Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Hunt Palmer
The LSU secondary changed the minute Corey Raymond walked back in the door he never should have been allowed to walk out of in 2022.
Since then, Raymond has drastically improved LSU’s passing defense from 118th nationally to 42nd. He recruited and developed Mansoor Delane into the top corner in the country and landed five-star cornerback DJ Pickett who is primed to emerge as LSU’s No. 1 corner in 2026.
Pickett is at LSU because of his position coach.
“I felt like I needed to work on my technique,” Pickett said. “Coach Raymond is a real technician. So, I had to look myself in the mirror and say, who is the best person to get me where I wanted to go? Also, this is LSU, so that platform, just being a DB here is amazing.”
The duo got to work immediately. Pickett signed in December of 2024 and traveled with LSU to the Texas Bowl before ever taking a class. He wasn’t eligible to play against Baylor, but he could work out with the team.
It was a meaningful introduction to a new level of football.
“The bowl practices helped me a lot,” Pickett said. “I had to learn how college practice is, how college players are. That helped me a lot. The spring, I worked on whatever I had to work on in the bowl practice. I worked on that in the offseason. It prepared me for spring, so it was helpful.”
That led to a freshman season where Pickett started three games and appeared in all 13. He earned freshman All-SEC honors and was dubbed the National True Freshman of the year by On3. He intercepted three passes, broke up three more and was credited with a pair of sacks.
“Most people think I had a pretty good year, but I feel like I could have done a lot better,” Pickett said. “A lot of things I’m working on right now to eliminate those mistakes that I had. The freshman year that I had was pretty good. I just need to get a little stronger, a little bigger knowing the game more.”
If that answer sounds modest, it’s because Raymond keeps things that way in the cornerback meeting room. He’s demanding and critical. When you’ve coached players like Derek Stingley Jr., Tre’davious White, Donte Jackson, Greedy Williams and Delane, the highest level of play is the expectation.
“Coach Raymond, he keeps me locked in,” Pickett said. “He doesn’t tell me the good. He tells me the bad, really. So, him preparing me for stuff like that is really helpful.”
It sounds harsh, but the players like Pickett know where the demanding nature comes from and the results it produces. That creates respect.
“Coach Raymond, to be honest, he’s not just a coach to me,” Picket said. “He’s a real mentor. Outside of my dad, I see him as a father figure. I thank him a lot. He helped me grow as a cornerback to get where I am right now.”
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