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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
There isn't anything normal about a true freshman defensive end switching to defensive tackle with such buoyant enthusiasm, dedication and all encompassing commitment....
There isn't anything normal about a kid, not some seasoned vet, but a teenager fresh out of high school being willing or even able to gain nearly 40 pounds in such a short timeframe....all so he could play out of position, filling an immense, desperate need for the Tigers' depleted defensive line.
In the age of the transfer portal, NIL, and college football's endorsement of their own brazen "money first" model, there isn't anything normal about a kid being ready, hungry, and capable of transforming his body for the SEC stage & then actually start to conquer it, all in the same debut campaign.
....this kid is a throwback....
....this kid is a superstar in the making...
....it may make sense to you....or it may go over your head.........this Tiger may not register on your radar just yet, but don't let anyone tell you there's anything normal about LSU freshman D-lineman Ahmad Breaux.
A young man of many talents & interests, Breaux is far more than a football machine:
How many defensive linemen do you know build computers & have a keen interest in software engineering?
How many defensive linemen do you know learned & played the bassoon.....playing so well his own mother told LSUOdyssey she wanted to send Ahmad to Julliard to continue with the instrument.
Of course, football took precedence as the Ruston, Louisiana mainstay's defensive line talents couldn't be overlooked.
Offers piled in throughout his high school years at Ruston, but only one offer really mattered to Breaux: the one he received from LSU in March of 2023, joining Missouri, Ole Miss, Louisiana Tech, Grambling and Purdue among other schools pursuing the young Louisiana D-lineman.
Breaux did so well academically, he even took serious visits to Stanford, as well as being offered & recruited by Duke.
His success continued to catch eyes, leading Ruston High to consecutive state title game appearances as a junior & senior, winning the Louisiana state championship for the first time since 1990 inside the Superdome during his final high school game.
A productive, versatile defensive end, Breaux recorded 45 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 2 sacks throughout 2023, following a junior haul of 62 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, plus 2 pass breakups.
This versatility & adaptability would serve him well in the year ahead....
Arriving at LSU in January 2024, many expected Breaux to become an understudy of starting edge men Bradyn Swinson & Saivion Jones. Alongside fellow edge debutant Gabriel Reliford, the Ruston High champion was supposed to be a Tiger for the future....
Then, LSU found themselves extremely short on depth at defensive tackle.....
First, Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo departed for the NFL Draft, followed by a wild spring transfer cycle of unrest....LSU missing one DT target after another before picking up just two transfer newcomers (Gio Paez & Jay'viar Suggs).
Something had to be done.....
Brian Kelly and DL Coach Bo Davis assessed the problem and found they had a few natural defensive ends who may be able to fill the role.....veteran Paris Shand and.......unthinkably, true freshman DE Ahmad Breaux, immediately tasked with packing on as much weight as possible.
"I came in as a defensive end. In high school, I played a little bit on the interior. I arrived at 245 pounds, and now I'm 280 pounds." Breaux laughed during media availability. "After spring, playing outside, I was trying to keep my weight down. That didn't work. When they told me I could eat whatever I wanted, I thought, 'Sure thing.' I started eating a lot of protein and eating the right way so I wouldn't put on too much fat. I actually lost a percentage of body fat while gaining weight but I did it the right way."
It was a risk for Breaux....changing positions, transforming his body....the entire experience was a gamble for the teenager, one which we've seen go badly before for others:
The script is familiar, "hungry young player, willing to do anything for the team (and get on the field while doing it) plays out of position, takes on too much responsibility, tries to be something they're not"....and when all is said & done, now the player isn't developing at their original position, wasn't able to evolve or improve at their adapted role, they're left without a positional home & subsequently lacking confidence, coaching staffs become unsure of where to position the player....both player & coaches second guessing themselves at every turn.
However, despite these intense risks, as I wrote to you before....Ahmad Breaux isn't a normal collegiate student athlete.
Initially, Breaux was asked to be a key depth piece at DT, mostly picking up snaps from the bench, appearing across 30 total snaps in his first two LSU games.....but when first string DT starter Jacobian Guillory tore his Achilles during Week 2 vs Nicholls, Breaux's unthinkable journey became even crazier....once again, Head Coach Brian Kelly asked even more of his freshman DT:
The true freshman defensive end who switched positions, quickly packed on 35+ pounds (quite the incredible transformation for a teenager to accept, let alone execute), had to now become an SEC starting level defensive tackle....and he didn't have time to second guess, reconsider, or debate the path ahead......Ahmad just put one foot in front of the other & started moving.
....but remember, this is no normal young man, no normal defensive lineman, taking on the guidance of DL Coach Bo Davis like a fish to water, finding his footing beautifully at DT over the past 5 games & 2 starts:
"(Coach Bo Davis) has made me a totally different player," Breaux detailed about Coach Bo during media availability, "I really didn't have technique. I didn't know how to use my hands or leverage properly. He really changed my game. I may be an undersized defensive lineman, but I know how to use my leverage, which can make me appear to weigh 300 pounds. I know I can play like one."
Breaux was also guided by key veteran starters, taking the teenager under their wings during his wild evolution:
"We're gaining more confidence. We're playing more freely," Breaux said to reporters, one of the rare freshmen to speak to media during the Kelly era. "They (Bradyn Swinson & Saivion Jones) both have a lot of confidence, and that translates to the field. I listen to them. They both took me in and motivated me when I was a defensive end. I want to model my game after them."
As we stated, Breaux played just 30 snaps through his first 2 appearances, yet since Guillory's injury, he's now featuring in over 30 snaps each game, 31 plays vs South Carolina, 33 vs UCLA & 31 against South Alabama, assembling 7 total tackles (4 solo, all solo stops achieving a no gain or negative play), 1 TFL, and aggressive, blistering play amid the trenches that continues to clear pathways for LSU's best pass rushers.
With its many twists & turns since his early enrollment arrival, Breaux's wild, long and winding freshman journey is only getting started......buckle up, get used to watching #93 pull off the unexpected.
Something tells me I'm going to be writing & talking a lot about Ahmad Breaux over the next 2 1/2 seasons.....
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
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