The No. 3 LSU Tigers are off to a 2-0 start this season, and a big part of their early success has been because of their elite defense.
The leader of this stout LSU secondary has been former Virginia Tech Hokies’ cornerback Mansoor Delane, who came over to Baton Rouge via the transfer portal this past offseason.
Delane made the transition to the SEC in hopes of boosting his NFL draft stock, and he’s certainly done so over his first couple of games in the purple and gold. He’s also landed himself on ESPN analyst Matt Olson’s list of the top 10 most impactul transfers.
“Delane could’ve gone pro after his junior season at Virginia Tech and would be on an NFL roster today,” Olson wrote, ranking Delane as the No. 7 transfer on the list. “In fact, LSU coach Brian Kelly says Delane had the highest draft grade of any cornerback available in the portal this offseason.”
Delane’s Tigers’ debut against the Clemson Tigers in week 1 really set the tone early on for what everyone could expect from him under the lights in Death Valley, as his performance stole the show.
“Delane made himself a lot of money with his Week 1 debut against Clemson, earned a game ball, and even picked up Bednarik Player of the Week honors,” Olson writes. “The third-year starter gave up two catches on 10 targets, broke up two passes, and grabbed a third-quarter interception off Cade Klubnik in a 17-10 road victory.”
Delane and the Tigers will face Florida in Week 3.
