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Credit: 247Sports

This headline could have read "Derek Stingley Jr. and John Emery Jr." It's greedy to put two players from the same team on this list, but the fact is the LSU Tigers could have two of the top freshman performers in all of college football.

With Nick Brossette gone, Emery could be a 1,000-yard rusher as the Tigers' primary running back. But since we picked Stingley, let's talk about his incredible skill set.

The 6'1", 195-pound cornerback was the nation's top-ranked defensive back coming out of high school, and he stayed at home in Baton Rouge. That's big news for coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who have a difference-maker on their hands.

He already is turning heads in spring practice. LSU student newspaper The Reveille's Jacob Beck noted players and coaches were raving. Orgeron told him: "Derek Stingley would have started for us in the bowl and probably would have been one of the best players on the field. I would expect him to push for a starting position. That may be solidified by the end of the spring."

Added All-American Grant Delpit: "He's better than I was when I got here."

LSU has seen elite defensive backs. This is one of the schools that stakes its claim as DBU, as the Tigers mold NFL forces in the secondary.

Stingley is a can't-miss player who will to make his presence known right away, leading a group of Bayou Bengals freshmen who have as high a ceiling as a group as any Orgeron has brought in.

All recruiting information is from 247Sports, and rankings are from the 247Sports composite.

Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.