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The proud fraternity that Corey Webster founded more than two decades ago and Corey Raymond stewarded for a decade has deteriorated to the point that it is in danger of losing its charter, and having its building bulldozed.
In 2003, Webster helped LSU to its first national title in nearly 50 years. Along the way, he helped make the Tigers known as Defensive Back University, or how he coined them “DBU” — an exclusive football fraternity.
Instead of toga parties, keg stands and food fights, “DBU” pledges became synonymous with winning national titles and Jim Thorpe Awards, while earning All-American honors and graduating into the NFL as first-round draft picks.
Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne, Tyrann Mathieu, and Derek Stingley Jr. are a few of those famed DBU alums.
And despite claims by others (Alabama, Texas, and Florida to name a few), Webster’s fraternity kept the throne of DBU, and playing in LSU’s secondary became a badge of honor.
After Saturday’s atrocious defensive performance against Ole Miss, that fraternity is nowhere to be found.
How far has DBU fallen off?
The Tigers’ defense gave up a program-record 706 yards, 389 through the air, and four passing touchdowns in a 55-49 loss.
In five games this season, LSU has surrendered 155 points, which is the second most all-time trailing only the Bo Pelini-flaming dumpster-fire defense from the 2020 season. The Tigers’ pass defense ranks 130 out of 133 teams in the FBS.
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It has gotten so bad that things are even getting contentious among “DBU” alums, as it did between Jai Eugene Sr. and Ryan Clark on X on Saturday. I will spare you the details but let’s say non-brotherly things were said.
You can see why “DBU” alums are so salty.
LSU has essentially become a Mike Leach-coached Texas Tech team from the early 2000s or more recently, a Lincoln Riley-coached team at Oklahoma or USC.
A team with a high-powered nearly unstoppable offense — LSU has the third-ranked passing offense in the country — but has no semblance of defense.
In Brian Kelly’s first two seasons, the former Notre Dame coach has done many things well when it comes to roster construction.
Getting a star quarterback out of the NCAA Transfer Portal? Yes. Shoring up the offensive line with high school prospects and transfers? Absolutely. Grabbing impact players in the defensive front seven? You bet. The secondary? Not so much.
The glaring hole is his inability to sign star defensive backs or get high-end players out of the portal.
It was understandable to sign players from McNeese and Louisiana to shore up the backend in his first season, especially considering how late in the recruiting process Kelly took over. Not to mention, that the caliber of defensive backs recruited and signed at the tale end of the Ed Orgeron era was not up to snuff either, and then after he was fired two of the best (Dwight McGlothern and Eli Ricks) transferred out of the program.
But not being able to get guys the second time around is starting to be a problem.
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In-state stars like Westgate’s Derek Williams (Texas), Woodlawn cornerback Jordan Matthews (Tennessee), and Lake Charles College Prep’s Curley Reed (Washington) all signed elsewhere.
Kelly did inherit a coveted recruit in former Lafayette Christian Academy star Sage Ryan. Whether it is has been due to injuries or being undersized, the former LSWA Mr. Football has not developed into a consistent impact player in the secondary, even though he was the team’s highest graded defensive back against Ole Miss.
So Kelly was forced to stock the secondary by jumping into the portal and snagging a transfer from a third-tier ACC school (Duce Chestnut of Syracuse), a player from the Southland Conference (Zy Alexander of Southeastern Louisiana), and another one who spent three seasons in that same conference (Andre Sam of Marshall and McNeese).
For a program that has had 29 defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft since 2005, including 13 of them being taken in the first two rounds, this is not the same caliber of prospect. Look, there was a reason those guys were playing at those smaller football schools.
“DBU” was founded on having highly athletic, physical, and fast defensive backs that could play press-man coverage. Yet, you have not seen much of that under defensive coordinator Matt House’s defense because the guys back there can’t play that way.
Does it help to have seven or eight guys drop into coverage on seemingly every play help matters? That is not something DBU is known for.
There is a reason you see them take bad angles on plays, be out of position in zone coverage, or tackle poorly. They are simply not on the same level as the iconic and often intimidating players that came before them.
Despite what Kelly said publicly this week that “we’re playing with inexperienced, young players,” these players do have plenty of playing and starting experience, but it is not against SEC competition. There lies the issue.
How do you fix that?
Does Kelly hire former longtime secondary coach Raymond to return to the program? He would improve both recruiting and developing the talent, but does he even want to leave Florida and come back? Who knows.
What is abundantly clear is that LSU lacks the pledges and the house manager it needs to remain known as “DBU.”
Raymond Partsch III is the co-host of “RP3, D-Loh & Meche” which is broadcast weekdays (11-1) on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles — Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station.