by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
JAQUELIN ROY (DT)
Straight outta Baton Rouge, Jaquelin Roy attacked spring football with a vengeance, offering many fans a hearty dose of his ever-expanding powers.
Posting 4 "spring" sacks and 7 total pressures during the nationally televised exhibition, Roy demonstrated his relentless pursuit, as well as underlining an underrated burst of interior pace when catching up to talented scramblers like Max Johnson or Garrett Nussmeier.
Regardless of the Spring rules, Roy's performance was no fluke...it was another Continuum of QB Lobotomy from the U-High product:
As a true freshman, Roy already picked up a multiple sack performance vs #6 Florida, burying Heisman candidate Kyle Trask for 2 sacks.
LSU's debutant also became an option Coach Orgeron desperately turned to when needing to clog the interior, finding out that his freshman DT wasn't merely plugging gaps, he was shedding blockers as if they were mosquitos and barreling through with smart calculation, hardly overplaying the gap.
Roy also boosted each edge rusher on either side, drawing double teams by vengeful osmosis....in a way, JQ is a throwback player: he has a broken bone presence destined to draw fear.
A key player we hardly witnessed on the field against Miss State, Missouri or during critical drives at Auburn, Jaquelin Roy stood on the sideline during "gotta have it" moments in those early defeats. Once he began to appear more in later games, the Tigers' defensive fortunes changed for the better.
As for his sophomore campaign?
Next to Joseph Evans, Neil Farrell Jr, Glen Logan, Maason Smith, longtime buddy Jacobian Guillory, or fellow second year man Eric Taylor all on the inside, flanked by Ali Gaye, B.J Ojulari, Andre Anthony or Soni Fonua, Roy should have a dominant showing throughout 2021 along Andre Carter's devastating D-Line.
Could Roy embark upon a Dorsey-esque second season???
I'd say not that impressive just yet, but I feel Roy's sophomore campaign will see his performances garner no necessary comparisons:
Jaquelin is his own rare breed, not even a full sophomore yet and he's already a pressurizing, sack-collecting, TFL-enforcing SEC mammoth who's very much his own unique brand.
When projecting his 2021 season, I'm hesitant to put any emphasis on statistics:
While it wouldn't surprise me if "JQ" snatched 5 or 6 sacks this season, he won't need to be a sackmaster for LSU to play phenomenal defense this year.
In fact, he could pick up 3 sacks through his first few games, begin to receive more double teams in the middle of the year, and his sacks could lessen; but it won't matter...Roy's pass rushing is just an added bonus of what he can do.
Defensive tackles aren't expected to sack quarterbacks more than a few times a season anyway, and Jaquelin will at the least affect the game by clogging passing lanes with his long arms, stuffing gaps by way of his girth, and absorbing double teams ad nauseum....but he does so much more, wearing down an offensive line from the inside out.
When doing so, even if contained, Roy's frenetic, brutal interior pass rush will assist Maason Smith, Neil Farrell Jr, Joseph Evans and Glen Logan in attacking the back field.
On a stacked defensive line where some questions are being asked concerning who will start at DE, either Ojulari, Fonua or Anthony, as well as a battle for the #1 DT spot between Joseph Evans, Neil Farrell Jr, Glen Logan or freshman prodigy Maason Smith, it appears Jaquelin Roy is one of the only untouchable pieces of Andre Carter's hell-bent-for-leather D-Line.
JQ's influence may prove to be one of LSU's big key defensive factors in hunting down CFP revenge, aiming to take our second title in three seasons.
I want an extra large Roy jersey (just because) and I want it now.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
SHOUTOUTS: Choke, even tho you called my Jazz pretenders, I still appreciate your renegade public support.
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