Why BJ Ojulari Will Make All-American Case As Junior At LSU
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Since arriving as a freshman in 2020, there has been no greater pass rush threat on a consistent basis than BJ Ojulari.
The numbers alone tell one story as he's accumulated 71 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks in his first two seasons with the program. Most importantly, Ojulari has been available for all 23 games of his LSU career, something that not many on this returning 2022 roster can say.
He's seen it all and been a major disruptor on this defense, even as more of a rotational piece in his true freshman season. When Ali Gaye and Andre Anthony went down with injuries at the very beginning of the 2021 season, it was Ojulari who was asked to take on a bigger work load and really become the leader of this defensive line.
While Ojulari's specialty is rushing the passer which was something he did very well in 2021, he also saw continued growth in other aspects of his game. Ojulari became a much more capable run defender, helping the Tigers gradually improve in that area throughout the season, even when the team got down in numbers late in the year.
LSU's defense saw immense growth over the final five weeks of the regular season and the secondary deservedly earned a ton praise. But the front seven, manned by the leadership of Ojulari and Damone Clark more than held up its end of the bargain.
Moving forward into 2022, the news of Gaye returning to the program will only help in Ojulari's All-American pursuit. Brody Miller of The Athletic reported that new staff members are "wowed" by Ojulari's winter workouts. This should put LSU in a very good position to make a case of having the best pass rush tandem in the SEC next season.
If Gaye comes back to the form he was in during the 2020 season, teams won't be able to double Ojulari as much, particularly with interior linemen like Maason Smith, Mekhi Wingo and Jaquelin Roy all deserving of attention as well. It's unclear what new defensive coordinator Matt House will want to do scheme wise but with so much talent in the front seven, having four down linemen will be an opportunity to capitalize on.
Ojulari's career trajectory has trended towards All-American status every step of the way, with his former coach Ed Orgeron even calling him a "future All-American" way back in the 2020 offseason before he'd taken a snap.
There's no reason why Ojulari can't have an All-American and All-SEC worthy season as a junior and set himself up in first round pick territory.
