LSU Cornerback Derek Stingley Named First-Team All-American by AFCA

Stingley makes an All-American team for second straight season despite injury riddled sophomore campaign

It might've been an injury riddled season for LSU cornerback Derek Stingley but when he was on the field, he was an All-American. On Thursday the sophomore was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

A consensus All-American for the 2019 season, Stingley recorded 27 tackles, one forced fumble and five pass breakups in seven appearances during the 2020 campaign. After missing out on the Mississippi State game due to an illness, Stingley also missed the Tigers' final two victories over Florida and Ole Miss due to an ankle injury. 

However, in a year where busted coverages and inconsistent play out of the secondary became the themes, Stingley remained in lockdown mode. He allowed just one play of over 20+ yards on the season and was a first-team All-SEC selection last week as well. 

“I believe in Derek, he is an outstanding player, he will have a great career here and in the pros,” Ed Orgeron said after the Alabama game. “I think he is going to come back next year and have a great year.”

Stingley is expected to be back in 2021 and opposite Elias Ricks, should make for one of the brightest cornerback duos in all of college football. Ricks proved to be an exceptional playmaker in his first season with the Tigers, earning third-team All-American honors by the AP. 

LSU will also be returning Cordale Flott and Jay Ward as well as welcoming new additions to the secondary in Sage Ryan, Demarius McGhee, Matthew Langlois and Derrick Davis Jr. 

"We have a lot of young guys here and to keep fighting and keep your head on straight through the ups and downs of the game shows a lot of maturity," safety JaCoby Stevens said. "They had to grow up fast this season and the program is in a great spot, we've got a lot of great talent."

"I think throughout the season our team became tougher," Orgeron said. "We continued to fight, went through a lot adversity. We fought and we finished strong and that's what I'm gonna remember about this football team."