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SEC Football: Top 100 SEC players to watch in 2016

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 17, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers defensive end Lewis Neal (92) pressures Florida Gators quarterback Treon Harris (3) during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers defensive end Lewis Neal (92) pressures Florida Gators quarterback Treon Harris (3) during the second quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Lewis Neal 2015 Season Statistics

  • Games Played: 12
  • Tackles: 48
  • Tackles for Loss: 9.5
  • Sacks: 8
  • Interceptions: 0
  • Pass Breakups: 6
  • Forced Fumbles: 1
  • Fumble Recoveries: 0
  • Notable: Ranked No. 6 in the SEC in sacks in 2015.

It seems like the LSU Tigers  lose elite pass rushers on an almost annual basis, only to replace them with players that quickly become household names. Lewis Neal became the next great LSU defensive end in 2015 when he accumulated 48 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in his first season as a starter. The performance put him in the top ten in school history for sacks in a single season.

Neal’s production (which included 10 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and three sacks in the team’s victory over a previously undefeated Florida squad) made him a candidate to leave early for the NFL Draft, but in a reverse of the trend that has seen 20 Tigers leave school early over the last two seasons, he joined fellow standout defenders Kendell Beckwith and Tre’Davious White in spurning the pro game for one more year in college.

Looking ahead to 2016, Neal is one of 10 LSU defensive starters returning (which includes another up-and-coming pass rusher, Arden Key) on what could be the SEC’s best unit.

Next: Reuben Foster

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