LSU rules out a critical defensive player for the Kentucky game

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said that defensive lineman Joseph Evans has been ruled out for the Kentucky game. It’s yet another blow to a LSU team that has battled a number of injuries throughout a disappointing 2021 season.

Evans is an important piece to the LSU defense and he proved to be one of their better pass rushers in the 2020 season.

Check out the graphic below from PFF.

Most QB pressures in 2 seconds or less this season (SEC):

1. Jonathan Marshall, Arkansas – 6
2. Christian Harris, Alabama – 5
3. Azeez Ojulari, Georgia – 4
3. Joseph Evans, LSU – 4
3. Brenton Cox Jr, Florida – 4 pic.twitter.com/V898smqY8W

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 9, 2020

So far in the the 2021 season, he’s racked up eight tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. In his sophomore season in 2020, Evans started five games and appeared in seven–racking up 13 tackles and a tackle for loss.

LSU has been hit by injuries

Injuries have plagued LSU for most of the season and it was recently announced that star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. underwent foot surgery. He battled injuries throughout fall camp. The talented corner is expected to be one of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, if he decides to enter it.

One of the Tigers’ best pass rushers, Andre Anthony was lost to a season-ending injury. Defensive tackle Glen Logan suffered a broken foot in fall camp and he’s missed time during the season. Quarterback Myles Brennan suffered a broken arm before the 2021 season in a freak accident and is expected to return at some point later this season. So it’s been a brutal number of injuries the Tigers have had to deal with during the 2021 campaign.

If there’s one area of the 2021 Tigers’ defense that has been stellar, it’s been their ability to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. So far, LSU has racked up 18 sacks, ranking them fourth in the nation in that category.

With Evans and Anthony out, the Tigers will look to B.J. Ojulari, Ali Gaye, Maason Smith, and others to keep getting after opposing quarterbacks.

Joseph Evans high school stats

Evans was rated as a three-star defensive tackle coming out of high school. He attended Haynesville High School in Haynesville, La. He played both offensive and defensive tackle throughout his high school career. As a junior, he tallied seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and recovered three fumbles.

The 306-pounder was a dynamic athlete in track and field as well, earning a scholarship offer from Yale in the shot put. He won the Louisiana state 1A title in the shot put in both 2018 and 2019. He is the cousin of 10-year NFL veteran Doug Evans and former NFL player Demetric Evans. LSU was his only scholarship offer for football coming out of high school.