SEC Football has Become a Track Meet: LSU Tigers Must Keep Bringing in Perimeter Speed
LSU needs to land a big-time cornerback class to keep up with the influx of wide receiver talent that’s coming to the SEC.
If the last three college football seasons taught anything to college football fans, it’s that you better be explosive at wide receiver to compete in the playoffs. Conversely, you better be able to slow down those explosive playmakers or be blown out of the stadium by elite teams.
The 2021 class saw the Tigers bring in just one pure cornerback, Damarius McGhee from Pensacola (Fla.) Catholic. Considering that programs like Alabama (four big-time wide receiver signees) keep reloading with top offensive skill talent, the Tigers need to sign three legitimate cornerbacks within the class of 2022.
There are three cornerbacks to definitively know about for 2022, and one of them is already committed to LSU. The other two have very high interest in the Tigers, and as we inch closer to moving past the 2021 recruiting class these young men will be prospects that LSU fans need to quickly know by name.
LSU is off to a fantastic start with the commitment of JaDarian Rhym. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback is exactly the body type LSU needs. Rhym provides the frame to play bump and run coverage, yet he also possesses the capability to add good weight and become even more physical.
Most importantly, the Valdosta (Ga.) High School talent can really run. He’s a fluid athlete; Rhym will hopefully be one of three such talented cornerbacks to sign with LSU for the class of 2022.
Here are a couple of other cornerbacks to keep an eye on moving forward. The first cornerback to monitor might be LSU’s second most important in-state recruit for 2022, and that’s Laterrance Welch. One could even argue that Welch is as important as elite left tackle Will Campbell from Monroe (La.) Neville. You can read about Campbell right here on LSU Country.
Welch is an even bigger version of Rhym, albeit similar athletes. Long and twitchy, he possesses the frame and athleticism to play that same style of bump and run coverage as Rhym, but he might be able to also play in the slot. That could be a big deal for LSU because some teams play bigger, more physical, slot wide receivers or even a tight end in the slot.
Welch is listed at 6-foot-1, 180-pounds, and that’s not a filled out frame. Welch is a physical tackler and he’s likely to push 200-pounds before leaving college. When there’s a talented player like Welch just down the road at Lafayette (La.) Acadiana, the Tigers must make him a priority.
A third cornerback to know about would be Khamauri Rogers from Lexington (Miss.) Holmes County. As anyone can see based on the film below, LSU wants long cornerbacks. Rogers is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound athlete that most likely projects to cornerback, but he could play wide receiver as well.
He was a long time LSU commit before decommitting just a few weeks ago to further explore his options, though the Tigers will certainly continue to pursue the talented Mississippi cornerback.
He’s incredible when the football is in the air. Whether he’s playing offense or defense, Rogers’ hand-eye coordination is extraordinary. He takes the ball away from multiple defenders when playing wide receiver, and as a cornerback, Rogers breaks on the football at the most opportune time. Just a great football prospect.
There will be several other cornerback recruits that LSU takes a long look at for the class of 2022. However, if somehow the Tigers can land a trifecta of Rhym, Welch and Rogers, that would be sensational.
LSU needs that type of cornerback talent to sign within the class of 2022. It’s a pivotal year for the cornerback class after only signing one true cornerback for the class of 2021.
