BJ Ojulari reveals LSU's road from coaching change to securing SEC West title

LSU made a splash under Brian Kelly in his first season as their head coach, transforming a 6-7 team to a 9-3 team that recently secured the SEC West division title and will be competing in the conference championship game this weekend. The Tigers season may have come as a surprise to many, but senior defensive end BJ Ojulari knew that his team was capable of success long ago.

“I just think as a team we just knew the type of talent and the potential that we have. So for us, it was just buying into what Coach Kelly had planned for us, his process,” Ojulari explained. “I think when we bought in, we knew the sky was the limit for us. Really just coming each week and applying that process, just taking it week by week, seeing where it goes. Ultimately it ended up being the SEC West champions.”

Ojulari has been a standout during his career with the Tigers, choosing them out of high school as a 4-star recruit of Marietta, Georgia. When LSU underwent a coaching change this offseason, he also had the decision to change schools as well, but decided to stay for the same reasons he picked LSU as a high schooler.

“Yeah, for me it was never about who’s coaching or anything like that. For me the biggest thing was staying at LSU, just knowing the great history that LSU has, ultimately I fell in love with the school. But there’s been great coaches before me, there’s going to be great coaches after me,” Ojulari said.

It’s a good thing Ojulari did stay, as head coach Brian Kelly did what he’s done at every school he’s stopped at in his career so far, made them a winner and made it happen fast.

“But Coach Kelly, he just has a certain process. When teams apply that process, it’s proven to be successful. I know it’s successful for us. He does things a certain way. As a player, all you can do is follow it. Just from his past history of winning, all you can do is trust his process. During this season, it’s proven to be very successful given the big leap from last season,” Ojulari said.

Ojulari and the Tigers bought into Kelly’s process fast, as he spoke on what that looks like and how members of the staff like Director of Athletic Development Jake Flint, a longtime member of Brian Kelly’s staff at Notre Dame and Cincinnati, had an impact.

“Yeah, as being one of the leaders, I’ll say my buy-in was pretty immediate just with Coach Flint and them coming in during the bowl game, starting to implement the little pieces of the strength training process. Having to buy in and show the guys that this is what you have to do, this is the new process that is at LSU,” Ojulari said. “Just by me buying in, I think eventually everyone began to see how positive and how effective this process can be. So I don’t think it took long for everyone to get bought in and be on the same track.”

Ojulari is an unquestioned leader for the Tigers,  awarded No. 18 during training camp, which is given each year to the player who best represents all the outstanding traits of an LSU football player. His leadership combined with his buy in to Kelly’s process as clearly paid off for the Tigers this season, as they take on Georgia in the SEC Championship game this Saturday at 4 p.m.