Brian Kelly sparked some controversy early in his LSU tenure when he decided not to retain longtime Tiger assistant Corey Raymond on his inaugural coaching staff.

It wasn’t an egregious decision by any means—many coaches prefer starting with a clean slate when they take over a new job, especially at a program that was trending in the wrong direction the previous two seasons.

But it was one that came with some backlash.

Raymond had been at LSU for more than a decade across two different stints and was known as the orchestrator and father of the DBU (Defensive Back University) moniker the Tigers have embraced. LSU had admittedly not lived up to its name for a few years, so Kelly revamped the defense.

Blake Baker was nabbed from Missouri to run the unit, bringing with him safeties coach Jake Olsen.

But perhaps equally important, Raymond was hired to coach the cornerbacks again, putting instant life back into DBU.

Since his return, LSU has landed some significant weapons in the secondary. The team is looking to return to form again in 2025.

#3

D.J. Pickett

Pickett checks all the boxes you’re looking for in an elite cornerback prospect. His 6-foot-4 frame combined with his 10.7-second time in the 100-meter dash gives him a rare combination of size and speed that will pose problems for any opponent.

#1

Ashton Stamps

It didn’t take long for Stamps to work his way into the starting lineup for LSU. He played in 11 games with 4 starts as a true freshman and started all 13 games last season. He’s racked up 74 tackles and 16 passes defended as a Tiger.

#11

P.J. Woodland

Woodland played in all 13 games as a true freshman last year, contributing 20 tackles, a forced fumble, 3 pass breakups and 3 passes defended. He was a 4-star cornerback out of Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi who played both wide receiver and cornerback.

#4

Mansoor Delane

Delane will look to carry on the DBU legacy at LSU as the senior brings 29 starts, 146 tackles and 6 interceptions to the secondary after three seasons with the Hokies.

#8

Ja’Keem Jackson

Jackson’s best is still yet to come. The former Florida cornerback played in 11 games as a true freshman and was named a Week 1 starter as a sophomore for the Gators before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2.

This article was originally published in 225 Magazine’s 2025 Tiger Pride edition.