Among the many traditions within LSU football, few carry as much significance as the No. 18 jersey.

The number represents high character and leadership both on and off the field. Each year the jersey is awarded to one or two players who the team and staff believe carries those traits.

The tradition started with former National Championship winning quarterback Matt Mauck in 2003 and has been worn by 15 players since. From prominent national champions Jacob Hester and K’Lavon Chaisson, to most recently Damone Clark, the list of players to hold the prestigious number are all highly regarded in the history of LSU football.

When Brian Kelly was hired as LSU’s head coach, there were questions regarding whether the trend would continue, but less than a week into fall camp, those questions were answered. In an Aug. 4 press conference, Kelly confirmed that the team would give out the No. 18 jersey, teasing an eventual announcement.

“We’re going to award it to a deserving player,” Kelly said. “We’re just not going to do that today. But it’s coming. Stay tuned.”

 Just two days later, LSU awarded the No. 18 jersey to BJ Ojulari, a junior defensive end. The announcement came at the end of practice with a video posted to the LSU football twitter account. Ojulari was awarded the jersey in front of his teammates, with former players who wore the jersey also in attendance.

“His teammates, coaches and the entire staff believe BJ Ojulari embodies what the number 18 represents. He carries our traits of excellence every day on and off the field,” Kelly said in a tweet.

Ojulari is now the 17th player to hold the prestigious number and joins a close-knit brotherhood. Ojulari talked about what the number means to him and the relationship with those who wore the number before him.

“All the 18s, they put us in group chat and they all congratulated me from Mauck, that No. 18 to Damone Clark,” Ojulari said. “So it was great just for all of them to embrace me and just welcoming me into that brotherhood.”

Much like Clark, the last player to wear No. 18, Ojulari is the clear leader of the LSU defense. On a team that has had massive turnover over the past two years, Ojulari has been that consistent presence. His presence alone is key, but his character is what many of his coaches and teammates say set him apart from the rest.

“I love that he’s a man of character,” LSU Defensive Coordinator Matt House, said of Ojulari. “When a guy in our rooms talks about BJ, they talk about him doing the right things on and off the field, and that accountability shows up on the field.”

His presence on the field has certainly been felt over the last two seasons. Despite struggling as a team, Ojulari has been a force on the defensive line. Just last season, he tallied 54 tackles and seven sacks, leading the team in the latter category.

Now as a junior, he steps into a team with higher expectations in a leadership role. Ojulari is already being tipped for success at the next level, with many expecting him to be dratted in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

His speed and physical traits make him someone that is just as big a presence on the field as a disruptor as he is a leader. His speed makes him difficult for many offensive lineman to block him, and gives him the ability to chase down running backs out of the backfield.

His success on the field has not been much of a surprise, though. As a four-star recruit coming out of Marietta High School in Georgia, football was in the bloodline. His older brother, Azeez Ojulari, was also highly sought after and was a two-year starter at Georgia before being drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

“He’s given me so much advice,” Ojulari said, regarding his older brother during SEC Media days. “So anything I have, or any questions I have, [they’re] for him. He’s a great mentor for me. […] He definitely has great tips to pass from his game to me.”

Back at LSU, Ojulari is a part of the 2022 defensive line, which many consider among the best in the SEC. He joins Ali Gaye and Maason Smith as players who earned preseason All-SEC honors. The front four of Ojulari, Gaye, Smith and Jaquelin Roy is a group filled with talent and one the coaching staff believes Ojulari holds together.

“We’ve got three guys who I think are elite players. Maason Smith, [Jaquelin] Roy and Ali Gaye, they’re elite players,” Kelly said. “Then you add BJ Ojulari who can do multiple things for you. He can put his hand down. He can drop. So when you have a front that has four elite players, that’s where it starts to allow you to do a lot of things up front and be creative.”

Gaye, a veteran defensive end, plays opposite of Ojulari, and he talked about the impact Ojulari has on him on the field along with how he is able to raise the level of play.

“I feed off of him just like I said he feeds off of me,” Gaye said, “When I see him doing his thing I look to my side and I know I’ve got to turn up a little bit. I’ve got to make sure I’m matching his energy just so we both bring to the defense what we need to bring.”

Earning the No. 18 jersey is a sign of the staff’s trust in Ojulari to be that leader who the rest of the team can look up to on and off the field. Entering a new era of LSU football in 2022, there are few things that can be safely assumed about this team. A whole new coaching staff, 16 incoming transfers and a new culture, the feeling around the program is night and day from this time last year.

Ojulari’s presence eases that uncertainty and headlines a group that is one of the few areas of great confidence on the 2022 roster. Anytime there is a transition to a new coach and a new culture, having leaders within the team goes a long way, which is what Kelly and the rest of the staff see in Ojulari, who they believe represents the No. 18 jersey.

“It’s a guy that raises the temperature of everybody in the room,” Kelly said, “He does it by his presence. He does it by his actions. He’s somebody that you want to follow.”