Now that star wideout Ja’Marr Chase is expected to opt out of the 2020 season, there’s no shortage of speculation surrounding who will wear No. 7 for LSU football.
The jersey number bears significance, worn by the top playmaker for LSU that season on offense or defense.
Safety Grant Delpit wore it last season, following the likes of running back Leonard Fournette, wide receiver D.J. Chark, safety Tyrann Mathieu and cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Delpit had a solid season wearing the number, though he didn’t have the same type of dominance we saw from him in the previous year — which can mostly be blamed on injury.
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Making up for Chase’s absence will be no easy task, as the Tigers look to repeat last year’s success with a team that looks totally different now.
Thinking of options as to who deserves to wear No. 7 in 2020, sophomore cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. immediately comes to mind.
Stingley was a consensus All-American as a true freshman last season, totaling 38 combined tackles, 31 solo, 15 passes defensed, six interceptions and one fumble recovery.
If it weren’t for a matter of seniority, Stingley would be neck-and-neck with Chase to wear the jersey, even if he was playing this year.
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At least for now, it looks like Stingley is a lock to wear No. 24.
24đź”’
— Derek Stingley Jr. (@JrStingley) August 30, 2020
It will be interesting to see which player gets the honors ahead of the season, which begins for the Tigers on Sept. 26 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Baton Rouge.
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