Maason Smith suffers season-ending injury
LSU football sophomore defensive lineman Maason Smith has suffered a torn ACL that will require surgery, The Bengal Tiger has confirmed. The news was first reported by Julie Boudwin.
Smith’s injury, which occurred on LSU’s first defensive series of the game, was a non-contact injury that came after the sophomore leaped to celebrate a defensive stop.
Smith was helped off the field by LSU football trainers and ushered into the medical tent on the sideline. Upon exiting the medical tent, Smith headed to the locker room for further evaluation. He only returned to the sideline after halftime, where he was spotted on crutches in street clothes.
With news of Smith’s season-ending injury, the Louisiana native will now undergo surgery and begin rehab workouts as he turns the page to his junior season in 2023.
Smith was on track to be one of the nation’s best
It’s a brutal blow for an LSU defensive line that is considered one of the team’s biggest strengths for the 2022 season, with Smith considered by many to be one of the nation’s top defensive prospects.
This offseason, LSU head coach Brian Kelly circled Smith as one of the most promising pieces to the team and a player with a high ceiling for the future.
“He has those tools to be a big-time player,” Kelly said. “I think one of the things that is unique about him is he can pass rush for a big guy and if you can be on the field for all three downs, you start to get into that rarified area. Big future ahead of him. This is a big year and I really think he’s going to show himself.”
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He was one of the most highly touted defensive line prospects in America coming out of high school. Smith played his high school football for Terrebonne High School (Houma, La.). During his prolific career there, the gifted defensive lineman racked up 200 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, and 26 sacks. As a senior, the Louisiana native tallied 24 tackles for loss and nine sacks. According to the On3 Consensus Rankings, Smith was rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 11 overall prospect in America in the 2021 cycle.
What’s next for the Tigers with Smith sidelined?
With Smith set to miss the remainder of the 2022 season, LSU defensive line coach Jamar Cain and defensive coordinator Matt House will be on the hunt for production from the next man up.
On Sunday, the first name into the mix following Smith’s injury was junior defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory. Guillory, who entered the night with 12 career appearances and 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack, finished the game with one solo tackle.
Missouri transfer Mekhi Wingo, who was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team a year ago, stepped up in a big way by coming off the bench to record six tackle – all coming on solo stops. Jaquelin Roy, who started alongside Smith at the defensive tackle position, finished the game with three solo tackles.
