LSU has made a name for itself as “DBU” in the 21st century. That nicknamed was earned after LSU produced some of the best defensive backs in the country throughout the tenures of Nick Saban, Les Miles and Ed Orgeron. A lot changed at LSU in that time, but one thing remained the same: LSU was a place for elite defensive backs.
“DBU” hit a decline in recent years. Derek Stingley Jr., Eli Ricks, Cordale Flott and Dwight McGlothern all declared for the draft or hit the portal following 2021 and LSU’s struggled to replace that core ever since.
Brian Kelly brought in a solid transfer haul in 2022, but the 2023 transfer class had more misses than hits. Kelly knew LSU couldn’t continue relying on the transfer portal to build its secondary. LSU had to get back to prep recruiting at a top level. Kelly brought back defensive backs coach Corey Raymond to accomplish that goal.
Raymond recruited several top DBs to LSU in his initial tenure with the Tigers. His second stint got off to a quiet start. LSU lost a commitment from Jaboree Antoine. At the time of Antoine’s decommitment, he was LSU’s lone corner commit.
But Raymond and LSU struck gold this week, earning a commitment from five-star cornerback DJ Pickett. According to On3, ESPN and Rivals, Pickett is the top corner in the 2025 class. He’s one of the highest-rated recruits in LSU history. With that in mind, let’s take a look at where he ranks among LSU’s DB recruits this century.
Jamal Adams
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Class: 2014
Rating: .985
As far as impact players go, its hard to think of many DBs who made the same impact as Jamal Adams at LSU. He had a presence in the secondary that took the defense to another level.
LSU’s defense was among the nation’s best in 2016, holding teams like Alabama to just 10 points and shutting down Heisman winner Lamar Jackson in the bowl game.
Adams went on to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football | LSU Wire…