Ojulari, Gaye Prepared To Be Lethal Duo, Lead Defensive Unit

The pair of Tigers enter the season as two of the top edge rushers in the country, looking to elevate game together

The Tigers come into the 2022 season with a number of fresh faces on the defensive side of the ball, but if there is one position LSU feels prepared with, it’s defensive end. Led by BJ Ojulari and Ali Gaye, the pair of Tiger pass rushers are expected by many to compete at the highest level and give offenses problems all season.

Ojulari was named to the Nagurski Award watch list on Tuesday, racking up yet another preseason accolade. The Nagurski award is given out annually by the Football Writer’s Association of America (FWAA) to college football’s most dominant defensive player.

Fresh off of a sophomore campaign where he saw significant snaps with instant success, Ojulari is due for what many anticipate to be an All-American caliber season. In two seasons with the Tigers, Ojulari has recorded 71 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks, ready to take it to the next level in 2022.

Related: LSU Football Breakout Candidates: Three Tigers Ready to Take Next Step

#LSU EDGE BJ Ojulari lands on the Nagurski Trophy Watch List. Lots of buzz around him entering 2022, also landing preseason First Team All-SEC honors.

— Billy Embody (@BillyEmbody) July 26, 2022

His partner in crime, Ali Gaye, is also due for a breakout year after missing time a season ago due to injury. With Gaye back in the lineup, it calls for less double teams on Ojulari, which gives the duo a chance to both be lethal in 2022.

Gaye played in just four games last season but his production was impressive. Looking to carve out a bigger role this year, it made for an easy decision to return to Death Valley.

Related: Ali Gaye Hoping to Bring Veteran Stability to Tigers Defense

“This is home,” Gaye said during spring camp. “I’ve been here for two years and I’ve been welcomed with open arms, so I didn’t want to leave early because I haven’t scratched the surface of being an LSU Tiger. Spending an extra year with these guys and the coaches and in Baton Rouge, it’s been a humbling experience for me. Leaving would have been too soon, so I felt like it was more meaningful for me to stay.”

Both Gaye and Ojulari will be learning a new system under defensive coordinator Matt House, but the two are getting accustomed to it well this offseason. The expertise House brings to the Tigers is crucial and Gaye firmly believes the Super Bowl winning coach can add a different element to this program.

“I think [House] has a great mind and a great idea of how he wants the defense to be,” Gaye said. “The mindset he wants to instill in us is grit. Grit to strain. For us, that means go your hardest.”

The pair of Tigers are set for a dominant year in the trenches with Ojulari prepared for an All-American push in 2022. With a fresh-faced defense, returning the duo up front is a positive sign for the Tigers as they gear up for the season opener against Florida State.