By Hunt Palmer
LSU defensive backs built a brand off of confidence.
“DBU” started on the field with playmaking, winning and flare. Thorpe Awards and multimillion dollar NFL contracts followed. So did national titles. What started with Nick Saban and Corey Webster and continued with Patrick Peterson and Ron Cooper and Tyrann Mathieu and many others became a recognizable consistency and dominance in Baton Rouge.
It’s been missing for five years.
Now in his second year of his second stint in Baton Rouge, Corey Raymond is working to restore it.
“Under Coach Raymond, it’s just an expectation,” said junior cornerback Ashton Stamps. “It’s not something he really speaks about, you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that. It’s just the way we work. We don’t worry about all the stats, the interceptions, the PBUs. Just go out there and work.”
Two years ago, the defensive backs were torched daily in fall camp by Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr and the best passing attack in college football. Stamps was a freshman starter on the team.
With 24 games and 17 starts now under his belt, Stamps has made the transition to veteran.
“I came in off the radar,” Stamps said. “I was a three star. I was the last offer in my class. So, coming in, the confidence may not have been where it is now. I worked my way through it. I had two different position coaches. I just worked. I put my head down. Once I got to my sophomore year, it’s like I already know what goes on, how to do it. Everything slowed down for me. I made plays.”
Stamps finished the 2024 season third in the SEC in pass breakups (14) and has shined in camp the last three weeks. He’s consistently broken up passes against a stout receiving corps in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.
The on-field preparation is just one piece. The group spends hours in the film room and has added another wrinkle to get ready in 2025.
“Jack Marucci has had us on (virtual reality),” Stamps said. “They’ve updated it to where we’re on the field. We’ve got the Clemson stadium. We’ve got everything. There’s two separate VRs. You’ve got the same thing (as your teammate), so we’re able to communicate and talk to feel comfortable. When we get on the field, it’s the same thing.”
The virtual reality piece is just another resource at the players’ disposal at LSU, and no stone is being left unturned as the Tigers try to regain status back at the top of the sport.
Cornerback play will be a huge part of that. LSU finished 118th of 133 in pass defense in 2023 and in 2024 only improved to 76th which was 10th in the SEC.
Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane has been brought in opposite Stamps to solidify the position, and he’s made an early impression.
“It’s good to have Mansoor on the other side,” Stamps said. “Knowing that you have someone who knows what’s going on, he’s played a lot of ball. He’s actually played more ball than me. He’s an older cat. So, we’re able to talk to each other. If I don’t see something, he’s going to tell me. If I see something, I’m going to tell him.”
Delane and Stamps are generally separated by more than 30 yards on the field. The real lines of communication have to open to the safeties who are both new. AJ Haulcy arrived in June from Houston, and Tamarcus Cooley transferred in from North Carolina State in January.
“It’s about the safeties,” Stamps said. “Bringing in AJ, Cooley, those guys, we’ve got to gain relationships with them outside of football. Be comfortable speaking to them. When we get on the field, you’ve got to be comfortable speaking with that person. If you’re not comfortable, miscommunication happens.”
Miscommunication early in the season allowed for a lot of big plays on the Tiger defense. Only three SEC teams allowed more passes of 30-plus yards than LSU last season.
First comes the elimination of big plays. Then comes the defensive playmaking. The pass rush can help with that, and LSU’s has looked exceptional in the preseason.
“As a cornerback, sometimes you may be on a receiver for two to three seconds,” Stamps said. “If the rush hasn’t gotten there, they’re getting open. They can still catch the ball even though you’ve covered them good. (The quarterback) starts scrambling, stuff like that. But I feel that pressure. The ball is coming out quick. I’m sticking to those receivers, and I’m able to make that play right away.”
As those two marry together, a resurgence of DBU is a possibility. LSU has lofty goals and aspirations in 2025. That used to come with the territory for LSU defensive backs.
“The main thing is confidence,” Stamps said. “In the room, we have a lot of confidence. We’ve been out there making plays. Back-to-back days so now out there you just expect it.”
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