Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.
Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.
Once again, arguably the biggest storyline on the defensive side of the ball this offseason is the class of transfer additions in the secondary. One of the more intriguing players in that group is [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], who was a standout in his first two seasons at Syracuse.
Duce Chestnut Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Camden, New Jersey
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 200
247Sports Composite Ranking
Three Stars | No. 7 in New Jersey | No. 31 Cornerback
Class in 2022: Sophomore
Career Stats
| Year | G | Total | Solo | TFL | Sack | FF | PD | INT |
| 2021 (Syracuse) | 12 | 43 | 32 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2022 (Syracuse) | 12 | 40 | 27 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Depth Chart Overview
Chestnut immediately became a starter after arriving at Syracuse, starting all 12 games as a true freshman while earning Freshman All-America and Third Team All-ACC honors. He also finished as the runner up for ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
He started all 12 games again last fall, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention. His interception numbers dropped from three to one, though he took his lone pick to the house against Wagner.
After arriving at LSU this offseason, he’s expected to take over the starting nickel role, though he’ll have to compete with returning player [autotag]Sage Ryan[/autotag], who showed some promise last season, as well.