Two LSU Football Defensive Stars Named to ESPN Preseason All-America Team

LSU sophomore cornerback Derek Stingley and senior linebacker Jabril Cox are two of the highly touted defensive players in the SEC. The pair have appeared on numerous watch lists and are considered by many to be the anchors of the 2020 LSU defense under first year coordinator Bo Pelini.

On Tuesday, the duo added another accolade to their resumes, being named to ESPN's preseason All-America team for the upcoming season. This of course comes as no surprise for Stingley, who proved last year to be among the country's elite defensive players.

He returns for a sophomore season after a stellar freshman campaign that saw him record six interceptions and 21 passes defended, which was good for No. 2 in the country. His size, athleticism, instincts and pristine technique are just a few of the traits that make him one of the best in college football.

"For all of the offensive firepower on that LSU national championship team a year ago, the Tigers were equally loaded on defense. Right there at the top of the list was Stingley. It's hard to believe he will only be a sophomore after earning consensus All-America honors as a true freshman. He led the SEC with six interceptions. The phrase "shutdown corner" is probably used too often, but few corners thrive in man coverage the way the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Stingley does," senior writer Chris Low wrote.

He'll be asked to carry a much larger role with the team in 2020 and for good reason. With an aggressive play caller like Pelini, expect more blitzes off the edge from Stingley, though his work as a primary lockdown corner won't change.

An improvement in the return game should also be on the horizon for the sophomore playmaker and could thrust him into the Heisman conversation. Stingley's already the preseason Heisman pick for respected ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

"It says most outstanding player on the trophy and so Derek Stingley Jr. at LSU, guys when we watch him play--I know it always goes to an offensive player--but man you want to watch a guy that can play the game," Herbstreit said. "I was blown away by him and he kind of got lost a little bit with all of the big names on that offense. But that guy's one of the best players in the country for sure."

As for Cox, the two time All-American and three time national champion for North Dakota State has first-round draft buzz and a calm demeanor to be a reliable, game changing player for the Tigers this season.

"It will be a different-looking LSU team in 2020 with all of the personnel losses from a year ago and players opting out this season, which makes landing a graduate transfer as talented as Cox all the more valuable. A few weeks ago, LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Cox looked like the best player on the field, and that was when Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Shelvin were still around," Low wrote.

Orgeron has been extremely complimentary of the linebacker transfer and his lead by example attitude on defense.

“I think this guy is gonna have an excellent year at LSU. He definitely is an SEC linebacker. Obviously, he was overlooked in recruiting but here’s his shot. I think the thing I like most about Jabril is his maturity. He came in focused, he was going to win the starting job and be a great player," Orgeron said a few weeks back.