While most sets of eyes in Baton Rouge, La., remain fixated on LSU’s ongoing quarterback competition, there’s an equally intriguing position battle taking place on the defensive side of the ball.

This position battle lies at defensive end, a position at which LSU lost both its starters from a year ago in Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco. The loss of both starters looms even larger considering who LSU brought in to run its defense this season.

The Tigers have turned from former defensive coordinator John Chavis, now at Texas A&M, to new DC Kevin Steele, formerly the linebackers coach at Alabama and DC at Clemson.

Steele has a reputation for valuing pressure created organically by his front four, and with an opportunity to work in tandem with new LSU defensive line coach (and former Ole Miss head coach) Ed Orgeron, the defensive line will be expected to be a strength on defense in 2015.

In order to live up to that hype, LSU must find two new defensive ends to anchor either side of the defensive line. The Bayou Bengals recorded just 19 sacks in 13 games a year ago, while Steele’s four defenses at Clemson each recorded at least 24 sacks, three times finishing in the top-fourth of the nation in sack total.

One end in particular who has stood out this spring is Lewis Neal, a rising junior who was moved from end to tackle last season, logging just three total tackles as a reserve. Now he’s back at defensive end and competing for a spot in the starting lineup. At only 6-foot-1 and just shy of 260 pounds, Neal is one of the smallest ends competing for a job, but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impression on his teammates and coaches.

“Lewis Neal has been playing pretty strong,” starting linebacker Kendell Beckwith told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “He’s going to give you his all. He’s a workhorse every single play.”

That energy and motor have impressed experts outside the LSU program, including ESPN SEC blogger Chris Low, who shared this tweet on Sunday following LSU’s intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday.

Neal admitted to the Times-Picayune that he’s still working on keeping his eyes up as plays develop and sticking with his role on a given play rather than instinctively doing his own thing to try and make a play. These are growing pains most young players endure in trying to earn a starting job, and Neal is no exception.

Nevertheless, he could add some speed, athleticism and even some power off the edge next season (he was playing defensive tackle just four months ago, after all). Whether or not he earns a full-time starting job may not be determined until training camp gets underway in August, but it’s almost a certainty he rotates onto the field to serve as at least a situational pass rusher.

Neal was reportedly working out with LSU’s first-team defense during practices last week, according to The Advocate in Baton Rouge, which is yet another sign of the impression he’s made on the coaching staff.

Every year there are players on every team who burst onto the scene and post star-quality seasons after beginning the year in relative anonymity. It’s tough to gauge who these players will be ahead of time, but Neal appears to be as safe a bet as anyone.

He remains flawed, yes, but he’s caught the attention of many within the LSU program. He’s strong and athletic and playing for perhaps the best defensive line-centric coaching staff in the SEC.

Remember the name Lewis Neal — he could be the star no one saw coming in 2015.