One of the brightest stars on LSU’s defensive line has gone dim.
Sophomore Maason Smith, rated the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle out of Terrebonne High School in 2020, suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s opening game and will require surgery, missing the remainder of the 2022 season, TigerDetails.com first reported among multiple media sources.
LSU has not confirmed the news. First-year coach Brian Kelly said after his team’s 24-23 loss to Florida State on Sunday that Smith would have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his injury.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Smith wasn’t credited with any tackles against Florida State when he suffered the injury. He was trailing a play in the first quarter when he jumped into the air to celebrate a tackle for loss, landed awkwardly on his left knee and required assistance to leave the field and entered the team’s injury tent on the sideline.
Smith walked under his own power to the team’s locker room and later returned to the sideline dressed in street clothes. He was replaced by Missouri transfer Mehki Wingo who tallied six tackles and recovered a key fumble in the fourth quarter that sparked a 99-yard touchdown drive.
Smith was selected to the Southeastern Conference’s All-Freshman team in 2021, making four starts in nine appearances and totaling 19 tackles between tackle and end. He was also selected to the FWAA’s Freshman All-American team with five tackles for loss and four sacks.
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