Ed Orgeron is looking for a better effort from his defense on Saturday than the Tigers had last year against Mississippi State. But if they do it with star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is still up in the air.

Coach Ed Orgeron told the media on Thursday night that Stingley is still dealing with a foot injury.

“He’s very questionable,” Orgeron said of his availability for the weekend. Orgeron stopped short of saying Stingley would not play, but later said this “gives an opportunity for some other guys to play.”

He reportedly left practice on Wednesday, according to Geaux247 staff, and this has been an ongoing issue that kept Stingley in a non-contact jersey and unable to practice until preparations for the opener against UCLA.

As the season goes on, Stingley’s status will increasingly be viewed with an eye on the NFL Draft. Stingley is widely expected to be one of the top defensive prospects in the class.

Stingley has played in all 3 games of the season for LSU so far, and has made 8 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble last week that led to a scoop-and-score by defensive end Andre Anthony.