NEIL FARRELL JR 2020 PROFILE

#92 

6'4

318

2019 STATS:

46 Tackles (15 Solo)

7.0 TFL

3.5 Sacks

1 Forced Fumble

1 Pass Deflected

Played in 15 Games

               Farrell has been at LSU for what feels like a decade...biding his time along Meatball Johnson's line until former LA Rams' chief Bill Johnson took over. Once the Super Bowl-winning D-line coach came to Baton Rouge in 2019, Orgeron recommended Farrell for major time on the field.

              During 2019, Neil came alive, #92 exploding into the backfield almost every snap in which he featured for the Tigers, imposing sacrificial will upon opponents with calculated savagery all while fighting through a hobbled ankle...the nasty injury requiring off-season surgery following the 2020 title bout vs Clemson.

              Farrell was a primal contributor, amassing 85% of his career stat totals throughout 2019 alone (4 TFL, 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks in the earlier seasons), one of his best performances statistically coming vs Texas A&M, grabbing a sack and forcing a fumble as the Tigers claimed vengeance from 2018's 7 OT fluke. This raging performance from Farrell impressed a mountain of high octane recruits on our sidelines that night (including current 2021 Tigers commit DE Landon Jackson).

              During the postseason, Farrell clogged the gaps and made a huge, albeit subtle, impact vs Georgia, Oklahoma and Clemson, preventing each running game from gathering any momentum as he crashed the B or C gaps, freeing up Jacob Phillips and Jacoby Stevens up the middle. Sometimes lining up as a 0 nose, Neil was adept at creating lanes for K'Lavon Chaisson, Grant Delpit and Patrick Queen to blitz off the edge.

               Now, Farrell will be competing alongside Ika, Shelvin and potentially a hungry Glen Logan for the two interior spots alongside Johnson and Pelini's 4 man jungle of merciless fate.

                This Spring, Farrell was seen practicing only a month and a half following his ankle surgery, a remarkable turnaround; and as Orgeron waxed lyrically about T.K McLendon or Justin Thomas among others, he also told Geaux247 this last month that "LSU fans could see Farrell, Ika, Shelvin and McLendon together in the same lineup."

                  It's brilliant how LSU are willing to always think outside the box, especially when it means utilizing combinations of great players on the field simultaneously...hell, we preach versatility for this explicit reason. 

Although he will remain stationed on the interior, we could definitely witness Pelini and Johnson utilize Farrell, Logan and other adaptable linemen in random formations to keep offenses confused before the snap and laying brutalized & mentally disturbed long after.

                 The National Champion senior has adapted nicely and should be noticed as he not only led LSU's D-linemen in sacks last year (3.5), he has grown in size to 319 pounds, adding burly steel to his interior tool-box.

We feel this will be Neil Farrell's greatest season in purple and gold, which is saying a lot considering how monumental his pressure and intensity was to our defensive success last year. Without Neil Farrell, Trevor Lawrence receives more time in the pocket, less hits and pressure...without Neil Farrell, you can subtract two sacks from K'Lavon, one from Grant Delpit (vs UGA) and a few from Jacoby Stevens, such was the impact of his girth and grit on the inside.

While Tyler Shelvin justifiably receives all of the pre-season plaudits, praise and expectations regarding his feverish potential, Neil Farrell Jr possesses NFL-ready instincts, a few cutting edge duck and swim moves, un unbreakable mentality, and an underrated pass rush we'll finally see fully unleashed within the 4-3.

With all of his experience, bountiful talents and sharpened, versatile skill sets, we expect nothing less than the best from Neil throughout 2020 and we have a great feeling #92 will deliver.

PROJECTIONS: 41 Total Tackles, 6 sacks, 2 Passes Deflected, 8.5 TFL, 1 FF 

(Statistics based on 10 game SEC Schedule)

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SHOUTOUTS TO: My beautiful amazing girlfriend Chelsea, thank you for all that you are and all that you continue to be. I am lucky to ride next to you my love.