LSU 5-star CB target DJ Pickett has a "Final 3" ahead of decision

When Corey Raymond was announced as LSU’s secondary coach in January, one of his first phone calls was to Florida 5-star+ prospect DJ Pickett, who is ranked as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2025 class.

Since then, Pickett has made multiple trips to Baton Rouge, and daily conversations with Raymond have led to a rapport the 5-star circled as his closest relationship with a college recruiter.

Now, the Tigers join Miami and Oregon as the three teams left standing with a commitment date set for July 17. For Raymond and LSU, the focus is simple: get Pickett on board as the third 5-star in the program’s class.

“Me and Coach Raymond, me and his relationship is like no other,” Pickett told The Bengal Tiger staff. “I feel like he cares for me even when I am not committed to the team or a school yet. He is just a person who really cares for me and someone I feel like I can go to about anything.”

Raymond, LSU going into overdrive to swing Pickett to the Tigers

With Raymond back in Baton Rouge, and Pickett already familiar with LSU’s track record of defensive backs turning into NFL Draft picks, the Tigers were considered by many to be the team to beat entering the month of June.

“I liked LSU before (Raymond) even got there, but once he left Florida and he went to LSU, it was a no-brainer to go visit and see how everything is,” Pickett said. “He said once I visit, I would love it.”

Across five visits to LSU in five months, including an official visit, Pickett said his relationship with the staff – including defensive coordinator Blake Baker – has strengthened in a big way, and he’s also become much more familiar with what the school offers outside of football.

“I learned a lot at LSU about the atmosphere. A lot of people tell you about the environment of it. It’s basically like my hometown, that’s another plus for me,” Pickett said. “It’s somewhere I feel comfortable at. At LSU, there are a lot of cool people there. And the food is good.”

With Raymond’s return to Baton Rouge, the mission has become to rebuild a cornerback room that has relied largely on transfer portal additions across the two seasons Raymond wasn’t recruiting the position at LSU.

As dominos continue to fall at cornerback, Raymond’s message is loud and clear to Pickett as the rebuild begins and the Tigers search for a top cornerback addition.

“I feel like they just need the right guys to come in there and change it around,” he said. “It only takes one year, then it starts rolling from there. And not even Coach Raymond, but Coach Blake is a good coach and a good guy. I feel like those guys will be able to turn it around.”

Oregon, Miami surge into “Final 3” following official visits

With official visits made to LSU, Georgia, Miami and Oregon, the Pickett family has trimmed the Bulldogs from the list.

Ahead of official visits to each campus, the work done by LSU’s staff left On3 National Recruiting Analysts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons confident in the Tigers as both circled the LSU as the likely team to beat.

One week after the dust settled from Pickett’s official visit to Oregon, it became evident the Ducks were surging with Pickett as the program reeled in a slew of elite talent, including a 5-star cornerback in Dorian Brew and a 5-star wide receiver in one-time LSU commit Dakorien Moore.

While Wiltfong acknowledged the stretch between July 1 and Pickett’s announcement on July 17 could bring more twists and turns, he felt confident the splash Oregon made resonated with the Sunshine State standout.

“If the decision was today I’d ride with the Ducks,” Wiltfong said on July 3.

Now, it’s the Tigers, Ducks and Hurricanes all jockeying for position across the final two weeks prior to Pickett’s reveal, and while Wiltfong had previously circled Miami as the in-state team to watch late in the process, the decision to push his commitment from October up to July might not be ideal for the Hurricanes.

“We know Oregon is going to be good. We know LSU’s class is going to be outstanding,” Damien, Pickett’s father, told On3. “The only school we’re eager to see what’s going on when they start to season is Miami. We pretty much know everything with the rest of them. We want to see how things start out and see how they roll and see if this is the start of something great or is it going to be the same Miami to be honest with you.”

Pickett previously said he plans to be at Florida on Aug. 31 to watch the Gators host the Hurricanes.

As a junior Pickett turned 52 receptions into 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns. He had 31 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore he posted 43 receptions for 886 yards and 12 touchdowns and 39 tackles and four interceptions.