The One Position LSU Cannot Afford to Have Injuries at In 2026

LSU football overhauled its roster this offseason, creating depth across the roster, but not at every position.

DJ Pickett 3 and Mansoor Delane 4, LSU Tigers take on the Florida Gators. Sept 13, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

LSU football's 2026 roster is dangerous, mainly because it's deep and talented, especially on defense.

But at the cornerback position, LSU cannot afford losses. That was the case during spring practices, but now, after the spring window, LSU has a need for cornerback health even more following Aidan Anding's season-ending Achilles tear in April.

As the fall window approaches quickly, LSU needs to remain healthy at cornerback, if not, things can go off the rails really quickly in the secondary.

What LSU Has to Lose

LSU Tigers cornerback PJ Woodland (11) celebrates with LSU Tigers defensive end Patrick Payton (6) after a defensive stop Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 during the NCAA football game against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

LSU has star corners who have locked down the two starting boundary spots in DJ Pickett and PJ Woorland, with Ja'Keem Jackson taking the snaps in the Nickel package. Anding was taking the reps behind all three of these backs, rotating between boundary and slot positions.

After Anding, LSU has second-year cornerback Michael Turner Jr., transfers Treylan James and Lavonte Williams, as well as freshmen Havon Finney, Emari Peterson and Dez Ellis, rounding out LSU’s cornerback depth.

There are options, but LSU would like to not have to fall on players with limited or no experience with the program's scheme. But if things were to go sideways for LSU, especially from the starters, LSU would have to rely on those depth pieces and hope for a breakout from some younger pieces.

Why LSU Shouldn't Worry Too Much

Courtesy of Havon Finney's Instagram [via: @dlattflix].

The future is bright for LSU at cornerback. That's why there should be less reason for worry if more injuries were to strike the Tigers this season.

The freshman LSU has will be sitting, waiting in the wings and watching what LSU's star corners do in 2026. All while receiving tips on their own game from the veterans, the staff and any alumni who decide to pop into the facility for some time throughout the season.

But these aren't just any freshmen who LSU needs to develop.

These are high school recruits who were hand-picked to come to LSU by one of the nation's best cornerbacks coaches, Corey Raymond.

Raymond loves a tall cornerback who can keep up with the undersized speedsters and the big-bodied physical pass catchers.

That's evident in this freshman class, which includes 6-foot-1 Finney and Peterson and 6-foot-2 Ellis. This is Raymond's type. Just look at Pickett, the 6-foot-4 corner who can keep up with anyone on the field.

But these corners are more than that, they're elite in coverage as well.

Finney was the nation's top-ranked corner in the 2027 class, but after reclassifying to the 2026 class, he came in as the No. 14 corner, despite being a year younger. He knows competition, though, having played at Sierra Canyon High School in the Los Angeles suburbs.

While there, Finney tallied 27 tackles and an interception as a freshman and followed that with 37 tackles and four interceptions as a sophomore in 2024, before helping his team earn the top spot in California's high school football rankings.

Finney headlines the corner class, but Ellis follows behind him.

Ellis is an unusual corner prospect, as he was considered an athlete out of high school, playing quarterback at Franklin Parish High School in Opelousas, Louisiana, before being recruited as a corner.

As a member of the secondary, Ellis was ranked as the nation’s No. 45 cornerback prospect and No. 15 overall player in Louisiana by Rivals.

After Ellis, there's a Florida product. Which has historically worked out for LSU. Especially when their last name is Peterson.

But 2026 LSU's Peterson is a three-star prospect from Evans High School in Orlando, who was ranked in the top 100 cornerbacks in the nation, coming in at No. 89 by Rivals.

The three are small in terms of weight, meaning open-field tackling and run support may struggle. But it's a sure-fire bet that they'll all add size and muscle, being in LSU's workout room year-round now.

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