Q&A: DE Sai'vion Jones highlights early season standouts

Sai’vion Jones entered this season with expectations to be a playmaker off the edge for LSU this season. After a shaky start to the season against Florida State, Jones bounced back with a handful of dynamic plays to start the game against Mississippi State, setting the tone for the rest of SEC play.

LSU’s defensive front is a handful this season and Jones plays a pivotal role with his size and pass rushing ability at the defensive end position. He moves around between downs and allows Harold Perkins and others to get loose. On Tuesday night, he spoke with the media after practice and discussed the season, his teammates, and more.

The mindset moving forward

“Last week just showed us that if we all do our jobs how dangerous we can be up front and how dominant of a defense we can be. I’m excited.”

“We always need that competitive edge. Having that edge in the SEC is what separates an average team and a great team.”

Playing at a heavier weight this year

“I was about 250-260 last year and i’m 280 right now.”

“It definitely took a few games to get used to it. The first game I was gassed and had to come out of the first series. You cant just put on all this weight and expect to play the same as you did before. Now, I’m getting adjusted to this weight that I got on.”

“I definitely feel a difference playing this season compared to last season. As games go on, I’m getting more accustomed to this weight and being able last longer on the field.”

Mekhi Wingo’s value

“It’s been great playing against Mekhi, especially when he affects the blocks I get. Having a teammate like him takes stress off me and it’s great to have.”

“Mekhi isn’t a vocal leader, but the reason we respect him as a captain is because he likes to lead by example. If the locker room is dirty, he starts to clean it up and we respect him so we follow him and clean it up too. That’s one of the things you need as a captain.”

On facing KJ Jefferson

“KJ is a big quarterback, so the emphasis is that we can’t expect to go in high and expect to bring him down. He’s like 6’4” 240, so the emphasis is to stay low and make sure we all run to the ball. Never assume that he’s down. 

“As long as we stay disciplined in our gaps and tackle with the right fundamentals we have, we shouldn’t have a problem with [his designed run game].”

On Greg Penn‘s development

“I’d say if Mekhi wasn’t voted as our captain, Greg would’ve been voted as a captain. He brings that energy whenever we’re on the field, whether that’s flying to the ball or even just transitioning to the next period in practice and he’s running. He also leads by example.”

“He improved the most in the pre-snap. Giving the D-Line the call, making the right adjustments. When I’m listening, I can hear him in the background giving all the adjustments to the DBs and the linebackers and that’s something you need for that position.”

Bradyn Swinson

“Swinson is a great pass rusher and he also does what it takes to stop the run. He’s been coming a long well.”

Whit Weeks

Whit Weeks did phenomenal. To step up as a freshman with a lot of stress going on but I didn’t see any of that. What I saw was a linebacker flying to the ball and having fun.”

On Greg Brooks motivating this team…

“When we went into our Mississippi State game, we played for him. When he wasn’t in our locker room for that game, [Brian Kelly] told us the message that he wanted us to hear and that gave us the boost we needed in order to play how we did.”