LSU Fall Camp Evaluations: The Cornerbacks
Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have shifted focus to the season opener against Florida State with seven days until kickoff.
On defense, this unit will be headlined by linebacker Harold Perkins at the second level, but who will shine in the secondary?
The Tigers brought in a fresh-faced unit this offseason via the transfer portal and high schools ranks with several newcomers emerging during Fall Camp.
Can Zy Alexander continue his positive trajectory? What will true freshman Ashton Stamps’ role be with this team?
A dive into the cornerbacks and their performances this offseason:
Zy Alexander
The Southeastern Louisiana transfer made the move to take his talents to Baton Rouge during the offseason and has looked excellent during Fall Camp. A lengthy, versatile corner, Alexander worked with the first team every day without skipping a beat.
He isn’t a player who backs away from a challenge. Throughout camp, Alexander battled against Malik Nabers on a day-by-day basis. He carried his success into the scrimmage while forcing a fumble and two pass break ups. He’s a stud.
You can pencil Alexander in as a starter on Sept. 3 against Florida State after a strong offseason with the Tigers. A player who has the experience and pedigree to play Power Five football, it’ll be intriguing to watch what Alexander does this season for the Tigers.
Duce Chestnut
The Syracuse transfer missed most of the offseason after nursing a shoulder injury he suffered last season, but once he returned to the practice field this summer and into Fall Camp, he proved why he was so coveted in the portal.
Chestnut quickly flew up the depth chart and ran with the first team defense alongside Alexander. It’s a strong one-two punch for the Tigers and Chestnut’s fiery personality on the field fires up his teammates day in and day out.
Look for Alexander and Chestnut to be the starters this season as the Tigers begin game preparation for Florida State following Saturday’s fall ball scrimmage in Death Valley.
Ashton Stamps
Stamps has had a meteoric rise up the depth chart for LSU this offseason. The true freshman cornerback came to Baton Rouge as the lowest ranked prospect in the 2023 class, but after a big-time offseason in the weight room, Stamps has seen his game evolve at a rapid pace.
He’s competed against the top talent in Louisiana all of his life, and now suiting up for the Tigers, he’s leveled up in a big way. Stamps continues taking reps with the one’s and the two’s while running as the No. 3 guy on the depth chart.
Look for Stamps to play a major role in what this LSU secondary does during the 2023 season. He’s received high praise from people within the program and has the chance to make an impact sooner rather than later.
Laterrance Welch
Welch is one of the few returning pieces to LSU’s defense and has certainly taken a step in the right direction during the offseason. A player who shined during the spring game, Welch continued his strong performance into the summer and Fall Camp.
Welch has held it down for the second team during preseason practice and will be a player the Tigers rely on to carry a major workload this upcoming season as a backup.
Sage Ryan
Ryan will be an interesting piece to LSU’s secondary this season. He’s a Swiss Army Knife for this program and will be used as such, Ryan has worked at nickel and cornerback during preseason practice with his run at corner coming later in Fall Camp.
Fast forward to the Fall Camp scrimmage and Ryan was working with the first team at corner opposite of Zy Alexander. He left early with a “stinger”, but it isn’t something to worry about. Looking ahead to this season, it’ll be interesting to see if this defense rolls with Ryan at nickel or cornerback and if he runs with the first or second team.
Denver Harris
The Harris saga continued into Week 3 of Fall Camp after the prized transfer missed three consecutive practices. Along with missing three practices, Harris was also not featured in the team photo taken.
According to Brian Kelly, Harris was “handling personal matters” before ultimately returning to the practice field for LSU.
Harris has mainly taken snaps with the third team during camp. A player that continues improving day in and day out, the talent aspect of his is there if he can remain on the field with the Tigers.
This is where depth becomes an issue. With eight scholarship cornerbacks on the roster in Alexander, Chestnut, Stamps, Welch, Harris, JK Johnson, Ryan Robinson Jr. and Jeremiah Hughes, depth concerns enter the fold here.
Jk Johnson
Johnson will miss significant time this season after suffering a lower leg fracture during Fall Camp.
With the Ohio State transfer out for an extended period of time, it puts pressure on players like Stamps and Welch to make an immediate impact with the second team and we’ve seen the youngsters step up when needed.
LSU has thrown Sage Ryan into the mix at cornerback during the backend of Fall Camp to provide an additional body. The talent level is there, but developing the youngsters to provide depth this season will be key and it started with the rise of Ashton Stamps.
