Historically speaking, the Fighting Tigers of LSU have epitomized great defense. Since the turn of the century, LSU has produced 76 NFL draftees who specifically played on the defensive side of the ball. Senior defensive end Bradyn Swinson intends to add himself to that list when his playing days in Baton Rouge come to an end.

Just prior to the 2024 season opener, Swinson changed his jersey number from 13 to 4. He did this to honor his deceased friend and former teammate at the University of Oregon, Spencer Webb.

“Originally, number four was my rec ball number,” Swinson explained. “But my teammate at Oregon, Spencer Webb, passed away in a rock climbing accident. He wore number four. So when I saw that it opened up, that was just the first thing that popped into my head. And I just had to go ahead and get ‘4’ for him. I got a tattoo for him as well.”

Swinson grew up in Douglasville, Ga. Ranked as a three-star recruit out of Chapel Hill High School, he started his college football career by committing to Oregon, where he played three seasons.

“I wasn’t trying to wait for the SEC schools,” Swinson said about his recruiting process. “The only SEC school I had (a scholarship offer from) was Missouri. I had about 40 total offers, but they were from every other conference.”

After the 2022 season, Swinson transferred to LSU. He credited the Tigers’ prestigious history of developing NFL defenders as the main reason for his desire to come to Baton Rouge.

“When you think of LSU,” Swinson said. “You think of edge rushers. You think of guys like Arden Key and BJ Ojulari and just the different guys that have come through here. The overall tone of defense and the ability to build a brand here, LSU is just really the place to be.”

Swinson in 2023 recorded 2.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and five pass deflections. While he does hope to improve those numbers in his second season at LSU, his main focus lies on becoming a more complete player.

“I’m really just trying to be the best I can be for the team,” Swinson said. “Obviously get as many sacks as we need, but my personal goal is to be better in the run game. I don’t want to be a one-dimensional player, because I feel like last year I showed I could pass rush. So, just being more firm in the run game and being able to set edges and make plays in the backfield. I feel like that’s one of the main goals for all of us on the defense.”

Despite the team finishing with an excellent 10-3 record, the 2023 Tiger defense faced harsh criticism for its performance.

“We knew what was being said,” Swinson recalled. “I mean, we all have phones and everything. Last year our main thing was blocking out distractions and keeping the outside noise outside. Yeah, we knew what they were saying but we were just focused on finding a way to be better.”

The Tigers went through a nearly complete overhaul of the defensive staff during the 2024 offseason. New defensive coordinator Blake Baker has taken on the task of directing this Tiger defense.

“I just feel like we’ve upped the physicality rating,” Swinson said about the new defense under Baker. “Coach Baker and all our coaches on the defensive staff have just been building a mindset for all of us. We’re just attacking, and that’s our main thing now. That’s one thing I love. We hold everyone accountable. It’s just a whole different vibe now.”

Off the field, Swinson loves to play video games on his PC. He even live streams himself playing video games on Twitch. Among his favorite games are Black Myth: Wukong and College Football 25.

“I want to encourage everyone to subscribe to my Twitch account, ‘IsoSw1ntt,’” Swinson said. “That’s my thing. Whenever I finish with football or get to the league, I want to start streaming with different guys (in the NFL). That’s one thing I really look forward to.”

Swinson would not be the first NFL player to live stream on the platform. His streams allow fans to get to know his personality much better. However, he says his full focus right now is on LSU and the 2024 college football season.