After a record-breaking 2020 NFL Draft, where 14 Tigers were selected, including five first-round draft picks, highlighted by No. 1 overall draft pick and Heisman-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, it came as no surprise that LSU would have to replace a number of high-caliber players.
As if the Tigers did not already have enough to replace, the losses continued. With the first game still three weeks away, LSU has already had a trio of key players announce their decision to opt out of the upcoming season and start preparations for the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Tigers who have made their decisions include All-American, Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase, cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin.
“The competitor in me badly wants to play the season and go to war with my brothers, but during this time with so much going on, this is what’s best for my family,” Chase stated Monday in a Twitter post.
In his message, Chase did not directly say his decision is related to the NFL Draft, but he’s been projected by many NFL analysts to be selected in the first round.
Vincent, who was LSU’s starting cornerback last season, took his news to Twitter on Monday. The senior said he would be taking this time to prepare for the NFL combine.
Shelvin also informed the coaching staff of his decision on Monday. After solidifying himself as one of the top defensive linemen on the Tigers’ squad, Shelvin is ranked as the No. 69 prospect in the draft, according to CBS Sports.
“It was hard for both of them,” head coach Ed Orgeron said. “Ja’Marr, it was really hard for him to leave the team. So was Tyler.”
Orgeron added in his press conference on Tuesday that he could see “one or two” more players following in the footsteps of Chase, Vincent Jr. and Shelvin.
“We have guys who are going to step up. There’s an opportunity for new guys to come in. We have a good roster that can handle it,” Orgeron said at his weekly press conference.
LSU will do what it always does: reload.