Tag: Duce Chestnut

LSU boasts one of college football’s top defenses entering 2023

Despite losing several key pieces, this defense has a lot of potential this fall.

As the offseason hype grows around LSU, much of the discussion has had to do with the offense.

Indeed, the Tigers bring back perhaps the SEC’s top returning quarterback/receiver duo in [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag]. Pair that with a young, promising offensive line and a running back room with plenty of options, and you have the makings of a great unit.

But defensively, the Tigers have a lot of potential, as well. There are players to replace, certainly, such as edge defenders [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Mike Jones Jr.[/autotag] and secondary starters [autotag]Jay Ward[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag].

Still, LSU returns a lot of promising players. [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] is widely expected to become one of the best players in the country, while [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] returns after a breakout season on the defensive line. He’ll be paired up inside with the player he replaced in [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag], who many expect to have a huge season, as well, as he returns from an ACL tear.

While the secondary will feature a lot of new faces, LSU will get veterans [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Major Burns[/autotag] back,

That’s not even mentioning the transfers who will see immediate action like defensive linemen [autotag]Paris Shand[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Swinson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag].

This group has a lot of talent, and ESPN ranked it as the No. 8 defensive unit entering 2023.

It always starts right up front with any defense, and getting back a healthyMaason Smithat tackle is a huge boost for an LSU unit that finished fifth in the SEC last season in scoring defense (22.5 points per game) and sixth in total defense (354.6 yards per game). Smith earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021, but tore his ACL in the opener last season against Florida State while celebrating a tackle. The 6-6, 310-pound Smith is a force in the middle of that defense, andMekhi Wingoshowed a year ago he was also capable of being a dominant interior defender. Throw in one of the best pass-rushers in the SEC, outside linebackerHarold Perkins Jr., and the Tigers will be a load for any opposing offensive line trying to block them. Perkins had 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a freshman last season.

LSU will also benefit from having defensive coordinator Matt House and his staff back for another season. The continuity and carryover from 2022 should allow the Tigers to play even faster and more instinctively, and one of the keys will be how well several transfers fit on defense.

LinebackerOmar Speightstransferred in fromOregon State, where he was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season. There are some question marks in the secondary, although veteran safetyGreg Brooks Jr. is back. A number of transfers will get chances to win cornerback jobs. Among them:JK Johnson(Ohio State),Duce Chestnut(Syracuse),Denver Harris(Texas A&M) andZy Alexander(Southeastern Louisiana).

[autotag]Matt House[/autotag] is viewed as one of the top up-and-coming defensive minds in the game, and he’ll have a lot to work with as LSU has the makings of a potential College Football Playoff team this fall.

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LSU transfer Duce Chestnut fully cleared

A key LSU transfer got some good news regarding his recovery.

LSU transfer [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag] made key progress in his recovery this week. The corner was officially cleared for participation according to his Twitter account.

Chestnut missed spring practice after transferring from Syracuse. It seems the injury was occurred after the season, given Chestnut appeared in every regular-season game for the Orange.

He is part of LSU’s overhauled cornerback room. Despite entering his junior year, he’s one of the most experienced defenders on the roster. Chestnut played more than 1,400 snaps with Syracuse.

He has four career interceptions and nine pass breakups. According to PFF, his 75.6 coverage grade in 2022 was top 10 in the ACC among corners with 300 or more snaps.

We don’t know where Chestnut fits into defensive coordinator Matt House’s plans since he didn’t practice this spring, but a starting role is likely within reach. Not many corners on this roster have proven to be consistent at the Power Five level, something Chestnut has done.

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LSU among many Power 5 programs in hot pursuit of veteran Louisiana DB transfer

The Tigers are one of several Power Five programs throwing its hat in the ring for the recruitment of experienced Louisiana defensive back transfer Trey Amos.

The Tigers are one of several Power Five programs throwing its hat in the ring for the recruitment of experienced Louisiana defensive back transfer [autotag]Trey Amos[/autotag].

Since entering the transfer portal Monday, Amos has heard from programs all across the country and has announced 14 offers on his Twitter account. LSU is among them.

The Tigers have been very active in adding defensive backs through the transfer portal this cycle with pickups like [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag]. Adding Amos would be the icing on the cake.

A three-year player for the Ragin’ Cajuns, he started 10 of the 11 games he played in last year, finishing a career season with 35 total tackles and eight pass breakups.

The Tigers will face stiff competition in the race for Amos. Among a star-studded offer list is Florida and his former head coach in Billy Napier as well as Alabama, which seems to have some momentum right now. We’ll see if Kelly can land another Louisiana player through the transfer portal in the New Iberia native.

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LSU football’s Greg Brooks Jr. plans to uphold ‘DBU’ tradition in 2023

Can LSU maintain its DBU claim in 2023?

LSU is one of several college football programs that considers itself the premier producer of defensive back talent in the country and has adopted the moniker “DBU” to reflect that.

Though that is a point of contention with several other schools, given that the Tigers have produced players like [autotag]Patrick Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Tyrann Mathieu[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamal Adams[/autotag], just to name a few, they certainly have a case.

This year’s group of defensive backs will feature a lot of new faces after a number of players departed and were subsequently replaced in the transfer portal with players like [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag].

[autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag], one of the few returning veterans in the defensive backfield, said this year’s group has what it takes to keep that DBU tradition alive, according to On3.

“It’s great, you know what I’m saying. We gotta keep the tradition going. It’s gonna be a fun year,” said Brooks. “We have a lot of new guys. And I feel like a lot of us are gonna step up to keep that name, upholding this tradition.”

After a portal-heavy rebuild in the secondary last offseason, Kelly had to do so once again. Sustaining success that way may not be easy, but there’s no denying the talent on the roster at the position.

LSU fans will hope Brooks is right and the defensive backs can continue to be a strength.

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Anonymous coaches name LSU a transfer portal winner so far

The Tigers currently have the best transfer class in the country, according to 247Sports.

There’s no denying the transfer portal has been key to Brian Kelly’s strategy at LSU.

The Tigers coach inherited a depleted roster when he took the job just over a year ago, and a 10-win, SEC West championship season in 2022 would not have been possible were it not for the impactful additions through the portal. With many of those transfers being veterans who are now moving on, LSU had to hit the portal again this offseason, albeit in a less desperate situation.

Once again, the transfer portal has treated Kelly well. He’s brought in a group of immediate impact players at positions of need, especially at linebacker and in the secondary, and LSU’s transfer class ranks as the best in college football, per 247Sports.

Sometimes industry folks can overrate or underrate certain players, so it can be best to hear things directly from the mouths of those who are more directly involved. ESPN discussed which teams are winning the portal so far with several anonymous coaches, and LSU unsurprisingly came up. However, one SEC coordinator did question how sustainable Kelly’s roster strategy is.

LSU always will be one of the best-positioned programs for top high school players, especially from within the state. But the team had roster issues during its recent coaching transition, and it hit the portal for quarterback Jayden Daniels (Arizona State), defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo (Missouri), cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State) and others. The roster is in better shape now, and LSU signed ESPN’s No. 7 recruiting class but also kept mining the portal.

Top additions include linebacker Omar Speights, who earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors at Oregon State in 2022, as well as defensive backs Duce Chestnut (Syracuse), Denver Harris (Texas A&M) and JK Johnson (Ohio State). LSU also bolstered its defensive front with Ovie Oghoufo (Texas), Jordan Jefferson (West Virginia) and Jalen Lee (Florida).

“That might not be what Brian Kelly wants to do, but last year, they were depleted and they took a bunch of kids out of the portal,” an SEC coordinator said. “This year, they’re taking a ton of kids out of the portal. It’s kind of one of those never-ending cycles, where once you do, you’ve got to keep doing it to replenish. LSU might be a little bit different, where you can get some blue chips that can help you right away, but it’s hard.”

There’s a lot to like about the Tigers’ transfer class. Speights has been one of the top linebackers in college football over the last few seasons, and that should continue in Baton Rouge. Additions like Chestnut and Harris should give the secondary plenty of talent, while LSU added a lot of depth on the defensive line.

Relying so much on the portal may not be ideal, but it has also allowed Kelly to turn things around at LSU much quicker than many expected. With this transfer haul, he’s set to have a competitive team in the SEC West once again.

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Analyzing every LSU cornerback transfer addition

Here’s what to expect from LSU’s key transfer additions at corner.

For the second year in a row, LSU was forced to rebuild its secondary through the portal.

Last year’s additions — [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag] — proved to be essential to the success of LSU’s defense.

Garner, Bernard-Converse and Foucha are off to the NFL, and a couple of LSU’s younger corners have hit the portal themselves. The attrition left LSU with few options to start at corner in 2023, none of them proven.

Those concerns have been squashed as LSU is set to bring in a slew of transfer corners. At least a couple from this crew should be in Baton Rouge for more than a year.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see these guys earn starting roles, or at least, make big contributions.

Here’s a look at LSU’s corner additions in the portal.

New LSU corner one of the top transfer additions in the country this week

Duce Chestnut was a crucial pickup for LSU in the portal.

Players only have until Wednesday to enter the transfer portal before the 45-day winter window closes. Once a player has entered the portal, there’s no timetable to decide on a new school, but with that being said, many players are starting to come to decisions in order to be on campus for spring ball.

There was a rush of commitments in the transfer portal this week, including several for the Tigers. Arguably the most impactful of these was [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], a cornerback that started for Syracuse the last two years and was named a Freshman All-American in 2021.

Chestnut was named the second-best transfer commitment from the past week by On3’s Mike Huguenin.

The skinny: Five transfers played big roles in LSU’s secondary this season, and Duce Chestnut (6-0, 198) should do the same in 2023. He might be the Tigers’ best corner. Regardless, he’ll be a key part of a secondary that – given all the new pieces – was much better than expected in 2022. Chestnut was one of the best true freshman corners in the nation in 2021 – earning some freshman All-America honors – and also played well this season for Syracuse. He started all 24 games in which he played in his two seasons with the Orange and had 83 tackles, four picks and nine pass breakups.

His addition is huge for LSU, which loses [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Richardson[/autotag] at cornerback. Chestnut should come in and start, and as Huguenin mentioned, he could be the Tigers’ top corner right off the bat.

LSU brought in a huge transfer class in Brian Kelly’s first offseason, and though it’s a smaller haul this time around, it should be a very impactful one thanks to players like Chestnut.

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LSU expected to add former blue-chip Ohio State corner JK Johnson

Johnson changed his bio on Twitter to include LSU on Sunday.

LSU has been aggressive in addressing the secondary — and the cornerback position, specifically — so far this offseason. It seems the program is poised to add yet another through the portal.

Ohio State cornerback transfer [autotag]JK Johnson[/autotag] is expected to transfer to LSU. Johnson posted photos from his Baton Rouge visit this weekend, and though he didn’t explicitly commit, he did update his Twitter bio to include the Tigers.

This would be another huge pickup for LSU, which also added Syracuse transfer [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag] on Friday and had already landed a pair of corner transfers in [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag].

The DeSmet, Missouri, native is a former top 50 prospect, and he appeared in 15 games, totaling 22 tackles in two years. Johnson appeared in all 13 games this season, starting five of them.

His decision to transfer to LSU makes quite a bit of sense. Tigers cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag] was Johnson’s head coach in high school at DeSmet Jesuit, and now the pair have reunited on the bayou.

With the departures of [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and others, it was important that LSU land instant impact players in the portal. Johnson would certainly be one.

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LSU picks up big-time Syracuse defensive back transfer Duce Chestnut

The Tigers picked up a former Freshman All-American in the portal.

The Tigers are not done yet in the transfer portal, especially when it comes to rebuilding the secondary. On Sunday, LSU landed a commitment from sophomore Syracuse cornerback [autotag]Duce Chestnut[/autotag], a starter who played in 24 games in two seasons.

Chestnut heads for greener pastures after a stellar two-year career in which he totaled 83 tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. The Camden, New Jersey, native was named a Freshman All-American in 2021 by multiple national publications and finished as the runner-up in ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

After the departures of several veterans including [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], LSU will turn to Chestnut and its two other transfer corners in Texas A&M’s [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] and Southeastern Louisiana’s [autotag]Zy Alexander[/autotag], as well as the three true freshmen it signed at the position.

With only [autotag]Laterrance Welch[/autotag] and [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag] as scholarship returning players at corner, it’s not a surprise coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has once again opted for an aggressive transfer portal strategy to address corner.

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Syracuse’s Duce Chestnut outstanding in first collegiate start

Syracuse football’s Duce Chestnut had a monster debut last week and may be looking to prove a point against Rutgers football this weekend.

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Rutgers football could well face a motivated Duce Chestnut on Saturday, the Syracuse football cornerback coming off a big performance this past weekend and looking to prove yet another point.

A true freshman, Chestnut had a big first game for Syracuse in a 29-9 win at Ohio on Saturday night. The Camden, NJ native had eight tackles, a pass defended and an interception in his collegiate debut. The outstanding effort saw him named the ACC Co-Rookie of the Week.

The performance left Syracuse head coach Dino Babers amazed.

“Sunday in the team meeting, Duce Chestnut got the game ball on beat, and 35 years, I’ve never seen anybody -I’ve never even heard of anybody getting a game ball in the first collegiate game,” Babers said in media availability this week.

“I’m sure there’s some guys out there but they were never on my teams. So, it really really is an amazing deal. It’s something that you don’t anticipate, you could have never thought of and doggone glad it happened. We’re really happy to see it.”

Chestnut was the only player from New Jersey in Syracuse’s 2021 class. He also was the only four-star recruit for the Orange in last year’s class.

 

There could well be a bit of fire from Chestnut when Rutgers plays at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon. Chestnut was originally offered by previous Rutgers head coach Chris Ash but was reportedly never re-offered when Greg Schiano returned last season as the Scarlet Knights head coach.

Chestnut held 20 offers including Baylor, Boston College, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina and Pittsburgh among others.