Coach Brian Kelly said Monday he is optimistic about LSU’s defensive linemen, saying he believes this group could be even more disruptive in 2024 than it was in 2023.

This year, the unit inspires confidence. Last season, it was a cause for concern, especially after then-LSU defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey suffered a medical emergency that forced Kelly to reshuffle his coaching staff. The Tigers spent most of 2023 without a traditional defensive line coach.

Now LSU has two. Kevin Peoples, a former Missouri assistant, coaches the edge rushers, and Bo Davis, a former Texas assistant, leads the interior linemen.

“They’re physically strong enough to do their job,” Kelly said, “and I think Bo Davis has done a really good job of focusing on the technical aspects that they need to overcome.”

In Sunday’s season opener against USC (6:30 p.m., ABC), LSU is expected to line up Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones on the edges of its base defense, while Jacobian Guillory and Gio Paez, who transferred from Wisconsin, will play inside.

Kelly said Monday that Guillory is LSU’s best defensive tackle and predicted he will make “a lot” of tackles. He also noted that the senior has learned better technique over the five years of his career, a development that accelerated in the offseason, starting with spring practice and leading into preseason training camp.

“He’s extremely strong, physically strong,” Kelly said, “can hold the point, plays with great leverage and technique. He’s really developed incredibly well in terms of the ability to use his hands, to break away and to find the ball.”

Guillory will likely play on most first and second downs. He will be substituted when LSU wants to use reserve defensive tackles or when they use their Prowler front, a special pass-rush package with three edge rushers on the defensive line.

The goal under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker is to create chaos.

That starts with the defense and its ability to disrupt the opposing offense, so Kelly is confident that LSU will field a better defense this season.

“I think we’re talented at linebacker,” Kelly said. “I think we’re talented at the outside positions. I think we’re talented enough to get to our positions. We just need to get our jobs done up front, and if we do that, we’ll be fine.”