Derek Stingley Jr. out for LSU opener with Mississippi State due to illness

The defending national champion LSU Tigers were down to five returning starters entering the 2020 football season. For their season opener today against Mississippi State, they’ll have just four of them.

All-American cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. will not play against the Bulldogs due to an unspecified illness that the school says is not COVID-19 related.

#LSU executive deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry tells @JordyCulotta and @C_Hanagriff on the pregame show that Derek Stingley had "an episode" last night. They're hearing positive things since he spent the night in the hospital.

"He will not be playing today in the game."

— Brooks Kubena (@BKubena) September 26, 2020

LSU released the following statement Saturday morning:

“Derek Stingley Jr. became acutely ill last night and was evaluated overnight in the hospital. His condition is not COVID-19 related and he is expected to be discharged soon. He will return to activity after full evaluation by the medical team.”

Stingley’s illness appears to be related to an allergic reaction, according to FOX Sports reporter Bruce Feldman.

#LSU star CB Derek Stingley Jr. became acutely ill last night and was evaluated in the hospital. The school said his condition is not COVID-19 related and he is expected to be discharged soon. It is believed he had an allergic reaction to something. #BigNoonKickoff

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 26, 2020

Without the sophomore, LSU will likely rely on sophomore Cordale Flott, freshman Elias Ricks and graduate transfer Darren Evans as their top cornerback options against Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid attack. Another sophomore, Jay Ward, was injured during preseason camp but head coach Ed Orgeron stated this week that he expected Ward to be available to play as well.

The Tigers and Bulldogs kick off at 2:37 p.m. inside Tiger Stadium.