Skip to main content

2022 Linebacker TJ Dudley Remembers Advice from Former LSU Football Player After Lost Freshman Season

Dudley excited by Tigers offer, hoping to prove he’s one of best linebackers in country

When TJ Dudley made the decision to transfer to Montgomery Catholic Preparatory High School before his freshman season, he knew he'd be sacrificing a year on the football field. 

It was a decision that was tough on the now 6-foot-2, 210-pound outside linebacker that's turned himself into one of the best in the state of Alabama out of the 2022 class.

"It was really hard at first knowing that I had to sit out a year and miss that season of development," Dudley said. "Eventually I realized that it was in my best interest because it ultimately did help me become better and mature throughout that first season."

The summer before that freshman season, Dudley was able to meet former LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips at a camp he was attending. Knowing he was about to miss a year of football, Dudley told Phillips of his situation.

"I asked him for some advice about my problem of having to sit out and he just told me to keep working hard, keep my head up and that it was all for the better," Dudley said. 

Now, two years removed from his freshman season, Dudley has done what Phillips told him and turned into one of the state's premier talents. 

LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and South Carolina are just a few of the double digit offers that Dudley has earned to this point. The Tigers offered Dudley back on May 11 and the Montgomery, Alabama native said he was extremely grateful to receive an offer from the national champs.

Based off the conversations Dudley has had with the LSU coaches in the months since the offer was handed down, Dudley says the staff is impressed with his ball hawk nature and just overall ability to get after the quarterback. Dudley is currently ranked as the No. 17 outside linebacker in the 2022 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. 

"I would say the main thing I do is well is just that natural ability to get after the ball," Dudley said. "I'm all over the field and can make plays in the backfield and cover."

One of the areas that stands out to Dudley when he goes back and watches his sophomore tape, his first year of seeing game action, is his improved physicality and toughness on the defensive end. Now that he's had a whole offseason to fully analyze what he needs to get better at, Dudley has been hard at work trying to improve in many different parts of his game. 

One of those parts is his improved speed, which will particularly help him in his upcoming junior season. Dudley currently runs a 4.7 40-yard dash and said that because of his speed he expects to carry an even bigger role with his team in 2020.

"Of course I was fast last year but I really just want to be even faster off the edge so I've been putting a lot of work into getting a faster jump off the line of scrimmage," Dudley said. "I'll probably be playing outside linebacker, some safety, some defensive end so when you get faster it just opens up more doors for you to play different positions."

In regards to LSU, the plan moving forward is to try and get coach Ed Orgeron on the phone and start building up that relationship. Orgeron has been in contact with Dudley's trainer but hasn't yet spoken with him.

Dudley has a ton of respect for what Orgeron and the staff over at LSU have built over the years, particularly winning this past season's national championship as the wire-to-wire best team in college football. 

"I love the fan base down there, the coaching staff you can tell really cares about their players," Dudley said. "It's a great option for me and I just can't wait to get down there and see everything for myself."