Kirk Herbstreit tabs LSU defensive back Derek Stingley Jr most exciting

The LSU defense is absolutely stacked coming into the 2021 college football season and they’re led by their standout defensive back, Derek Stingley, Jr.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit recently unveiled his preseason list of “The Herbies” and he named LSU’s lockdown corner as the most exciting player to watch in college football. Below is the graphic for Stingley, Jr.’s “Herbie” Award.

Two-time All-American @JrStingley wins @KirkHerbstreit’s Herbie Award for most exciting player.

In 22 games:

⚡️ 65 tackles
⚡️ 6 Ints
⚡️ 21 passes defended pic.twitter.com/tNSZ9bCR72

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 27, 2021

Stingley, Jr. was named a consensus All-American in 2019 and a First Team All-American in 2020.

Perhaps the most impressive line of his LSU bio reads, “A player that is expected to get Heisman Trophy consideration despite playing on the defensive side of the ball.”

He’s one of the best cornerbacks in college football and it will be fascinating to see where he’s drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, as he could be a top-five overall selection.

Phil Steele expects LSU to be much improved

The Tigers pass defense in 2020 got absolutely blow-torched, ranking dead last in the country in yards allowed per game (323). Those numbers are mind-blowing considering LSU had two of the best defensive backs in college football. They also had problems stopping the run last year, too, getting shredded for over 300 rushing yards against Ole Miss. That’s not even mentioning the 265 rushing yards Alabama rolled up on the Tigers.

The good news for LSU fans? Help is on the way on the defensive side of the ball. Incoming linebacker transfers Navonteque Strong and Mike Jones are just a few exciting pieces that will help this defense take a massive leap forward in 2021. Sophomore defensive back Eli Ricks is also back after leading the team with four interceptions in 2020, including two pick-sixes.

Ed Orgeron impressed with the defensive line in fall camp scrimmage

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron simply couldn’t stop raving about his defensive line after their first scrimmage in fall camp a few weeks ago. The big boys up front dominated the scrimmage.

One of the first units Orgeron talked about when discussing the scrimmage was the defensive line and the amount of pressure they put on the quarterback.

“I thought our defense tackled very well,” Orgeron said.” “We put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”

He couldn’t stop raving about the defensive line and mentioned several Tiger defensive linemen specifically in his press conference.

“I thought that overall it was a great scrimmage–mostly dominated by the defense and the quickness of the defensive line. We had Ali Gaye back. Andre Anthony had a good day. Neil Farrell, Jr. had a good day. A lot of guys ran around and played well.”

He went on to mention Ali Gaye and Andre Anthony, “I thought those guys did a tremendous job in pass rush today.”

Ali Gaye was the second-rated JUCO prospect in America when he signed with LSU in 2019. He didn’t disappoint in 2020 and big things are yet again expected from him in 2021.

This defensive line unit will likely be one of the most talented in college football and it’s been showing up in fall camp for the Tigers.

The LSU Tigers kick off their 2021 season against the UCLA Bruins. Kickoff is slated for Saturday, Sept. 4 in Pasadena, California at 8:30 p.m. EST.