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Earlier this week, it was reported that junior cornerback Cordale Flott would forgo his senior year and enter the LSU draft.
It was not unexpected after the year Flott had, but he’s not the level of prospect that declares no matter what, so there was still some intrigue into whether or not he’d be back. One has to think LSU’s total turnover on the defensive staff didn’t help when it came to recruiting Flott back.
Flott came in as a three-star from Alabama in the 2019 class. At the time, Flott didn’t make a ton of headlines. The 2019 class included Derek Stingley and a few other corners ranked higher than Flott.
Flott made quite the impression on the LSU coaching staff when he got to campus. By November of 2019, Flott was drawing rave reviews from then LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. Flott also played a factor in LSU’s monumental win in Tuscaloosa that fall.
Despite not getting a ton of playing time in 2019, Flott still broke up five passes on 25 targets. He proved to be versatile, lining up on the outside and in the slot. He even took a few snaps at free safety.
2020 was a different story. Much like the entire LSU team, Flott took a step back. 2020 featured one of the worst LSU pass defenses in school history.
Flott allowed a ton of yards and according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed close to a perfect passer rating when targeted. It wasn’t pretty. The Alabama game in 2020 was by far the worst game of Flott’s career.
In 2020, the whole defense was mismanaged and a lot of the faults should fall on the coaches. Flott, as well as every other defensive back on the team, was put in difficult positions week after week. It was a group that allowed blown coverage after blown coverage.
If 2020 was a sophomore slump for Flott, 2021 was anything but. He had his best year yet. Stingley and Eli Ricks were seen as one of the best cornerback duos in college football entering 2021. They both dealt with injuries which meant Flott had to lead the group.
Against Mississippi State, Flott had one of the best games of his career. He had a pick and made some big tackles as well.
Flott’s tackling ability was always underrated. Even in 2020 when he struggled in pass coverage, he was a good tackler, eventually for someone his size. That tackling ability shined more in 2021.
The interception against Mississippi State was Flott’s only interception of the year, but he was really good in pass coverage throughout and was a top-three player on the defense. He was a significant factor in LSU not repeating the horrors of 2020.