Could LSU Football Start a True Freshman Cornerback in Week 1 at Clemson?

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will report for Fall Camp on Tuesday with the program set to begin the final phase offseason ahead of Week 1 at Clemson.

After a productive stretch in Baton Rouge, the Bayou Bengals handled business in the NCAA Transfer Portal, worked through Spring Camp and navigated summer workouts.

Now, all eyes are on the final phase of the offseason with Kelly and Co. set to open Fall Camp on Wednesday for Day 1 of practice.

LSU landed the No. 1 cornerback in America last December after DJ Pickett put pen to paper with the program.

What's the buzz? Could Pickett start as a true freshman in 2025?

The Name to Know: DJ Pickett [Cornerback]

Pickett, the No. 1 rated cornerback in the 2025 Recruiting Cycle, pledged to the LSU Tigers over the Miami Hurricanes on July 17 [2024] prior to putting pen to paper with the program during the Early Signing Period.

Now, the five-star freshman is in Baton Rouge with an opportunity to make an immediate impact for the Bayou Bengals.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder turned heads as an early-enrollee in Spring Camp with the LSU staff salivating at the potential he attains.

The skyscraper of a cornerback has taken strides this offseason with current Tigers stating he's "as good as advertised" after coming in as the No. 1 cornerback in America.

Baker echoed the same sentiment during Spring Camp.

"I mean, when you look at DJ Pickett from the first three bowl practices to now, he's a different animal out there," Baker said. "A lot of the credit goes to him. Every day I go in the indoor, he's got the VR on. He works at it. He's very, very humble. He loves football. He's very hardworking."

Now, all eyes will be on the coveted true freshman cornerback as he looks to make an instant impact for the Bayou Bengals in 2025.

The On3 Sports Evaluation: "DJ Pickett projects being recruited as a corner, and he’s a unique prospect at that position. He’s very tall, north of 6’3 and probably closer to 6’4. He’s long and rangy and has elite length and has high-end athleticism and ball skills to go with that.

"His wingspan is 6’11 and runs a 10.6 in the 100 meters, so at a traits-based position, he registers as an elite prospect in that regard.

More LSU News:

LSU Football, Texas Longhorns and Michigan Wolverines Trending in Recruiting

LSU Football and Notre Dame Fighting Irish Making Early Impression on Top Cornerback

No. 1 Athlete in America, Five-Star LSU Football Commit Helping Recruit Top Prospect