Having a fresh staff could bring fresh ideas and a revitalized mentality to the LSU Tigers in 2022. Brian Kelly has already announced most of his staff with still a couple of spots remaining. Such as who will coach the wide receivers.
One hire could be key in the 2022 season for edge defender BJ Ojulari. The addition of Jamar Cain, who was set to join USC could be the cog that releases Ojulari’s untapped potential. In two seasons, Ojulari has accounted for 10 sacks, 16 TFLs, 64 total tackles, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Even with that level of production for the sophomore edge rusher, could his 2022 be even better? History says yes.
Hey I have an idea let's chip BJ Ojulari that will stop him from getting to the quarterba…
…ck pic.twitter.com/g3eSyEIFB8
— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) October 26, 2020
No edge player for the LSU defense saw the field as much as Ojulari. Of his 644 snaps on defense, he created 49 total pressures to lead the defense to go along with his team-leading six sacks. In 2020 while playing significantly fewer snaps than Andre Anthony and Ali Gaye, Ojulari still finished third on the team with 24 quarterback pressures.
With the addition of Jamar Cain to the staff, it could be Ojulari’s season to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. We will take a look at his recent stop with the Oklahoma Sooners. Cain arrived in Norman for the 2020 season and you can see a significant uptick.
| Defender | 2019 Pressures | 2019 Sacks | 2020 Pressures | 2020 Sacks | 2021 Pressures | 2021 Sacks |
| Nik Bonitto | 19 | 3.5 | 49 | 9 | 52 | 7 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 5 | 2 | 46 | 7.5 | 34 | 7 |
Bonitto and Ojulari have similar builds as both stand at 6’3″ and Ojulari weighs in at 244 to Bonitto’s 240. That could be who the Tigers try to utilize in the passing game on the outside.
With Nik Bonitto (@nikkkkbonitto) officially calling it a career at Oklahoma, here’s a look back at his dominating 2021 season. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/gfnTBPb65V
— Dylan Buckingham (@DylanBuckingham) December 6, 2021
Looking towards the future, it is safe to say that we could see a lot more of BJ Ojulari for the LSU Tigers.
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