Brian Kelly announces 2022 LSU football captains

LSU football has selected captains for the 2022 season, and head coach Brian Kelly announced the trio of leaders on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

As voted by their teammates, the LSU captains are Ali Gaye, BJ Ojulari and Mike Jones Jr. All three players come from the defensive side of the ball — Gaye is a defensive linemen, Ojulari an edge rusher (and wearer of the coveted No. 18), and Jones is an off-ball linebacker.

With the offense conspicuously absent, the official LSU football Twitter account clarified that an offensive captain will be elected each week.

Congratulations to all three of these guys! An offensive team captain will also be named each week. https://t.co/wyPY3o1ss8

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 30, 2022

While Ojulari, a junior, and Gaye, a senior, both played their entire careers at LSU to this point, the same is not true for Jones. He transferred to LSU from Clemson prior to last season, and has clearly shown his teammates the necessary qualities for them to elect him a leader.

Ojulari knows the responsibility No. 18 carries

Ojulari will sport No. 18 this season for the Tigers, carrying on a time-honored tradition for the team.

The No. 18 jersey is given to the player — or players — who best exemplify Tigers football. Ojulari was one of the Tigers’ representatives at SEC Media Days this offseason. Already a major part of the defense last season, he had 54 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks, which led the team.

“I think the biggest thing is just the way I carry myself on, and really off the field,” Ojulari told the media about why he will wear the No. 18 well. “Character is a big thing for me. I feel like the whole staff and my teammates recognize how high character I am. And I guess I’m alright on the field, I guess that contributed to it.

“There is a certain responsibility that comes with wearing No. 18. You can’t really mess up. The whole team embraces it. But I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing like I’ve been wearing No. 8 and everything will take care of itself.”