Tag: Corey Raymond

Should LSU be worried about losing 5-star corner DJ Pickett?

DJ Pickett is the headliner of LSU’s 2025 defensive class. Can LSU hold on down the stretch?

Most of the 2025 five-stars have already committed, which means teams must push for flips if they wish to add a five-star to their class.

Miami is doing just that with five-star LSU commit [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. It came as somewhat of a surprise when Pickett committed to LSU over the summer. Now, the Tigers will be tested to hold on down the stretch.

According to On3, Pickett will visit Miami this weekend.

“Mario Cristobal has been relentless in his communication,” On3’s Steve Wiltfong said, “but I think the push is only going to continue as you get close to the early signing period in December.”

Pickett is a Florida native and LSU fought hard to beat out Pickett’s home-state teams, but that always gets tougher as signing day nears.

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Pickett is the No. 8 overall prospect and the No. 2 overall corner. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] brought secondary coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] back to LSU with the hope of landing defensive backs of Pickett’s caliber.

Raymond is off to a good start with Pickett on board, along with blue-chips [autotag]Kade Phillips[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Bradford[/autotag] and [autotag]Aidan Anding[/autotag].

LSU’s had trouble building a consistent the last few years, but the 2025 class offers a chance to build a strong core on the backed. Keeping Pickett in the fold will be critical for Kelly and the LSU coaching staff as signing day nears.

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4 things we’ve learned about LSU in 2024

LSU is halfway through its regular season. Here’s four things we’ve learned about the Tigers.

We’re already halfway through the college football regular season. LSU has six games down with six more to go.

LSU’s first six games didn’t lack intrigue. LSU’s played four games against Power Four opponents and three came down to the wire. LSU came up short against USC in Week 1 but staged comebacks against South Carolina and Ole Miss to jump out to a 2-0 start in conference play.

After the Ole Miss upset, LSU is up to No. 8 in the AP Poll, five spots better than where it began the year at No. 13.

Given all that LSU lost after 2023, a 5-1 start is impressive. You can’t make the playoff in the first six games, but you can get knocked out of it. LSU did enough to stay alive and remain in the thick of the playoff race.

Here, we’ll look at five things we’ve learned about LSU in these last seven weeks. We had a lot of questions about this group entering the year and now with a good sample size to look at, many have been answered.

The receiver depth is even better than we thought

Receiver was somewhat of a question for LSU after losing [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] That type of production is hard to replace in one offseason, but LSU is managing just fine with a plethora of talented options.

[autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] leads the way with 30 catches for 463 yards. His five-catch, 111-yard performance vs. Ole Miss made it back-to-back 100-yard games for the fifth-year senior.

[autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] is enjoying a breakout year with 30 catches for 452 yards. Both marks rank in the top 10 among SEC receivers.  Transfers [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag] are both making impacts too.

Along with the receivers, tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] leads all SEC tight ends with 33 receptions.

This group doesn’t have the same explosiveness element as last year’s, but it’s deep and dependable.

Defensive development is ahead of schedule

LSU brought in a new staff on the defensive side of the ball, hoping to accelerate the development and get the most out of its young talent. We’re seeing that so far.

Start at defensive tackle, where [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] continues to get competent production from its interior defensive line despite losing [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag]. True freshmen [autotag]Ahmad Breaux[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] are both in the rotation while veteran transfer [autotag]Gio Paez[/autotag] is on track to set career highs in stops and pressures.

At linebacker, Blake Baker has sophomore Whit Weeks playing like a star. Greg Penn has shown progress too.

LSU hired Corey Raymond to rebuild the secondary, and we’re already seeing the impact for LSU’s corners. The Tigers look much more comfortable in man coverage and playing balls in the air. Zy Alexander leads all SEC CBs in PFF coverage grade after week seven.

The OC transition could have been smoother

LSU’s offense is good, but it’s still experiencing some hiccups as it figures out its identity. Mike Denbrock took the OC job at Notre Dame after leading the best offense in the country at LSU in 2023.

Brian Kelly didn’t have to look far for Denbrock’s replacement, promoting QB coach Joe Sloan and WR coach Cortez Hankton.

Sloan called plays before in his time at Louisiana Tech, but this is his first time doing it at this level.

LSU has struggled to recreate last year’s success on the ground. Regression was expected without Jayden Daniels’ legs, but the fall is significant. After leading the country in EPA/rush last year, LSU ranks 94th this year.

Nussmeier isn’t a threat with his legs and LSU is yet to find an adjustment that makes up for that.

The drop-back game is one of the best in the FBS, but consistency is an issue. Nussmeier was uncomfortable early against Ole Miss but eventually settled in. Expect Sloan to get his QB in rhythm early against Arkansas.

LSU shows poise under pressure

All offseason, Brian Kelly spoke about the maturity of this team. He said it was the most “player-led” group he’s had since arriving in Baton Rouge. That’s starting to show up on the field.

LSU hasn’t played many comfortable games this year. Outside of South Alabama, virtually every game was close at one point. That said, LSU found a way to be 5-1.

The Tigers came up short at the end vs. USC, but LSU hung in there to get big conference wins against South Carolina and Ole Miss. Both wins required big plays late in the game.

Ideally, you’d like to see LSU controlling more games than it is, but remaining cool under pressure isn’t a skill every team has. It’ll come in handy with more close games in the coming weeks.

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Brian Kelly highlights tackling as an emphasis for LSU’s secondary in 2024

One of the position groups that struggled the most for LSU last fall was the defensive backs.

One of the position groups that struggled the most for LSU last fall was the defensive backs. They were a weak link to a defense that gave up a ton of points and was ranked as one of the worst teams in not only the SEC but the NCAA.

This season, the Tigers have a new defensive coordinator in [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] and he looks to fix some of the issues LSU had last fall. Between Baker, [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], and [autotag]Jake Olson[/autotag], I believe the defense will be a lot better. With that being said, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] recently stated he wants the safeties to do a better job tackling.

“I think from the safety position we’ve got to continue to stress them in tackling,” Kelly said, per On3. “That’s really going to be a big piece for us is can we erase some mistakes up front? And when we say mistakes up front, if we cut a gap loose, if there’s an issue up front relative to a run fit, can those safeties erase for us? And we’re not there yet. We need to continue to evaluate that.”

As a safety, you are the final line of defense between a running back or a receiver and the endzone. If you don’t make the tackle, it’s six points every time.

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Is LSU the new favorite for 5-star safety Jonah Williams?

LSU is continuing to make waves on the recruiting trail this summer.

LSU landed the nation’s top corner earlier this month, picking up a commitment from [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. Is LSU on its way to adding the top safety too? On Wednesday, On3’s Billy Embody logged a prediction for LSU to land five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag].

In a rare consensus agreement, all four major recruiting sites rank Williams as the No. 1 safety in the 2025 class. Overall, Williams rates highest at 247Sports, where he’s the No. 7 player in the country.

Williams would be the fourth industry five-star to join LSU’s 2025 class and the Tigers’ third top 10 overall recruit, joining Pickett and QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

LSU has stiff competition. Oregon was considered the favorite not too long ago while Texas and Texas A&M are making noise as well. LSU appears to be capitalizing on recent recruiting momentum along with a more organized NIL effort.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is counting on the 2025 class to restock the defense with talent after firing and replacing the entire defensive staff. Among the new but familiar faces are defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and secondary coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. Both are renowned for their ability on the recruiting trail and we’ve seen it pay off this summer.

If LSU manages to land Williams and Pickett, the Tigers have two five-stars that can propel LSU back to DBU status and put an end to the inconsistency LSU’s seen on the backend during the Kelly era.

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LSU making a push for 5-star safety Jonah Williams

LSU remains in the mix for five-star Jonah Williams ahead of his visit to LSU.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU have caught fire on the recruiting trail. This summer has brought a flurry of commitments, including five-star corner [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. LSU is back in the race for the No. 1 overall class in the country, but LSU is far from finished.

According to Steve Wiltfong of On3, LSU is making a push for [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag], the top safety in the country.

“I think LSU is still one of those programs that you look at and say they’re in the top two or three for the No. 1 ranked safety in the country. He’s loved his visits to Baton Rouge. He’s someone that’s gonna play baseball on the next level. He’s throwing 94 miles per hour this summer. LSU’s track record of baseball is also something that helps them out,” Wiltfong said.

Wiltfong mentioned Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M as well, but said “LSU is right in the middle of it.”

Williams would be another massive get as Kelly and defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] look to reload with talent in the secondary. LSU already has the nation’s top corner on board, but getting the top safety would be the exclamation point on an already elite class.

LSU has a history of landing elite safeties and sending to the NFL. Raymond produced [autotag]Jamal Adams[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Delpit[/autotag] in his previous stint at LSU. The Tigers will hope Williams goes on to join that group.

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Brian Kelly says LSU expecting young guys to take next step on defense

LSU and Brian Kelly are expecting a group of young defenders to take a step in 2024.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] knows his defense wasn’t up to par last year. It led to a change-up with the entire defensive staff with Kelly firing defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] and hiring [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag]. Along with Baker, LSU brought in [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. Two of the most heralded assistant coaches in the country.

“We know that defensively, we need to reach a higher level of play,” Kelly told the SEC Network on Monday morning.

“We played a lot of young guys on defense that we expect to take that next step this year,” Kelly said.

LSU didn’t land many top prospects in the transfer portal, so LSU will be counting on the development of the younger defenders to be the answer on defense.

Eight underclassmen played 70 snaps or more on defense for LSU last year. The biggest name in that group is [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag], who has All-American potential as he enters his junior year.

Up front, LSU will need a step forward from [autotag]Da’Shawn Womack[/autotag]. The former five-star recruit showed flashes in 2023, but will have a bigger opportunity in 2024.

On the backend, defensive backs [autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag] fit the same bill. Both were thrown into the fire as true freshmen last year and it’s hard to imagine the LSU secondary finding success if they don’t contribute this fall.

LSU remains talented and has the chance for a strong young core of defenders to emerge this fall. If it all comes together, expect to see LSU back in the College Football Playoff.

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Top LSU target DJ Pickett narrows decision to 3 schools, Tigers in the mix

Top LSU cornerback target DJ Pickett trimmed his list to three schools, keeping the Tigers in the mix.

Few prospects are higher on LSU’s board than five-star cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. LSU hired [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] to land prospects of Pickett’s caliber and rebuild a secondary that’s experienced volatility since [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] arrived at LSU.

According to On3, Pickett has trimmed his list to three schools, removing Georgia from the equation.

That’s not necessarily good or bad news, but it’s one less top school LSU has to compete with for Pickett’s services. The race is now between LSU, Oregon and Miami.

Last week, On3’s Steve Wiltfong said “If the decision was today, I’d ride with the Ducks.”

That comes as no surprise given Oregon’s heater on the recruiting trail. Dan Lanning and company recently secured a commitment from [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag], the top wide receiver in the class and a former LSU commit. LSU losing another five-star to Oregon would sting, but it’s better than a conference rival.

Still, LSU is in need of a superstar corner. It’s been a while since the Tigers landed a five-star at the position. You’d have to go back to [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag] in 2020.

That’s rare for a program that became accustomed to landing some of the top defensive backs in the country year after year.

LSU won a national title in 2019 behind a historic offense, but that defense had a five-star corner duo with [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Kristian Fulton[/autotag]. That’s the level of talent LSU needs on the backend if it wants to compete for titles again.

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LSU football and baseball collaborate on star safety’s recruitment

LSU football and baseball teamed up to recruit one of the top safeties in the country.

Two-sport stars aren’t new to LSU. Many will remember [autotag]Chad Jones[/autotag], who was All-SEC on the gridiron and won a national championship on the baseball field. More recently, [autotag]Maurice Hampton[/autotag] was a member of both squads.

That’s the vision LSU athletics tried to sell to five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] this weekend.

“Jonah Williams is the definition of a two-sport star,” On3’s profile reads, “Along with being named the district MVP in football during his sophomore season, he’s also widely regarded as one of the top baseball talents in the Lone Star State.”

On his visit, Williams threw on an LSU baseball uniform for a photoshoot. If playing both sports is valued by Williams, that could boost LSU’s chances in this recruitment. Few schools offer the high profile LSU does on the football field and baseball field.

According to the On3 Prediction Machine, Oklahoma is the leader right now with Texas A&M in second place.

All four major recruiting sites rank Williams as the top safety in the 2025 class. 247Sports is the highest on his talents, ranking Williams as the No. 7 overall recruit in the class.

LSU’s 2025 class is one of the best in the country right now, but there’s still a way to go. The Tigers have 11 commitments, including the nation’s top recruit QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

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LSU remains in contact with 5-star Ohio State cornerback commit

The Tigers remain in hot pursuit of Na’eem Oxford, the No. 6 overall player in the 2025 class.

[autotag]Na’eem Oxford[/autotag], one of the top cornerbacks and best overall players in the 2025 recruiting class, has been committed to Ohio State since February. But in spite of that, LSU and defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] specifically remain in hot pursuit.

The five-star Parker (Birmingham) prospect ranks as the No. 6 player nationally and No. 2 cornerback, per the 247Sports composite rankings. While he’s committed to the Buckeyes, he told On3’s Shea Dixon (subscription required) that LSU and Raymond are in contact with him on a daily basis.

Oxford has taken official visits in the last two weeks to Auburn and Alabama, and he will visit Columbus in two weeks. LSU will hope it can secure one of his final official visit slots.

Flipping Oxford won’t be easy, and LSU isn’t the only SEC program with that objective in mind. But if the Tigers could flip him and add him to a class that already ranks second nationally, it would be quite a pickup for [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his staff.

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Nation’s top safety DJ Pickett sets official visit this weekend with LSU

LSU will play host to one of the top players on its 2025 board this weekend.

The LSU football team is currently assembling what could be the best high school recruiting class yet under coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in the 2025 cycle, and it could be close to making some inroads with the top safety in the country.

On Wednesday, [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] announced that he will be taking an official visit to Baton Rouge this weekend, which will begin on Friday. Pickett, a Zephyrhills (Tampa) prospect, ranks as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 player in the country by the 247Sports composite rankings, which list him as a cornerback.

There are no crystal ball projections for Pickett, but Miami is a slim favorite per On3 followed by LSU and Georgia.

[autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has had some nice early returns since returning to LSU this offseason as the defensive backs coach. The Tigers currently hold just one defensive back commitment in four-star, top-150 cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag], but they find themselves in the mix for several more, including Pickett.

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