Only at Louisiana State University could a defense lose two NFL-caliber defensive backs and still return, perhaps, the best secondary in the nation — like it did with the 6’2″, 198-pound Jalen Collins, who became an early entrant in this year’s NFL Draft, and with the 6’3″, 177-pound Rashard Robinson, who was seemingly dismissed due to academic issues (according to Ross Dellenger of The Advocate).

Furthermore, the loss of long-time defensive coordinator John “Chief” Chavis, who took the same job at Texas A&M, would cripple most programs, but most programs aren’t savvy enough to replace him with two of the better defensive minds — and recruiters — in the country, former Southern California assistant Ed Orgeron (defensive line coach) and former University of Alabama linebacker’s coach Kevin Steele (defensive coordinator).

But most programs aren’t LSU.

Most programs can’t claim to have lost a record 17 underclassmen to the draft in a two-year span, like the Tigers did the previous two seasons, and still field an extremely competitive team.

After all, when you’ve once had a secondary that consisted of Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Morris Claiborne, Eric Reid and Tharold Simon — at the same time — you have officially mastered the art of recruiting and developing personnel.

So losing both Collins and Robinson, while significant, is not all that detrimental for the Tigers’ hopes in the 2015-16 season — especially when you factor in the signing of future superstar corner Kevin Toliver II.

Yep; Defensive Back University has once again outdone itself.

Quick Look At Personnel

As it stands right now, rising juniors Dwayne Thomas and Tre’Davious White would be the favorites to start opposite each other in the Tigers’ base “43” outfit. The 6’0″ 182-pound Thomas is coming off an early season-ending injury (torn ACL), but is aiming for a spring return, which would put him right in line to start in the fall.

He’s a very good corner who excels in man coverage and is physical enough to be the inside corner in sub packages, ala Mathieu; his physicality makes him perfect to be a blitzer from a myriad of positions.

White is a natural off-man cover guy who is equally adept at area principles. At 5’11”, 191 pounds, he has the size, and speed, to compete with just about anyone. However, it’s free safety Jalen Mills (a former corner), who decided to return for his senior season, who may be the best cover guy of the bunch — which works well with his responsibilities in the slot and on tight ends.

Both Robinson and Collins were lengthy players who could play over the primary receiver and redirect them at the line of scrimmage. Both were built in the mode of Peterson, with a little less freak athleticism, and that’s exactly what LSU needs to really execute its scheme.

That’s where Toliver comes into play.

Toliver Breakdown

What made Peterson so valuable to the Tigers’ defense was his ability to shadow the team’s most dominant receiver. And it just so happened that Peterson entered college along with, perhaps, the two greatest receivers the conference has ever seen in Julio Jones and A.J. Green, from Alabama and the University of Georgia, respectively.

At 6’1″, 219 pounds, running a 4.34 40-yard dash, Peterson was the perfect specimen to go against two players 6’3″, 220 pounds (Jones) and 6’4″, 207 pounds (Green), but most importantly his mastering of the mirror technique, and his ability to stay in a receiver’s hip pocket, ensured that Chavis could trust him on an island against the likes of those two monsters.

LaneINT

Here we see Toliver doing work against future Florida State University superstar, the 6’3″, 206-pound Ermon Lane.

Toliver shows the full gamut of corner skills: He shows off his smooth back-pedaling skills in off-man coverage. His hips are as loose as it gets which allows for a seemingless transition to a stack technique; he tracked the ball as soon as Lane did.

Furthermore, despite being pushed off, Toliver is able to recover, partly, due to his long arms and come up with an amazing interception which left Lane befuddled.

FeelLookINT

Here we see more proper technique from the future star: He stayed low in his stance even under the threat of a short route. Additionally, he stayed on top of the receiver and executed a perfect feel-and-look technique to locate the pass; the rest was history.

While Toliver will have plenty of chances to display his man-coverage prowess in the Tigers’ defense, he will also have to be equally adept in area principles when LSU goes into its manufactured-pressure schemes, which I expect to be what Steele mostly brings to the table.

Zone coverage is more about discipline and technique opposed to sheer athleticism. Toliver will excel at this portion of the playbook, as well.

ZoneINT

Case in point: Toliver’s discipline paid off here as he got the pick in area coverage.

While it’s widely reported that Toliver has 4.5 speed in the 40, his overall technique and quick feet makes him play much faster. We often get caught up in freak athletes like Peterson when it’s technique, timing and a grasp of offensive concepts that continue to reign supreme at the corner position — just ask Seattle Seahawks’ star Richard Sherman.

In typical LSU fashion it went out and recruited another lengthy, physical corner to step right in and fulfill the duties vacated by the last lengthy, physical corner. Toliver has all the qualities one looks for at the primary corner position — especially with his tackling prowess — which is bad news for offensive coordinators on LSU’s schedule for the next few years.

Congrats, LSU Nation.