been all this season, with team after team testing him. His only blemish came against Alabama in early November, when he, like the rest of the LSU defense, struggled to slow one of the nation's most prolific offenses. On a national stage again against Georgia a month later, targeted constantly again, Stingley delivered two interceptions, helping LSU secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

"His work ethic is one of the best I've ever seen," Orgeron says. "He's one of the best players I've ever recruited in high school."

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It's the way he lures quarterbacks into throws. The way he prepares. The way he reads and studies wide receivers—even his teammates—while also having the luxury of relying on a wealth of physical gifts. His head coachmarvels at it all.

For some players, the hype just can't be avoided.

With one breath, coaches and teammates will talk about him like he already belongs in these hallowed halls in Atlanta.

With the next, they point out his mellow disposition. In practice, when he challenges you, "He doesn't talk," Chase says. "He'll just smile." Delpit echoes that. "I don't think I've ever heard him talk smack on the field," he says. "He's a quiet assassin."

They say he looks and acts younger than his 18 years. They comment on his patience, not normally a label used with elite cornerbacks.

But little about this season would qualify as normal. Or this player.

He can't evade the hype. It's just going to get louder.

A win against Clemson in the national championship game Monday, playing