Tyler

Shelvin

Three or so weeks ago, Shelvin made his initial announcement to opt out of the season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft. With the season kind of, sort of getting underway, Shelvin started to waffle on his decision over the past couple weeks. The 6-foot-3, 346-pound DL has finally close the door on his college career for good, though, and is no longer considering playing college football this fall. Shelvin had been considered a Day 2 prospect with the potential to rise into the first round with a good season. Even without putting any film out for 2020, Shelvin should still be one of the best run defenders in the class.

Shelvin (6'3/346) opted out on August 31, and on September 15 it was reported that the redshirt junior was having second thoughts. While HC Ed Orgeron said at the time that he had spoken with Shelvin’s parents, he had not talked to the man himself regarding the possibility of playing. On Monday Orgeron said that he had not heard from anyone regarding the possibility of Shelvin returning for the 2020 season. “Everything has quieted down (with that),” Orgeron said. “I’m not going to rule it out, but I have not heard a word from his family or from him, so I don’t know where that’s at.” Shelvin is projected by some analysts to be a Day 1 selection in next spring’s NFL Draft.

Shelvin (6'3/346) was expected to be a big piece of the Tigers’ defensive puzzle, so his decision to opt out on August 31 definitely hurt the reigning national champions. LSU HC Ed Orgeron said that he would welcome back the redshirt junior with open arms if he were to change his mind and want to suit up. “His family has called me. I have not spoken to Tyler. Some of his teammates are talking to him,” Orgeron said on Tuesday. Shelvin has a good chance of being selected on Day 1 of next spring’s NFL Draft, whether he plays this season or not.

Shelvin (6'3/346) is the second Tiger to opt out on Monday, joining standout wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. In the case of the redshirt junior defensive tackle there are no reports that he has also decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, but given the fact that he considered doing so after last season Shelvin may have suited up for LSU for the last time. ESPN’s Todd McShay ranked him 23rd among draft eligible prospects in his top 50 rankings on August 26. Last season Shelvin was excellent against the run, ranking ninth among qualifying defenders according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 88.3. Shelvin started 13 of the 14 games in which he played in 2019, tallying 39 total tackles (3.0 for loss) and two passes defensed.

Shelvin briefly flirted with entering the draft after his solid redshirt sophomore campaign, but ultimately decided to return for at least one more year. The 6-foot-3, 346-pound defensive tackle was great against the run as Treash notes; posting an 88.3 PFF grade that ranked ninth among qualifying defenders. He was even better, however, when lining up as a nose. “Only nine players who played at least 125 snaps against the run at nose tackle graded above 80.0 last season -- Shelvin generated a mark of 90.1, one spot behind leader Aaron Crawford, who graduated from North Carolina. Shelvin isn’t much of a pass-rushing specialist -- he had just six pressures last year -- but his ability to stop the run is sure to make him a draft target in either 2021 or 2022.

LSU’s starting nose tackle has been rumored to be strongly considering a jump, but he’ll hold off those plans for at least a year. Shelvin has two years of eligibility left if he wants them. He recorded 39 tackles last year and played a key role in keeping offensive linemen off of LSU’s middle linebackers.

Shelvin (6'3/300) did not travel with the Tigers for their October Surprise of a defeat at the hands of Florida this past weekend and has not been practicing in the intervening days. Brody Miller of the New Orleans Times-Picayune hears that the redshirt freshman could be in hot water with the coaching staff due to a violation of team rules, but that no suspension has been issued in relation.

Despite Wommack’s weight qualms with the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder, Shelvin nonetheless dominated at the annual Rivals event in mid-June. He stands as their No. 12 prospect for the 2017 cycle. Scout.com plays matters more conservatively, placing him at No. 86. They note that while Shelvin “just overpowers many of the offensive linemen he competes against,” he can work to improve his consistency in leverage and reading the snap.

Rivals reached out to a number of LSU commits to gauge their reaction to Miles’ firing. Shelvin -- who ranks as the outlet’s No. 8 overall prospect for 2017 -- was particularly crushed, saying, “I called him a lot and whenever he needed to talk to me he would contact me. Every time I visited there we had meetings in his office, so we had a tight relationship.” Several prospects, including four-star recruits in T Adrian Easley and QB Justin Rogers, expressed a strong hope that LSU would retain their current position coaches. No surprise there. As ILB Tyler Taylor put it, "[Les Miles is] not the guy who recruited me.”

Shelvin took an official visit to LSU this past weekend. He came out of it saying, “I’m not taking anymore official visits. My experiences this weekend on my official visit to LSU. I liked what I saw and I want to stay at home.” And with that, it looks like LSU will get its man. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder hails from Crowley, Louisiana, and makes for an imposing presence on the field. Scout.com notes that he "[r]eally moves well for a guy his size” and has shown “he can chase the ball.” With Shelvin looking rock-solid, the real question now is whether HC Ed Orgeron can also reel in five-star DL stud Marvin Wilson. That is well within the realm of possibility, though Wilson isn’t expected to make a commitment until National Signing Day itself.