LSU football could have another Derek Stingley Jr situation on their hands
By Zach Ragan
LSU football could have another dominant true freshman on the defensive side of the ball.
LSU football cornerback Derek Stingley Jr lived up to his five-star hype and then some as a true freshman in 2019.
The Louisiana native was named the Pro Football Focus freshman of the year last season after finishing the season as the highest graded Power-5 cornerback in the nation (among all players, not just freshmen).
Stingley gave up just 29 receptions last season despite being targeted 69 times. The LSU standout likely would’ve been a top ten selection in the 2020 NFL Draft had he been eligible. Fortunately for the Tigers, they get Stingley for another two seasons.
And not only will LSU have Stingley, but they could also have another true freshman on the defensive side of the ball that ends up being a superstar in his first season as a Tiger.
Another true freshman defensive star for LSU football?
Defensive end BJ Ojulari didn’t sign with LSU as a five-star recruit, but he wasn’t far off.
Ojulari was rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 84 overall 2020 recruit in the nation.
The Georgia native is already making quite a bit of noise in Baton Rouge.
In fact, Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron already considers Ojulari a starter.
“You are going to see him (Ojulari) on third down. He is definitely considered a starter in the rotation,” said Coach O this week during a virtual media session with reporters (via 247Sports).
Orgeron pointed out that Ojulari had “four or five” sacks on Monday alone, which is incredibly impressive for a true freshman that didn’t have the benefit of a full spring practice schedule.
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Things will be different once the lights come on. But it appears that Ojulari is the real deal. And it wouldn’t surprise me if we’re talking about him after the season the same way we talked about Stingley after the 2019 season.