Maason Smith’s celebration during Louisiana State University’s season opener against Florida State turned into his last for the season after tearing his ACL on Saturday.
Smith, an LSU sophomore from Houma, Louisiana, can be seen on video from ESPN dancing after a play during Saturday’s game, coming down hard on his left leg. The station later reported on Monday that Smith received testing on his knee and found he tore the ACL in his left knee. He will be out for the remainder of the season, according to ESPN.
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LSU DT Maason Smith appeared to have suffered an injury after celebrating this play. pic.twitter.com/SJDBAoJUA5
— ESPN (@espn) September 5, 2022
The defensive tackle earned Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC in 2021 and was considered the “most imposing player on the LSU roster,” according to the university’s website. Before this injury, he was projected to be one of the top college defensive linemen in 2022.
Smith, the first person in LSU history to wear the No. 0 jersey, recorded 19 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks in 2021.
Fellow sophomore and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo, a transfer from the University of Missouri, is expected to take his place in the lineup. Wingo also earned Freshman All-SEC in 2021.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to LSU Athletics for comment.
