REPORT: LSU DL Maason Smith Out For Season With Torn ACL

Smith was primed for a breakout season in 2022 after a standout summer, Tigers must have next man up approach

When it rains, it pours. On the first defensive drive against Florida State, the Tigers saw star lineman Maason Smith go down with a knee injury. After undergoing further testing Monday morning, it’s been confirmed Smith suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire 2022 season.

Smith, who was due for a breakout season where many believed he could make an All-American push, went down after celebrating a defensive stop early against the Seminoles. Initial thoughts were that this could be the case and it’s now become a reality.

READ MORE: Three Observations From LSU's Loss to Florida State

#LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith suffered a torn ACL in Sunday night’s season opener and will miss the entire 2022 season. @Julie_Boudwin had it first.

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) September 5, 2022

The former 5-star defensive lineman came out of the locker room in the second half on crutches with tears in his eyes with many expecting the worst.

It’s an unfortunate situation for both Smith and the Tigers due to the lofty expectations on the standout defensive lineman’s shoulders heading into 2022.

Smith recorded 19 total tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks during his freshman season in Baton Rouge. He played in nine games in 2021 and missed the final few games dealing with a leg injury.

READ MORE: LSU Falls to Florida State 24-23 in Heartbreaking Fashion 

Just brutal news for Maason Smith, who we all were expecting to have a big season.

Torn ACL and out for the year. Even worse when you see how it happened.@Julie_Boudwin had it 1st pic.twitter.com/kDAlozyGEZ

— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) September 5, 2022

It’s a brutal start to the Tigers’ season, but this defensive line has shown tremendous depth this offseason with a next man up mentality. Without Smith, it puts more pressure on Missouri transfer Mekhi Wingo to fill in and take his game to the next level. 

Look for Wingo, along with Jaquelin Roy and Jacobian Guillory to step up in a big way for the remainder of the season. 

LSU is set to take on the Southern Jaguars on Saturday in Tiger Stadium as they look to rebound from their loss against Florida State.