Ad Disclosure
LSU DE Ali Gaye, 2nd team All-SEC pick in 2020, announces plans for 2022 season
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
LSU defensive end Ali Gaye saw a successful college career put on hold due to injury. After the JUCO transfer posted a team-high 9.5 tackles for a loss en route to an All-SEC nod in 2020, he played in just 4 games in 2021 before undergoing surgery for an injured shoulder.
With his draft-eligible status, the question was whether Gaye would declare for the NFL Draft or come back for at least 1 season under new head coach Brian Kelly. Those questions were answered on Wednesday as he posted a video on Instagram announcing that he will indeed return for his 3rd season with the Tigers.
“My goal moving forward is to help lead my team to an excellent season, and ultimately win a national championship,” he said.
Prior to coming to LSU, Gaye had a successful junior college career. He posted 44 tackles with Garden City Community College and was considered the No. 2 junior college defensive end recruit following that season. Gaye ultimately signed with LSU, where he provided an instant boost to the Tigers’ defense during his first season.
With 2021 behind him, he will now look to return to form and improve on the success he showed when first arriving to Baton Rouge.
View this post on Instagram
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
