Big expectations in place for transfer linebacker Omar Speights at LSU

Omar Speights capped his time at Oregon State with a degree in Business Administration in hand. The talented linebacker participated in 45 contests for the Beavers, starting 39 and making 308 career stops. That total would place 10th all time in LSU history just ahead of Tiger great Toby Caston.

Now a newly added transfer at LSU this offseason, Speights was given an early Day 3 draft projection for this year but the 6-foot, 233 pounder had some unattained aspirations. He wanted to compete in the nation’s best conference, fine tune his craft and compete for a national title in the process.

“I wanted to go somewhere where they had a chance to win a national championship, which was actually real,” Speights explained. “So that was a big part. What really drove it home was that ( LSU) made it feel like home.”

Born in Philadelphia, Speights played his high school football at Crescent Valley High School in Corvalis, Oregon. A three-star prospect in the 2019 class, he made an immediate impact for the Beavers. An 18-tackle performance against the Washington Huskies was the hightlight of a rookie effort that included 73 tackles to rank third nationally among all freshmen defenders.

Speights earned first-team All-PAC 12 honors in 2022 after recording 83 tackles with eight behind the line of scrimmage.

However, the 24-21 record for Oregon State over his four years left him thirsting for more. Speights was motivated by the weekly challenge of having to compete against the best.

“I ultimately wanted to play SEC football and winning a national championship attracted me. Every week you’re playing against the top guys in the country. It’s not like one week you’ll have an off week. You’ve got to bring it every week.”

Speights runs a 4.65, rarely takes a false step and demonstrates good closing speed. He gets into the flow of plays quickly and moves laterally with good agility. Very instinctive, Speights changes direction quickly and reads passers with good anticipation. He is a violent, downhill tackler. Speights was utilized in an assortment of ways by the Beavers. He roams sideline to sideline and delivers game-changing hits.

LSU is replacing last season’s leading tackler, Micah Baskerville, who accounted for 89 stops. Speights is expected to fill that void.

“I’m a fast, physical linebacker. Anything you tell me to do, I’m going to get it done. I’ve really played across the board. You can put me anywhere.”

Last year’s freshman sensation Harold Perkins was a terror, accumulating 72 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He is expected to be one of the top playmakers in the country this season. “He’s a great player,” Speights opined. “He’s a great person. If you put those two things together you can go far. I think that we fit well. We’re both athletic. We’re going to make a lot of plays.”

Speights has met the expectations of LSU defensive coordinator Matt House this spring.

“I was with (Hose) trying to learn the defense. During spring, I met with hime after practices to catch up. We’re always trying to find ways to get better. I like talking ball with him. He’s really smart. He’s a real good coach.”

The new arrival is expected to bring veteran experience to pair with Perkins and the other younger players at the position.

“I’ve played a lot of ball. I’m helping with the younger players. Providing leadership in the room, showing the young guys how to prepare for games. And I can learn from them, too.”

Speights has faced some current and future NFL quarterbacks including Justin Herbert (Oregon, Chargers), Davis Mills (Stanford, Texans), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA) and current teammate Jayden Daniels (previously at Arizona State). He has accumulated 46 QB pressures, 36 hurries and 9.0 sacks as a pass rusher.

Brian Kelly has already labeled Speights as a team leader. He has an obligation to live up to those expectations.

“I’m leading by example, trying to do the extra stuff, trying to watch extra film. Showing up early. Bringing intensity to everything that I do. Just being an example is the best way of going about it.”