Derek Stingley Jr. is ready to go for LSU this weekend after missing the season-opener vs. Mississippi State due to illness.
Myles Brennan and LSU didn’t exactly start the 2020 season off in the best possible fashion, as their secondary was shredded by K.J. Costello, Mike Leach and Mississippi State to the tune of 623 passing yards in an upset win for the Bulldogs. It doesn’t take a genius to see the correlation between Costello having the game of his life and LSU playing without star corner Derek Stingley Jr. after his hospitalization earlier in the week. Luckily for Tiger fans, Stingley should be back on the field next week.
Stingley’s father confirmed that his son is “good to go” after his hospitalization scare, meaning LSU will be able to deploy their elite cornerback against Vanderbilt this weekend.
Derek Stingley Sr. told @OTB_ESPN that his son, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. “has no restrictions” after a hospitalization last Friday.
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) September 29, 2020
“He’s good,” Stingley Sr. said. “He’s good to go.”
Derek Stingley Jr. might win the Jim Thorpe Award this season
Stingley made good on all the hype assigned to him as a 5-star recruit, as he established himself as one of the country’s best defensive backs. Despite playing in a secondary that featured two second-round picks in Grant Delpit and Kristian Fulton, Stingley was arguably the most productive of that trio, intercepting six passes while holding his own against some of the best receivers in the country.
It was clear that Stingley’s stickiness in man coverage was sorely missed against a Leach Air Raid, as Costello’s receivers were often wide open as soon as he released the ball. Vanderbilt’s air attack might be several tiers below that of Vandy, but it’s still nice to get Stingley back and into the fold as LSU looks to rebound.
Brennan might have some solid arm talent, but it would be laughable to expect him to have the same effect on the offense as Joe Burrow. The defense needs to step up if LSU wants to win the SEC West and Stingley should have a huge part in that on the outside.
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