Tag: B.J. Ojulari

Citrus Bowl provides LSU DE Sai’Vion Jones a chance for a breakout

LSU will need Jones to step up at edge rusher with BJ Ojulari opting out.

LSU will be without star pass rusher [autotag]B.J. Ojulari[/autotag] against Purdue as he opts out to prepare for the 2023 NFL draft.

As he has at points this year, expect [autotag]Sai’vion Jones[/autotag] to step into Ojulari’s role. Jones was one of LSU’s top players in the 2021 recruiting class and one of the best edge recruits in the country.

He didn’t see much time as a freshman, playing just 58 defensive snaps, but when Ojulari was in and out of the lineup in September this fall, there was an opportunity for Smith.

Stepping in against Southern, Jones totaled three pressures and a sack. He added sacks in week three and four too. On the year, Jones had 11 pressures and four sacks. At one point, he was one of the most efficient pass rushers in the SEC, but that production tailed off late in the season.

However, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] still highlighted Jones’ performance against Arkansas, which included a sack.

Jones’ pass rush win rate was just 7.4%, well below Ojulari’s mark of 18%. But Jones’ pass-rush productivity score of 8.0 ranked 11th among SEC edge rushers with at least 80 snaps.

He’s a guy that’s shown flashes, but hasn’t completely put it together. Going forward, LSU is needs Jones to take the next step. Ojulari, along with some members of the secondary, will be LSU’s biggest loss headed into 2023.

Pair that with the expected departure of [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], and edge rusher is a need for LSU.

Jones is the most logical in-house option. There’s also [autotag]Quency Wiggins[/autotag], the talented freshman who took a redshirt this fall and played just two pass rush snaps.

LSU will be adding [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag], a five-star pass rusher from Baltimore, as well.

Wiggins and Womack are talented, but unproven. Jones has yet to prove himself to an extent too, but we know he is a capable SEC player.

An LSU team that expects to compete for a title is going to need more than a couple of freshmen pass rushers.

[autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] was elite coming after the quarterback, but his services will be needed at linebacker, and he isn’t your prototypical front player that can defend the run on the edge.

Jones will get his shot in the bowl game. A strong performance against Purdue would make coaches and fans feel a lot better about what LSU has in 2023.

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Pair of LSU players selected in first round of way-too-early 2023 mock draft

Kayshon Boutte and B.J. Ojulari were selected in 247Sports’ initial 2023 mock.

The 2022 NFL draft is finally into the books, but it’s never to early for the Draft Media Industrial Complex to turn its attention to next year’s class of players.

LSU only had one player picked in the first round this year in [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag], who was taken third by the Houston Texans, but the Tigers had 10 players selected in total, not bad for a draft class that was deemed to be below the program’s standards.

Heading into next year’s class, LSU should have a stronger NFL contingent following the first season under new coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], and in the post-draft 2023 mock from 247Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer, two LSU players are taken in the first round.

The most notable is receiver [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag], who could be set for one of the top pass-catching campaigns in college football. Brockermeyer has him heading to the Minnesota Vikings with the 14th pick, pairing him up with another former LSU wideout in [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag].

Kayshon Boutte’s true sophomore season ended early in 2021, but not before Boutte proved that his freshman season was not a fluke. Boutte looks ready to play in the NFL now and has all the tools to follow in the footsteps of some of the LSU wide receiver greats. Adam Thielen’s getting up there in age and this helps Minnesota replenish its receiving corps with a Bayou partner for Justin Jefferson.

Boutte was in for a wildly productive season before an injury ended his year after just six games. He still finished with more than 500 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the team.

Another player who could be poised for a breakout season is junior edge rusher [autotag]B.J. Ojulari[/autotag]. He has 11 sacks in two years with the Tigers, seven of which came in 2021. He should be a leader of the defense this season, especially with all of the losses it took during the offseason, and he’s heading to the Tennessee Titans at No. 19.

BJ Ojulari is an important piece to perhaps one of the deepest and most talented defensive lines west of Clemson. Ojulari has all the traits to dominate and is a difference-maker up front for the Tigers. The Titans are trying to win up front what with Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, and Ojulari is another piece to throw in there and keep the energy young.

Former LSU cornerback Eli Ricks, who transferred to Alabama, is also projected as a first-round pick next year.

It’s hard to know exactly how high the ceiling is for this pair of Tigers players, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising for them to hear their names called during the first night of the draft this time next year.

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Four takeaways from LSU’s 41-7 win over Vanderbilt

LSU bounced back with a dominant 41-7 win over Vanderbilt as the Tigers offense found its rhythm early and never slowed down.

The No. 20 LSU Tigers defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 41-7 on Saturday night in Nashville after suffering a 44-34 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the season-opener.

On offense, the Tigers racked up 498 yards of offense while converting four out of 12 times on third down and being perfect on fourth-down conversion attempts.

Here are four takeaways from the Tigers’ dominating victory as they’ve evened out their record.

1. LSU established the rushing attack.

Last week against Mississippi State, LSU totaled just 80 yards on the ground. Saturday against Vanderbilt, the offense doubled that total for 161 yards. Sophomore John Emery Jr. carried the ball 12 times for 103 yards and a touchdown and averaged 8.6 yards per rush.

Freshman Josh Williams saw the field in the fourth quarter and held the ball  eight times for 30 yards.  Tyrion Davis-Price also had eight touches for 29 yards.

One key going into this game was to get the running game more established, and LSU gave the Commodores defense a tough challenge on the ground.

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