Four LSU Football Players Appear on Phil Steele's All-America Teams

The hype centered around the 2020 LSU roster only continues to grow as the Tigers prepare to hit the field for the first time in five months. Whether it's popping up on numerous watch lists or preseason All-SEC and All-American teams, LSU's brightest stars are receiving the attention they deserve.

A tweet sent by NFL draft analyst Matt Miller just adds to the expected talent the Tigers will put on the field come September.

Conversation with one of the best scouts in the NFL this morning.

"If LSU gets consistent play at QB, they're going back to the Natty."
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) July 21, 2020

On Tuesday, college football guru Phil Steele, considered by many to be one of the best when it comes to analyzing each season, released his All-America teams and four LSU players made the list.

Receiver Ja'Marr Chase and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. were named to Steele's first-team while safety JaCoby Stevens was a second-team honoree and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin was a fourth-team All-America selection.

Chase and Stingley have of course popped up on most if not all preseason All-American first teams, especially considering the two were unanimous selections in 2019 for the purple and gold. The Biletnikoff winner that broke every LSU single-season record a season ago will widely be dependent on Myles Brennan's success in 2020 to have an All-American type season.

Just 909 yards and four touchdowns away from setting the career program mark by a receiver in both categories, for LSU to have any kind of success on offense this season, Chase would certainly need to post these kinds of stats with Brennan behind center. Another component will be how offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger and Scott Linehan gel in the play booth.

“The chemistry has been fantastic," Orgeron said on 104.5 ESPN back in May. "Scott had some stuff up on the board and they were all talking, it seems like they’re getting together very well. I think the biggest thing for us on offense is continuing to play the LSU standard of performance and find out what this new personnel can do.”

As for the sophomore phenom Stingley, there probably aren't many with higher expectations entering the season and that's saying something after such a great freshman campaign. Stingley proved to be among college football's elite defenders in 2019 and will now try to prove he is the best.

He's been named to the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik , Jim Thorpe and Nagurski Awards. He'll be the anchor of the secondary alongside Stevens in 2020 and likely hasn't scratched the surface on how good he'll become.

"He's not one of those guys who's gonna rest on his laurels and say 'I've arrived,' " Bo Pelini said on Hangin' with Hester. "I think he's only scratched the surface on how good he's gonna be."

As for Stevens, his appearance on Steele's All-America team is well deserved, though he hasn't appeared on many preseason teams to this point. His breakout junior season for the purple and gold was one of the many bright spots for the team in its quest towards a national championship.

It was not only his play on the field but his ability to quickly become one of the poignant voices in the locker room that makes Stevens return in 2020 all the better for LSU.

“I can’t even tell you how excited I am to have JaCoby Stevens in our system,” Pelini said. “He can do so many things. The NFL is going to be licking their chops over this guy. There’s a lot of versatility, and there’s a lot of depth in our secondary.”

Shelvin's selection to the fourth-team is also one of the first times he's appeared on a preseason All-American team for 2020. The 6-foot-3, 346-pound monster of a human being is a physically gifted athlete that drew his fair share of double and triple teams in 2019 but still made a significant impact.

He was one of Pro Football Focus' top graded interior lineman in the run game, ranking No. 1 in the SEC. Maintaining his weight has always been the issue with Shelvin, who will now be relied on as the anchor of the ever important defensive line in Pelini's 4-3 scheme.

What LSU's continued preseason hype alludes to is that this program won't be taking a significant step back. Whether it's an all-conference schedule or not, the Tigers have enough returning talent to compete at the top of the SEC.

And after losing 20 key players from a season ago, that proves that this is a program that plans to stay at the top of the college football hierarchy.