Freshman Phenom 2.0: LSU DB Javien Toviano Impressing Early

Toviano is making his presence felt early in the secondary, displaying tremendous versatility.

Brian Kelly is seeing his efforts on the recruiting trail pay off with immediate impact freshmen shining during preseason practice.

In 2022, it was freshman tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones who stole the show as youngsters in year one with the program. The big guys up front made history along with freshman tight end Mason Taylor taking on a major role.

Fast forward to 2023 and this program will see a new group of freshmen make an impact this season, including defensive back Javien Toviano.

Toviano, who LSU recruited until the final buzzer, signed with the Tigers during the Early Signing Period before enrolling early in Baton Rouge.

Now, after being on campus for seven months, he’s ready to shine in Death Valley for Brian Kelly’s program.

What makes Toviano so special? How has he performed during camp?

A dive into a player who has freshman phenom written all over him:

Physical Tools

Toviano arrived on campus weighing 185 pounds. Now, the freshman defensive back is up to 201 pounds and his efforts in the weight room have helped his performance on the field. 

During spring ball, Toviano shined, but his slender frame impacted his game, which is expected as an early-enrollee in the SEC.

After working on his body, Toviano is looking the part for the Tigers. He’s a Swiss Army knife in the secondary and his versatility is a piece of his game that will impact this program immediately.

LSU DB Javien Toviano is taking full advantage of the Tigers strength and conditioning program.

The freshman has bulked up from 185 pounds to 201 pounds during his first offseason in Baton Rouge.

Toviano is putting it together both on and off the field.

Sage Ryan explains how: pic.twitter.com/NltsTy33SQ

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) August 11, 2023

Another “tool” of his is the wingspan he attains. With a 77-inch wingspan, his length is something that has this LSU staff salivating over. When lining up in the secondary, he can bat down balls against opponents and use it to his advantage in a big way.

Toviano can line up as a cornerback, nickel or safety for LSU and his play style allows him to be effective in each role. Now, with the physical tools catching up to the playmaking ability, Toviano is putting it all together.

Change of Direction

Toviano has flashed his quick feet during camp. During spring ball, he showed his impact as a nickel and during fall camp he’s seen a majority of his work come as a safety. 

With quick feet and an impressive change of direction for a longer athlete, Toviano is checking all of the boxes. 

The skill set of his is diverse and it’s easy to throw him into the fire with so many impactful traits. From his ability to chase down opponents to hip fluidity when lining up as a corner, Toviano is a guy who can shine in year one. 

Another reason why Toviano can make an impact during his freshman campaign is the lack of depth the secondary attains. We’ve seen snaps get divided evenly through eight days with Toviano getting his fair share of cracks at it. 

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