LSU's JaCoby Stevens, Derek Stingley Named to Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
There's no denying LSU cornerback Derek Stingley and safety JaCoby Stevens are in for a phenomenal 2020 season. The two return to Baton Rouge among the most productive defensive players in the SEC in 2019.
On Thursday, the pair were named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, an award that stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. According to the award's website, it's the only award "where the character of the nominee is considered."
Stevens has established himself as a leader not only on the field but off, most recently displayed by a community service event he attended on Friday to help prepare for tropical storm Cristobal. He figures to be a prime candidate to earn the No. 18 jersey this season, going to the LSU player with a strong locker room voice.
When others couldn't make the trip, Stevens helped the local community by making sandbags for the storm.
“Being selfless is always a good deed and just being out here and helping others, it’s a good experience to have and it’s just refreshing,” Stevens told WBRZ reporter Reggie Chatman.
On the field, Stevens is coming off a breakout junior season where he led all SEC safeties in sacks (5), pressures (13) and tackles for a loss (9). He recorded 92 total tackles and three interceptions with nine passes defended.
As for Stingley, the LSU freshman became a Consensus All-American, leading the conference in interceptions with six as well as 21 passes defended. He's quite simply the best returning cornerback in the country and is primed for even more success as LSU coach Ed Orgeron believes Stingley will be used in a variety of ways this season.
"I think this year you're not going to see us just use Derek in man free coverage, I think you're going to see him blitzing," Orgeron said in a recent interview on WWL radio. "I think you're going to see him use his talents in some places where we need him on defense. I think Bo's going to mix it up where he's going to have our corners doing different things."
He certainly caught the eye of former quarterback Joe Burrow, who a number of times in 2019, forgot Stingley was just a true freshman.
"He is the best young cornerback I’ve ever seen and I’ve been around some great ones. He’s the best and it’s really not even close," Burrow said on Adam Schefter's Podcast ahead of the NFL draft. "He plays the position so smooth that it’s just really hard to get open on him. The battle between him and Ja’Marr in practice was a lot of fun."
Other Lott award nominees out of the SEC are Georgia's Richard LaCounte, Alabama's Dylan Moses, Auburn's KJ Britt and South Carolina's Israel Mukuamu.
