For LSU football, the secondary has been regarded widely as its biggest weakness entering the season.
Even though the Tigers have been nicknamed “DBU,” many people aren’t confident that LSU can hold its own in the secondary.
However, this defensive back unit is underrated and has potential to outperform expectations. The secondary is similar to how it was built last year — through the transfer portal. The Tigers lost multiple defensive backs to the NFL, such as Jay Ward, Colby Richardson, Jarrick-Bernard Converse and Mekhi Garner, but they reloaded this offseason.
LSU added cornerbacks Zy Alexander from Southeastern Louisiana, Duce Chestnut from Syracuse, Denver Harris from Texas A&M, Andre’ Sam from Marshall and JK Johnson from Ohio State, who is currently injured.
Alexander, a 6-foot-2 lengthy cornerback with three years of college experience, had four pass deflections and three interceptions last season. He took two of them back for touchdowns and showed off his shutdown ability at the FCS level, earning him a spot at LSU.
Chestnut is someone who brings tremendous play recognition and tight coverage. His ball skills are his biggest strength, as he had four interceptions and nine pass deflections in his career at Syracuse.
Another strength is his tackling ability. Adding that with his already lockdown coverage, he shows why he was one of the best corners in the Atlantic Coast Conference for two years.
Harris came over from Texas A&M as a five-star recruit, but he only appeared in five games due to being suspended twice. Although he didn’t see the field much last season, his talent as a corner is undeniable. Being ranked the No. 2 corner as a transfer, according to 247sports, the Tigers are adding a talented player. He has a nose for the football as he is constantly looking to jar the ball loose and isn’t afraid to tackle in the open field.
What these additions do for the roster is add much-needed depth. It was noticeable that last year’s problem was a lack of depth due to injury or inexperience. Adding players from the transfer portal who are not only talented but experienced as well, seals up those gaps in the secondary.
While injuries to Johnson and Sage Ryan have hurt that depth, when everyone is healthy, LSU is deep in the secondary.
These defensive backs brought through the transfer portal are full of talent, being four and five-star recruits or players who made their respective all-conference teams. Experience is important when adding transfers to a roster and looking for an immediate impact.
Alexander started the last season at Southeastern Louisiana. Chestnut was a two-year starter at Syracuse and has shown to separate himself from the others as a starting corner, being able to win reps against a talented receiver core at practice.
Sam, the most notable of the transfers, started 48 games at McNeese State and Marshall in his career. He will be going into his sixth year of college football. Having that playing experience goes a long way with a unit that lost a lot.
On top of that, there are returners who played crucial roles in last year’s season such as Brooks Jr., Burns and Ryan who can provide leadership. There are also players such as Laterrance Welch and Mathew Langlois who are looking to increase their roles this season.
Welch played exceptionally well during the spring game and has been building off that ever since. His confidence and skills have continued to improve. I like what Welch brings to the secondary with his excellent coverage skills and physicality. Even though he is only a sophomore, he’s starting to perform like a player who has been starting for years.
Something that’s being undervalued with this defensive back unit is the amount of versatility it has. Players like Burns, Ryan and Brooks are listed as safeties but have shown the ability to play man coverage and matchup with wide receivers and tight ends. This allows LSU to play more packages and not have to worry about mismatches.
There are only two weeks left before LSU has to play Florida State in the season opener in Orlando. There are still some questions that have to be answered, but these next two weeks will be crucial for these players who still need to develop.
