LSU will be missing one of its starting offensive lineman this weekend against Alabama.
Tigers starting left guard Garrett Dellinger suffered a high ankle sprain against Texas A&M that required tightrope surgery. Dellinger has started in 30 of the 41 games that he has played in. The Michigan native has started in each of the last 20 games that he has played in. Following the 2023 season, Dellinger was named as a finalist for the Joe Moore Offensive Line of the Year Award. The award recognizes the top offensive line unit in college football.
Dellinger was a part of an offensive line unit that surrendered just four sacks in the Tigers first eight games of the season. He brought versatility and experience to the group. Over the course of his four seasons in Baton Rouge, Dellinger made 17 starts at left guard, three starts at left tackle, and one start at center.
Alabama’s interior defensive line has struggled to generate a pass rush at times. With Dellinger being out, it should make things a little bit easier for the Crimson Tide to put pressure on the quarterback. Dellinger’s replacement at left guard will be redshirt freshman Paul Mubenga. The native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has played football for only five years. He is relatively new to the game and has played in just five games for the Tigers.
That should bode well for an experienced defensive line group for Alabama led by the likes of redshirt junior Tim Keenan III, junior LT Overton, and graduate senior Tim Smith.
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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.
