A Look Into LSU's Secondary Ahead of Florida State Matchup
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It’s no secret the Tigers have their weapons on both sides of the ball. LSU hit the transfer portal to attack positions of need, but the 2022 class also reeled in a number of immediate impact players.
The main question marks for this program comes in the secondary. The talent is there, but how will they put it all together in their season opener against Florida State?
Brian Kelly spoke on the ways he intends to use each cornerback and how they fit into the defensive scheme for coordinator Matt House.
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“Jarrick [Bernard-Converse] is going to be to the field. He plays really smart and is savvy to the field,” Kelly said. “He can handle multiple receivers and he has a really good sense of field awareness. Colby [Richardson] is going to be boundary. Mekhi [Garner] can play both sides, so he’s going to be our wing guy and Sevyn [Banks] can play both as well. It’s going to be about keeping them fresh and seeing who plays well. The most experienced [corner] we have is Jarrick and the others we’ll keep in a good rotation.”
READ MORE: Updated Projection for LSU's Defensive Starters
We’ve all heard of Colby Richardson at this point. The McNeese State transfer has seemingly made a meteoric rise up the depth chart of this LSU squad. Following Coach Frank Wilson from Lake Charles to Baton Rouge, Richardson has been a highlight through all of fall camp.
The 24-year-old graduate transfer has taken a majority of first team reps with the cornerbacks and hasn’t looked back. Head coach Brian Kelly has spoken highly of Richardson and the growth he has made, able to step in right away and make an impact.
“[Colby Richardson] coming in and really showing himself from McNeese State as somebody that can compete for us right away,” Kelly said last week.
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Oklahoma State transfer Jarrick Bernard-Converse has been a name that Matt House and the Tigers have expected to be a starter since he arrived. Look for both Bernard-Converse and Richardson to be the Tigers’ starters on Sunday at the cornerback position with rotations being heavily relied on.
This LSU defense has an embarrassment of riches to choose from, but putting it all together will be the biggest test for this program.
