LSU Football: 247Sports analyst slights Derek Stingley Jr

A 247Sports analyst didn’t give LSU football’s Derek Stingley Jr the respect he deserves.

LSU football cornerback Derek Stingley Jr isn’t just the best returning cornerback in the nation, he might be the best returning non-quarterback in college football.

That’s not hyperbole, either.

Pro Football Focus writer Anthony Treash certainly seems to agree.

“Not only is Derek Stingley Jr. the top returning player in the SEC, but he is also certainly the top returning non-quarterback in all of college football,” wrote Treash earlier this year.

It seems like it would go without saying that the best returning player in college football, who happens to be a defensive back, should probably be the defensive player of the year, right?

Well, not according to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.

LSU football’s Derek Stingley is the best player in the nation

If Stingley is viewed as the best player in the nation, then he should absolutely be the favorite to win the Bronco Nagurski Award (best defensive player).

But instead of going with Stingley, Hummer picked Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses to win the award.

Moses is certainly defensive player of the year material. And if it wasn’t for Stingley, I could see him being the favorite.

But I don’t think Hummer truly grasps the greatness of Stingley. He points to stats as being the reason Stingley won’t win the award (cornerbacks don’t fill up the stat sheet like linebackers).

Stingley’s play, however, transcends stats. We’ve never seen a freshman cornerback perform at his level (but if you want to use stats, then Stingley’s 91.9 PFF coverage grade, which led all cornerbacks last season, is a good place to start). And the expectation is that he’ll improve as a sophomore in 2020.

Unless there’s an injury, Stingley is winning this award. And then he’ll probably win it again in 2021.

247Sports gets a lot of things right, but they’re way off base on this one.