LSU pulled a big shocker on the recruiting trail on Wednesday. The Tigers overtook Oregon and Miami down the stretch, as five-star cornerback DJ Pickett picked LSU.
Oregon had been looked at as the leader for the last few days, and the talk centered more around Miami than LSU.
Tiger secondary coach Corey Raymond’s relationship with Pickett has always been a plus for the purple and gold and played a major factor in his decision. His relentless approach over the last couple of days helped keep the Tigers in the hunt. Along with help from recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson, the Tigers closed the deal.
Pickett has been on campus multiple times over the last few months where he’s really built a strong rapport with Raymond and many on the LSU staff as well. For his official visit in June, the Tigers even brought in legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson and coming out of that weekend, the purple and gold felt strongly about where they stood.
This is a classic case of staying on a recruit as even when the tide was shifting one way, the Tigers stayed in constant communication with Pickett to make this happen.
Pickett, a 6-3, 180-pounder from Tampa, Florida, is the nation’s No. 3 cornerback and the No. 9 prospect overall in the Class of 2025 per 247Sports. His commitment gives LSU two top-10 commits in 2025 in what currently ranks as the nation’s No. 4 class.
You can find Pickett’s 247Sports scouting profile to see what the Tigers are getting:
“Lanky two-way playmaker that allows the mind to get pretty creative when it comes identifying potential roles, but warrants a look as a field corner given one-of-a-kind frame and quick-twitched lower half. Measured right around 6-foot-4, 180 pounds the summer before senior season, making him one of the tallest defensive backs to come out of the high school ranks in recent cycles. More notably, came in with a near 6-foot-8 wingspan. Has dominated rural Florida-based competition the past few years, making an impact as both a wide receiver and a deep safety. Has what it takes to emerge as a true game-breaker on offense with his size and foot speed, but ability to generate turnovers with his advanced ball skills while also mirroring in reverse makes him an intriguing option in both man and off-coverage. Junior highlight reel features a few punishing hits in run support, but a thorough dive of the game tape suggests he must get better at embracing contact, especially if he’s going to be asked to police the alleys out of a one-high or two-high posting. Overall, should be viewed as one of the more unique prospects in the 2025 cycle as he checks off box after box with his tools, but isn’t exactly the cleanest projection at this stage. Likely to face an initial adjustment period when he gets to the next level, but has Power Four all-conference upside and is a black swan type of athlete that will draw the attention of NFL scouts.”
This story will be updated
