GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory can list almost every defensive line coach he has had since beginning his career with the Tigers in 2020. He is on his ninth through the LSU Coaching Transfer Portal as he approaches his sixth season.
“Yeah, I can name them, but probably not in order,” he said Thursday after a spring practice. “I’ve been waiting on that question.”
For those scoring at home, this is the LSU defensive line roster from 2020 through 2025:
-Bill Johnson, 2020.
-Andre Carter, 2021.
-Jamar Cain, 2022.
–Gerald Chatman, 2023 spring.
–Jimmy Lindsey, 2023, but left for health reasons just before the season began.
-John Jancek, 2023 first half of season.
-Pete Jenkins, 2023 second half of season.
-Bo Davis, 2024 season.
-Kyle Williams, 2025 season expected.
“Unfortunately, the defensive line job has been a turnover position,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said after hiring Williams just as spring practice was about to open in March.
“In my career, I’ve had similar positions, whether it be the running back or the wide receivers coach position, where I’ve been confronted with similar situations. I don’t know why,” Kelly said. “It just turned out that way. It’s not like it’s a position where coaches don’t want to coach. It’s much more about they’re sought after.”
Davis, for example, got the defensive line coaching job with the New Orleans Saints, and he took a pay cut to return to the NFL, where he doesn’t have to concern himself with the NCAA Transfer Portal that continues to wreak havoc on roster retention.
“I think just about every coach who goes to the NFL from college now is going to get away from the portal,” Jenkins told Tiger Rag.
Carter left LSU after one season to become the pass rush coach with the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. Cain left after one season for that post with Denver.
Guillory wears a shred of each one on his jersey, so to speak, like a NASCAR driver’s car has so many advertisements.
“Really, with every coach that’s come through the building, I’ve taken a piece from every one of them,” he said. “And I’m not making it a negative, like when they leave it’s something bad. Being able to take something with you from every coach that comes through that door is the biggest part. I apply that to my game, and that’s what’s made me better and better every year. Just working on the little stuff – the nuggets that they taught me throughout the game.”
JACOBIAN GUILLORY WAS THE STARTER IN 2024
After redshirting as a true freshman out of Alexandria Senior High in 2020, Guillory gradually improved as a backup from 2021-23 before becoming a starter in 2024. But two games in, he tore his Achilles and was lost for the season. He returned to spring practice last week on a limited basis, but is expected to be 100 percent for the season.
Guillory began his listing with Ed Orgeron, who was his head coach in 2020 and part of 2021 before resigning during the season. Orgeron always helped his defensive line coach more than other assistants as that was the position he usually coached throughout his assistant coach career.
“Coach O – the biggest thing I think about Coach O was he fixed how my feet were lined up,” Guillory said. “And then you got coach Carter.”
It’s understandable that Guillory skipped Johnson. He played in only one game as a true freshman in 2020.
“Coach Carter taught me how to pass rush, I feel like,” said Guillory, who played in 11 games in 2021 under Carter. “And then, who was after coach Carter?”
JACOBIAN GUILLORY COMPLETE INTERVIEW VIDEO
That would be Jamar Cain, but Guillory skipped to Gerald Chatman, though he wasn’t sure.
“G wasn’t here yet,” he said. “Wait, G was here for a little bit. G’s doing a hell of a job at Florida (with 2025 set to be his third season with the Gators). He taught me how to get off the ball and attack, attack, attack”
Then Guillory fast forwarded to Jenkins.
“Coach Pete, I mean, God what didn’t coach Pete teach me? He refined everything and taught me how to lock in as a defensive lineman,” he said. “Bo taught me how to do more stuff with my hands. I wasn’t used to using my hands a lot. And coach Kyle, he played here. Everything he says, he’s been in that moment because of how long he’s been a football player. I’ve always been a fan of Coach Kyle. It’s literally full circle moment for me.”
A reporter reminded him of Jamar Cain in 2022.
“Jamar? Oh my God, literally my favorite one,” Guillory said. “He taught me how to be tough. I really thank him for that. Without him, I don’t think I would’ve developed and gotten better.”
A reporter asked, “Who’d we miss?” And Guillory said, “None,” confidently.
But a reporter brought up Jimmy Lindsey.
“Oh, he taught me how to read the backfield when the running back’s on the left side or right side,” Guillory said.
That’s everyone, but Jancek – an interim in the 2023 season. But still impressive recall by Guillory.
“Every coach that came through here, I love every single one of them,” Guillory said.
Kelly hopes Williams, who played on LSU’s national championship team in the 2003 season and was an All-American in 2005, will become the Tigers’ first defensive line coach to last more than two seasons since Brick Haley was at LSU from 2009-14.
“I will say that (continuity) was part of ultimately the process,” Kelly said of hiring Williams. “When we looked at the candidates, it wasn’t, ‘Hey, you’ve got to stay here for 10 years.’ But we had that as part of our process. We were looking for some continuity, and Kyle was looking to settle in. And so that was an attractive match for us from that perspective. There were certainly other things, but that was one of them.”
Williams, a six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle selection who played for the Buffalo Bills from 2006-18, was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater Ruston High from 2020-24 before coming to LSU.
“Just to have Kyle as a coach, it’s kind of surreal,” Guillory said. “Because I remember being in high school, looking this guy up, watching his highlights at LSU, at Buffalo. Him being my coach now, it’s just a great moment.”
And it wouldn’t have happened had Guillory entered the portal, which began in 2021, but he never considered it, despite only five starts in his career so far.
“Nah,” he said. “No. I love LSU. I’m a diehard LSU fan. LSU was my first offer – Feb. 15, 2015. I’ll never forget. So that’s how it is.”
Guillory was in eighth grade at the time.
“When I signed that paper my senior year of high school, I signed with everything I had in me,” he said. “I’m not going nowhere.”
He was recruited by other colleges to enter the portal.
“Yeah, but I mean I’m all in for LSU, so it didn’t matter,” he said.
Now, all that matters is his last season at LSU.
“It (the Achilles) feels great,” he said. “No setbacks. It really feels good. Just waiting for that 100 percent full go.”
And if he happens to call his new coach Andre, or Jamar, or Jimmy, or Pete, or Bo, Kyle really shouldn’t mind.
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