LSU player makes ESPN’s projection of ‘top 10 freshmen’ for 2025
By Mark Kern
Published:
Expectations are growing for LSU freshman defensive back DJ Pickett.
Pickett was included on ESPN’s projection of the top 10 true freshmen for the 2025 season, which published on Monday morning. Pickett clocked in at No. 7 and was the second-ranked SEC player to make the cut.
Here’s some analysis on Pickett’s bright future from ESPN’s Billy Tucker:
It will be difficult to keep a 6-foot-5, 195-pound perimeter defender with 10.6 100-meter speed off the field in Baton Rouge. Though Pickett is competing against experienced defensive backs for meaningful snaps, none possesses his rare frame, range and ball skills. The Tigers have thrown him in the mix early. He provides scheme versatility in the back end and should find a significant role in Brian Kelly’s overhauled secondary. The former five-star should reestablish the Tigers’ reputation for producing elite defensive backs.
As Tucker notes, LSU had been known DBU for many years, with guys like Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson and Derek Stingley Jr. taking going on and starring in the NFL after their time in Baton Rouge.
Pickett has all the attributes that a team would dream in a guy playing cornerback. At 6-foot-5, he can match up with any of the big physical receivers in the SEC. However, he also has the elite speed to be able to matchup with nearly anybody as well.
He arrive in Baton Rouge as a highly ranked prospect. As a 5-star recruit, Pickett was regarded as the No. 11 overall player in the nation for the class of 2026, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Guys like Ashton Stamps and Mansoor Delane are slated to earn plenty of reps, but Pickett figures to get a lot of playing time early in the year.
LSU will begin the 2025 season in one of the biggest non-conference games of the season, as the Tigers hit the road to take on Clemson on Aug. 30.
