Brian Kelly says freshman corner DJ Pickett already makes LSU better
By Jacob Moss
Published:
Arguably the biggest recruiting victory for Brian Kelly and his LSU program during the 2025 recruiting cycle was securing former 5-star defensive back and Tampa, Florida native DJ Pickett.
Pickett was the highest-rated recruit for the Tigers in the entire cycle and was an immediate contributor on the defensive side of the ball as soon as he set foot on campus. He played a major role in LSU’s Week 1 win on the road over Clemson, racking up 2 solo tackles across the 25 snaps he played in the primetime matchup.
At his post-practice availability on Thursday, Kelly was asked about his confidence level in Pickett and said the first-year defensive back will continue to see plenty of playing time in the Tiger secondary.
“We were really pleased with his first college game,” Kelly said. “I think he makes us better. It’s only going to get better for him as he continues to get more comfortable and understands the routine. He went to class for the first time last week. We’re going to go in a really patient manner, but we’re going to play our best players, and he certainly is going to play.”
Pickett, Kelly said, plays with the confidence of an older player when he’s on the field, and even though he’s a 6-foot-5 corner, the coaches don’t notice him in a negative light whenever he’s in action.
It’s clear that Pickett has already caught the attention of the head man down at LSU, and for very good reason. If these early returns are any indication of future success, then he could end up putting his name up next to some of the other legends to come out of the Tigers’ secondary.
LSU hosts Louisiana Tech on Saturday in its home-opener. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT. The Tigers are a 36.5-point favorite at DraftKings.
