LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. could be out for a while after injuring his foot at practice on Wednesday, according to a report from The Athletic. Stingley will not play against Mississippi State for the second year in a row and was seen in a walking boot before the game vs. the Bulldogs.
The junior cornerback is considered one of the best defensive players in the country. Stinley earned First Team All-America honors from numerous outlets in each of his first two seasons. In 25 career games, Stinley has accumulated 73 tackles, 26 passes defended and six interceptions. He forced a fumble in LSU's 49-21 win over Central Michigan last week.
The Athletic points to sophomore Dwight McGlothern as a potential option to replace Stingley in the starting lineup. McGlothern has appeared in seven career games. Senior cornerback Darren Evans is listed as Stingley's backup on the LSU depth chart. The 6-foot-3, 174-pound defensive back transferred from FCS Nicholls before the 2020 season and has appeared in nine games for the Tigers.
The loss is a major blow to an LSU squad that fell out of the AP Top 25 following a Week 1 loss to UCLA. LSU's defense rebounded against McNeese and Central Michigan after giving up 38 points against the Bruins, but the Tigers have productive offenses Mississippi State, Auburn and Florida on the schedule in the next few weeks.
The "Air Raid" Mississippi State offense ranks No. 7 nationally at 361 yards per game. With Stingley out in 2020, LSU's defense posted one of the worst pass defense performances in the history of the SEC. Then-Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello passed for an SEC record 623 yards in a dominant 44-34 win over the Tigers. Three receivers posted more than 120 yards receiving.
LSU kicks off against Mississippi State at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi.
