LSUDad Posted May 11, 2021 Share Posted May 11, 2021 TODAY BREAKING: Derek Stingley to wear No. 7 jersey in 2021 ByBILLY EMBODY 2 hours ago Share27 Comments LSU cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. will wear the No. 7 jersey for the 2021 season, the school announced on Tuesday. The Baton Rouge native is expected to be a Top 5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after he wraps up a terrific college career which includes a National Championship, All-American honors and numerous accolades. Stingley put himself on the map in 2019 after an outstanding season as a freshman. Stingley recorded 38 tackles and six interceptions that season, as well as deflecting 15 passes. That earned him First Team All-American and All-SEC honors. In seven games played in 2020, Stingley had just 27 tackles and five pass deflections, but it hasn’t hurt his draft stock and he was the clear pick for the honor heading into 2021. Head coach Ed Orgeron said after LSU's Spring Game that he felt Stingley is best cornerback in America, a claim not many analysts can refute heading into the 2021 season and before the 2022 NFL Draft. "Derek has been phenomenal. He's called up the team two or three times as a leader. I've asked him to do that," Orgeron said on 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge. "He's shown leadership throughout the spring, doing everything right. His coverage has been phenomenal, he's had some picks. I don't think he's ever lost it, but he's the Derek Stingley that we've always seen. I think he's going to be the No. 1 corner in the country, he's an outstanding player. “I think he could be Stephon Gilmore, that kind of talent,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay added earlier this spring. “And Stephon has been, at his peak, one of the premier corners in the entire NFL. …I just said it before; he may be the best player drafted that’s not a quarterback.” Stingley was a five-star recruit on the industry-generated 247Sports Composite out of Dunham School in the 2019 recruiting class, ranking as the No. 3 overall prospect in the country, No. 1 cornerback in the nation and No. 1 prospect in Louisiana. From the start, he's been on the radar of NFL teams, according to former LSU defensive back and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who said after his freshman year, NFL teams told him Stingley would be the best in the 2020 NFL Draft. “But when Jeffery Okudah was drafted number three overall two years ago by the Detroit Lions, I was talking to some coaches at the combine at the time," Clark said earlier this month. "I said it and they agreed with me that what they had seen, and from what we had seen from Derek Stingley, that he would’ve been the number one cornerback drafted in that draft. And he was 18 years old at the time. I think after having last year, having some injury, suffering through a little bit of an inconsistent year, he understands what this year means.” After Ja'Marr Chase, who was originally picked to wear No. 7 during the 2020 season, opted out to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, safety JaCoby Stevens landed the number worn by LSU greats in the past. Stevens took it over for NFL Draft pick and former LSU safety Grant Delpit, who won a Thorpe Award wearing the jersey en route to a National Championship in 2019. Chase was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, reuniting with former Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. Stevens was selected in the sixth round with the No. 224 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. During the 2020 season, Stevens struggled but still tied for the team lead in total tackles with 63 with linebacker Damone Clark. 27COMMENTS Stevens logged three sacks and six tackles for loss on the year, recorded one forced fumble and had a trio of fumble recoveries. He had four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry across the team's 10 games. Other past greats to wear the jerseyinclude Tyrann Mathieu, Leonard Fournette, Patrick Peterson, DJ Charkand others. The coaching staff also picks who wears No. 18, which went to Clark and now former LSU running back Chris Curry in the 2020 season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houtiger Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 Yeaaaaaa! Makes sense to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatchertiger Posted May 12, 2021 Share Posted May 12, 2021 (edited) I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the "reserved" numbers. Edited May 12, 2021 by Hatchertiger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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