2. Edge rusher
The good news for the Tigers defense is that Jalen McLeod is coming back for 2024. He led the team with 38 total pressures and at 6-foot-1 228 pounds, he’s a dynamic speed-rusher who plays their “jack” linebacker position. All that means is he’s an undersized edge who only dropped in coverage for 78 snaps last year.
Beyond McLeod, the Tigers are in trouble. According to Pro Football Focus, McLeod had a pass-rush win rate of 17% which ranked 49th in the country among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps, but Marcus Harris who was second on the team with 24 pressures had a win rate of 5.6% which ranked 653rd. Harris isn’t coming back, and neither is Elijah McAllister who posted the second-best pass-rush win rate on the team at 9.6% which ranked 315th nationally.
Eugene Asante is an off-ball linebacker but is the second-best returning pass-rusher with a 13% win rate and 22 pressures in 55 pass-rush snaps, but many of those were as a free rusher.
Gage Keys and Trill Carter will help the interior of the defensive line, but Keys had a 4.1% win rate and just 13 pressures and Carter posted eight pressures and a 3.2% win rate.