Welcome everyone to the final edition of the LSU position previews! As we get towards the season opener against Miami, let’s focus in on the guys in the secondary
Thankfully, this was written after the big news concerning Kristian Fulton and his addition will be huge for a team looking to hold down the DBU moniker
On with the preview!
Departing Players:
The secondary’s biggest loss from last season has to be Donte Jackson. His junior year saw him rack up 45 total tackles, 3.5 of those were for loss, a sack, and an interception to boot. The Carolina Panthers snatched him up in the second round of the NFL Draft and will leave a hole at the position.
Another big name that LSU will miss has to be Kevin Toliver. His junior season saw him rack up 10 pass deflection along with an interception. While the numbers didn’t necessarily pop off the page like Jackson’s, he’ll be another cog in the secondary that LSU would like to have handy.
Returning Players:
While losing two key players to the NFL Draft hurts the secondary, the Tigers received some huge news this past Thursday with Kristian Fulton being ruled eligible to play due to a reclassification of the rule that he violated. The junior gets another chance to play in 2018 and will most likely be a starter for the 2018 season.
You pair him up with a talent like Greedy Williams, the cornerback position at LSU may be the best it has been in years. Williams had a stellar freshman season with six interceptions and 11 pass deflections.
With both corner spots pretty much locked down, you’ve got your options for the nickel and that includes sophomore Kary Vincent Jr. or even a guy like Ed Paris who racked up four interception in 2017.
Meanwhile, the safety position seems to be in great shape with Grant Delpit and John Battle leading the way. Delpit sprung onto the scene last year in a big way, racking up 60 tackles and an interception. You have a veteran like Battle beside him, the starting secondary could be a force to be reckoned with.
The Other Guys:
One of the biggest transfers for the Tigers was definitely Terrence Alexander. The grad transfer from Stanford is another player that will have a solid shot at playing the nickel after suffering a season-ending injury at Stanford his senior season.
Outside of that, you’ve got Mannie Netherly making the jump over to the defensive side of the ball back in the spring, which gives the Tigers secondary another dimension to it with a versatile player. Then you’ve got one of the top defensive backs from last year’s recruiting class in Kelvin Joseph, who made the switch to the position his senior year. Again, versatility in the secondary is going to be a huge factor when it comes to success for the Tigers and Joseph is another reason why.
Overall Thoughts:
The talent at the secondary position is scary in more ways than one. You’ve obviously got Fulton and Greedy being the big dogs, but then you have players like Terrence Alexander and Mannie Netherly that can turn things on a dime. It’s not just having depth that makes the secondary a threat, it’s the talent that’s behind the front line that makes this one of the best groups in recent memory.
-Clint Domingue