confidence grow with each game.
Smith’s statistics for the season included 28 tackles, 4½ tackles for loss, 2½ sacks, and four hurries. Reflecting on his performance, Smith attributed his progress to a boost in confidence and felt he was regaining his form as the season progressed. He noted, “It was more of a confidence thing … for me. And getting toward the end of the season, I definitely felt a spark and I elevated my game. I felt like I was becoming a better version of myself and getting back to me.”
Jenkins concurred, noting that Smith showed incremental improvement with each passing week. He highlighted a crucial play in the regular-season finale against Texas A&M, where Smith pressured quarterback Jaylen Henderson into throwing an interception early in the fourth quarter. This pivotal play helped LSU regain the lead, ultimately leading to a 42-30 victory.
According to Jenkins, Smith began to showcase his full potential by making impactful plays that aligned with his abilities. He observed that Smith seemed to unleash himself on the field, allowing his natural talent to shine through. Jenkins praised Smith’s performance towards the end of the season, noting, “The kid really played well toward the end of the season.”
When speaking with evaluators, Jenkins consistently emphasizes Smith’s potential for growth. With only 22 college games under his belt, Jenkins believes Smith will continue to improve as he gains strength and experience. He commended Smith’s football intelligence and work ethic, noting that his flashes of brilliance as a pass rusher reminded him of former Southern Cal defensive end Leonard Williams.
Much of Smith’s development can be attributed to his collaboration with Jenkins and the expertise Jenkins brought to the table. LSU faced coaching disruptions within its defensive line coaching staff, beginning with the departure of Jamar Cain during spring practice. Although Jimmy Lindsey was hired from South Carolina as his replacement, Lindsey encountered a medical emergency just two days before the start of preseason camp, leaving him unable to coach for most of the season.
Losing Lindsey had a significant impact on the team, and LSU faced further challenges when John Jancek was moved to coach the defensive line, despite lacking prior experience in that position. As the defense struggled, LSU made the decision to bring in Jenkins after a disappointing 55-49 loss to Ole Miss in the fifth game of the season.
Although the defensive front did not achieve dominance, head coach Brian Kelly frequently noted improvement in the unit’s performance over the second half of the season. Smith acknowledged the contribution of Jenkins, who introduced drills and techniques that resonated with Smith’s early experiences as a freshman. The technical work they undertook together played a pivotal role in restoring Smith’s confidence in his knee and helped him feel like his old self again.
“I definitely think that the end of the year was a great thing for me,” Smith expressed. “I feel like the last four or five games, if you look at the tape, I’m one of the best defensive linemen in the country, and I’m here to show that.”