LSU football has 2 of the top 5 returning players in college football in 2020

LSU football lost a lot of talent from their 2019 National Championship winning team.

LSU football won’t be favorites to repeat as national champions in 2020, thanks to a mass exodus of talented players that left Baton Rouge for the NFL.

But despite a significant loss of talent after the 2019 season, the Tigers still return a couple of the top players in the nation.

In fact, according to Athlon Sports, LSU has two of the top five returning players in the nation in 2020.

Athlon Sports recently ranked the top 50 players for 2020. LSU defensive back Derek Stingley Jr came in at No. 4 on their list, while wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase came in at No. 5.

(Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is No. 1, followed by Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Oregon offensive lineman Penei Sewell.)

Neither of these are a surprise at all.

Stingley proved to be one of the nation’s top players as a true freshman in 2019. The Baton Rouge native was named by Pro Football Focus College as a first team cornerback, thanks to his 89.2 PFF grade (which lead all Power-5 cornerbacks).

The fact that LSU gets two more years of Stingley is insane. It’s hard to imagine him being better than he’s already been, but I’m sure we’ll see an even more polished Derek Stingley in 2020. He’s absolutely going to be a top five selection (at least) in the 2022 NFL Draft.

And Chase? Well his numbers speak volumes.

As a sophomore in 2019, Chase caught 84 passes for a ridiculous 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.  He’d be the first wide receiver selected in the 2020 NFL Draft if he were eligible.

LSU might have lost a lot of elite players from their 2019 squad, but they still have enough talent to compete for another SEC West division title.