Deuce Geralds Is Already Playing Like an SEC Veteran
Four games into his LSU career, Deuce Geralds is no longer playing like a freshman who is waiting for his turn. The SEC just made that official.
Quick Answer
LSU defensive tackle Deuce Geralds was named SEC Freshman of the Week after producing five tackles and a career-high two sacks in the Tigers’ 35-6 win over No. 23 Texas A&M on September 26, 2026. LSU’s official season statistics now credit the 6-foot-1, 285-pound freshman with four sacks through four starts, making him an immediate centerpiece of the Tigers’ defensive front.
What Deuce Geralds did against Texas A&M
Geralds’ award was built on disruption, not empty volume. He finished with five tackles and two sacks that cost Texas A&M 11 yards. Those negative plays helped LSU hold the Aggies to 197 total yards and zero touchdowns.
The result fits the larger defensive picture. LSU’s official 2026 statistics list Geralds with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble through four games. He has started every game.
Why the freshman label is already becoming misleading
Geralds arrived from Collins Hill High School as one of the nation’s top defensive tackle prospects, but recruiting reputation only opens the door. His four-game production shows that he can already win with power, finish in the backfield and stay on the field against SEC offenses.
LSU’s official player biography identifies Geralds as Georgia’s all-time prep sack leader. The pass-rush instinct is translating faster than even an optimistic LSU projection could have assumed.
How Geralds changes LSU’s defensive front
Princewill Umanmielen draws protection attention on the edge. Geralds punishes offenses that slide too aggressively outside. That inside-out pairing is a problem because quarterbacks cannot simply step forward when the edge collapses.
TigerHype’s breakdown of LSU’s 197-yard defensive performance shows how the front kept Texas A&M behind schedule. Geralds’ penetration was one of the clearest reasons the coverage never had to hold forever.
What LSU should demand against McNeese
The October 3 game against McNeese is not a reason to reduce the standard. It is an opportunity to prove Geralds can dominate without chasing sacks. The complete assignment includes controlling his gap, refusing cutback lanes and forcing McNeese’s offense into the long-yardage situations LSU wants.
The broader setup is in TigerHype’s LSU–McNeese game guide and the 2026 LSU Football season tracker.
The bottom line
Geralds has moved past the interesting-young-player stage. Four sacks in four games and an SEC weekly honor make him part of LSU’s present, not merely its future. The Tigers now have a freshman interior defender whom opponents must identify before every third down.
Deuce Geralds FAQ
Why was Deuce Geralds named SEC Freshman of the Week?
Geralds recorded five tackles and a career-high two sacks for 11 lost yards in LSU’s 35-6 win over No. 23 Texas A&M on September 26, 2026.
How many sacks does Deuce Geralds have in 2026?
LSU’s official statistics credit Geralds with four sacks through four games, tied for second on the team.
What position does Deuce Geralds play?
Geralds is a 6-foot-1, 285-pound freshman defensive tackle from Suwanee, Georgia.
Who does LSU play next?
LSU hosts McNeese on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 6:45 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
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