A Deep Dive Into Rebuilding the LSU Cornerback Room Present and Future

LSU has a chance to reload at cornerback and once again be among the nation’s elite at the pivotal position.

LSU has seemingly produced NFL cornerback after NFL cornerback. The talent has marched through Baton Rouge for more than a decade. With that said, the current roster has gone through major change and there are question marks about the overall depth. The biggest issue, however, would be replacing the two players that just left.

Finding a replacement for a player like Derek Stingley, Jr. or Eli Ricks is not a simple task. Stingley is off to the NFL and Ricks transferred to Alabama. LSU did do a good job for the immediate future, however.

The best bet stems from a collection of talent, and LSU already started down that path with transfers Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State), Greg Brooks, Jr. (Arkansas) and Mekhi Garner (ULL) coming down to play for LSU via the transfer portal.

All three players can make an impact for the Tigers this fall and then they too could end up in the NFL like Stingley. They were quite productive this past season for their prior schools and it was pivotal for LSU to win the transfer portal battle for the 2022 season, and it did. 

Brooks’ 2021 statistics: It’s a good sign that Brooks was seventh on the Razorbacks with 48 total tackles. Additionally, he earned 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception, four pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries.

Bernard-Converse’s 2021 statistics: Another player that does a really nice job of being a physical player by way of ranking No. 4 on the Oklahoma State defense with 51 tackles last season, Bernard was also versatile like Brooks. He produced 11 pass breakups, one quarterback hurry, 1.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss.

The term “Cornerback U” could once be assigned to the Tigers soon, but there needs to be depth that also helps the cornerback group. In today’s college football with spread offenses, there are teams running four and five wide receiver sets. That means every defense needs a plethora of cornerbacks rotating in and out of the lineup to stay fresh.

Cornerback depth is hard to really know until after the completion of spring practice, but there are talented players on the roster and within the incoming freshman class. Keep an eye on redshirt freshman Damarius McGhee. The Pensacola, Fla. native is a player with the length and speed to be a playmaker and he will be counted on this fall.

Another player that could be a pivotal safety and/or nickelback will be Sage Ryan. He also redshirted in 2021, but he’s extremely talented and possesses the frame at 5’11”, 195-pounds to help near the line of scrimmage or in the middle of the field. As an important note, know that he is versatile and could be used at cornerback against various teams, such as Arkansas, that run the football quite a bit from the spread. Ryan is a physical player. As for incoming players, the Tigers are happy to bring in two players that could also see action in 2022.

Jaelyn Davis-Robinson comes to LSU from Waxahachie (Texas) High School and Laterrance Welch from Lafayette (La.) Acadiana were welcomed with open arms as both possess the physical tools to help LSU’s defense get back to being a feared defensive secondary. With depth being somewhat of a concern, it’s plausible that one or both of these young men see meaningful playing time in 2022.

Now, can the Tigers follow those two talented cornerback recruits up with another combination of top prospects within the class of 2023?

It’s a really good year for cornerbacks, nationally speaking. LSU has gone after some of the best in the nation. With all the coaching turnover across the country, LSU included, the dust will probably settle a little later as prospects like Cormani McClain denote below.

LSU will certainly go after McClain hard, as the Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson prospect provides the overall frame and twitchy athleticism needed to excel any place in the secondary. He’s 6’2”, 175-pounds and can absolutely explode out of his backpedal. Here are some other names that LSU fans should know, amongst several possible cornerback signees for the class of 2023.

No particular order:

Kayin Lee, 5’11”, 175-pounds, Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove - LSU Offer

Ryan Robinson, Jr. 6’0”, 170-pounds, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr)

Jordan Matthews, 6’0’, 170-pounds, Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn - LSU Offer

Curley Reed, 6’1”, 180-pounds, Lake Charles (La.) Lake Charles Prep - LSU Offer

Christian Gray, 6’0”, 175-pounds, St. Louis (Mo.) DeSmet - LSU Offer

Jayvon Thomas, 6’0”, 170-pounds, Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff - LSU Offer

Malik Muhammad, 6’1”, 170-pounds, Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff - LSU Offer

Bravion Rogers, 5’10”, 185-pounds, La Grange (Texas) High School - LSU Offer

Sharif Denson, 5’11”, 170-pounds, Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail - LSU Offer

A few recruiting and scouting notes to mention. Do the Tigers take three cornerbacks in the class of 2023? What if a really good player wanted to come but did so but made a very late decision close to National Signing Day? Would the Tigers coaching staff go as high as four? Just a few things to think about as the world of the spread offense makes cornerback recruiting far more complex than it used to be.

Next, Lee is a player that recently decommitted from Georgia. He’s absolutely a national recruit living on the edge of Atlanta. He’s the type of player that could help LSU as a freshman. His recruitment is intriguing and the Tigers will likely be one of many that try to get him on campus between now and the end of summer. Moving to Texas, that’s a state with the usual high level of cornerback talent and the numbers as well.

Muhammad is an absolute ready-made cornerback or even free safety. He’s been coached very well. Same with his teammate, Thomas. If LSU signs one or both of them, that’s a coup. Both have offers across the country.

There’s a sincere interest between LSU and Gray. It looks like a LSU-Notre Dame battle, but it’s early. There could be more programs that he takes visits to in the future.

Denson has the ability to run with anyone in the country. He’s also skilled much like the two players from South Oak Cliff. He could be an excellent nickel corner in addition to playing on the outside.

In the state of Louisiana, it’s yet another year where the Tigers could sign two or three cornerbacks and be very happy about it. Plus, one just does not know when another cornerback will emerge.

Matthews and Reed already hold offers from LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly and his staff, while Robinson is a player that could definitely end up with an LSU offer. The last staff did not mine “The Boot” the way it should, and this cornerback group is part of the litmus test for the new LSU staff. At minimum, LSU needs to sign one of Matthews and Reed. Signing Robinson is a pretty good idea as well because he can flat out play.

Does LSU continue to go out of state for prospects or mend some of the fences with high school coaching staffs, prospects, and communities that the last staff did not attend always to properly?