LSU football: State of the secondary, depth chart, impact players
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LSU football reclaimed its status as DBU in 2025. After years of inconsistent secondary play, the arrivals of Mansoor Delane and AJ Haulcy elevated LSU's DB room to one of the best in the country.
Delane and Haulcy are off to the NFL, but LSU retained several key contributors on the backend and landed a few portal splashes, too.
LSU's secondary is again poised to be a strength. New head coach Lane Kiffin brought back DC Blake Baker, along with the bulk of the defensive staff. That includes secondary coach Corey Raymond, who played a key role in LSU's talent retention.
With LSU over a week into spring practice, let's take a look at the state of the secondary. We'll talk projected depth chart, impact players, and potential breakouts.
LSU football depth chart — cornerback
DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland are the cleart starters at cornerback. But after the first line, there are some questions about depth. Ja'Keem Jackson is probably the next man up.
LSU football depth chart — safety
Ty Benefield and TaMarcus Cooley will handle the first team reps, but expect DaShawn Spears to play a ton.
Who did LSU lose?
There's a good bit of continuity, but LSU said bye to some key players. Cornerback Mansoor Delane and safety AJ Haulcy were the biggest losses. Replacing two All-SEC players isn't easy.
LSU didn't lose much production in the transfer portal, but the Tigers lost some depth pieces in the secondary. Jacob Branford, Jardin Gilbert, and Joel Rogers transferred out.
The headliner: DJ Pickett
Sophomore DJ Pickett can be an All-American in 2026. The five-star played 524 defensive snaps as a freshman, emerging as a plus-defender in year one. Securing Pickett's return was a priority for the LSU defense and it gives LSU a potential superstar to replace the departing Delane.
The first of many INTs for DJ Pickett pic.twitter.com/SpTXFWq9OO
— Tingle & Co (@Tingle__Co) September 14, 2025
At 6-foot-5, Pickett has rare size for a corner. He's physical and he can run, which allows him to play man coverage vs. anyone. LSU works Pickett into its blitz game, too, and the corner racked up six pressures and two sacks in 2025.
PJ Woodland is ready to take another step
LSU could have the best cornerback duo in the SEC this year with Woodland joining DJ Pickett. Woodland played as a freshman in 2024 and showed massive progress in 2025.
Opposing QBs had a passer rating of 54.8 when targeting Woodland and he broke up five passes with two picks as a sophomore. I expect an All-SEC year from Woodland as a junior.
Is cornerback depth a problem?
After Pickett and Woodland, there are some questions. LSU's cornerback room lacks depth. Ja'Keem Jackson would be the next man up.
Jackson, a Florida transfer, was part of LSU's 2025 portal class. He was coming off a season-ending injury at UF in 2024 and didn't play much in 2025. Still, Jackson's decision to remain at LSU signals the coaching staff has a plan for him. Now healthy, Jackson should rotate in 2026. And if something were to happen to Pickett or Woodland, Jackson would be expected to step in and hold down a starting gig. Jackson is talented, but we've yet to see him put it together at the SEC level. This is a big year for him.
After Jackson, there's no proven depth at all. LSU will need one more young guy to take a step and play 50-100 snaps.
The safety position is in a good spot
Despite the loss of AJ Haulcy, which is significant, LSU remains well-positioned at safety. The Tigers return TaMarcus Cooley and DeShawn Spears, and signed Ty Benefield and FaHeem Delane out of the transfer portal.
Cooley was a Swiss Army Knife for LSU in 2025. He can play deep safety in the middle of the field and fit the run in the box. He was responsible for the occasional coverage bust, but I'd expect that to improve with a better understanding of the defense in 2026.
Benefield will start alongside Cooley. The Boise State transfer is an elite athlete. He can run in coverage and be a physical tackler. He has all the tools needed to be a productive SEC safety.
DaShawn Spears gives LSU elite depth at the safety position
DaShawn Spears is the reason LSU's safety room won't take a step back in 2026. He played a somewhat limited role in 2025, but when he was on the field, he was elite. LSU will find ways to put him on the field more in 2026.
Spears stands at 6-foot-3 and posted a 90.1 defensive grade in 255 defensive snaps.
The bottom line
Losing a couple of All-SEC players is tough, but LSU has the tools to build a productive secondary. I see no reason the group shouldn't be as good as it was last year, but I wouldn't project a massive step forward either. That's fine, though, because last year's unit was one of the best in college football.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football: State of the secondary, depth chart, impact players
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