Five-star CB DJ Pickett begins LSU career in bowl practices
With LSU’s bowl preparation in full swing, the Tigers welcomed a new face to the fold with 2025 cornerback signee DJ Pickett participating in practices. Pickett can not play for LSU in its game against Baylor on Dec. 31, but the five-star signee is already getting work with cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond.
Raymond recruited the Florida native for several years and held off pushes from Miami and others to get Pickett to flip, but he stayed true to the purple and gold. Pickett is the No. 1 cornerback in the country and the highest ranked player in LSU’s 2025 class that just signed earlier this month.
LSU posted a video of Pickett getting work in on Monday on its social media feeds.
Pickett is expected to come in and compete for a starting job immediately as a true freshman and has the tools to back up those expectations. With Zy Alexander out of eligibility, the cornerback room is in need of a new star and Pickett hopes to lead the resurgence in the secondary.
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said earlier this month what Raymond’s done since being hired in January is just what LSU needed in a recruiting cycle when cornerback was a top priority position for the Tigers.
“Corey Raymond has done a phenomenal job upgrading the talent in LSU’s corner class,” Power said. On3 also moved Ruston High 4-star and Louisiana native Aidan Anding up to the No. 1 cornerback in Louisiana. Anding, like Pickett, signed with LSU on Wednesday.
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As for what Pickett brings to the fold, Power said the 6-foot-4, 180-plus pound senior is an instant impact player for a program in need of help in the secondary.
“It’s a very strong cornerback class, especially at the top, in the 2025 cycle,” Power said. “DJ Pickett projects being recruited as a corner, and he’s a unique prospect at that position. He’s very tall, north of 6’3 and probably closer to 6’4. He’s long and rangy and has elite length and has high-end athleticism and ball skills to go with that. His wingspan is 6’11 and runs a 10.6 in the 100 meters, so at a traits-based position, he registers as an elite prospect in that regard.
“When you see how he plays on Friday nights, it’s even more encouraging with more than 1,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns and also plays safety for his high school. He’s not afraid to be a physical run defender, and compared to the other cornerbacks in this class, he’s both the most physically gifted and the most physical. That’s a really encouraging combination, and while he still needs to convert to corner from a technical standpoint, we don’t have any concerns about that because of his movement skills and athleticism.”
