RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesLSU football projects to have an elite secondary in 2026. DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland form a top-notch cornerback duo and safety Ty Benefield is a potential first-round pick.
But the LSU secondary lacks the depth it had in 2025. Last year, LSU had Mansoor Delane, the No. 6 overall pick, playing next to Pickett, Woodland, and AJ Haulcy. Now Delane is gone and LSU didn't sign a prized cornerback in the transfer portal. That puts pressure on cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson to step up.
Jackson began his career at Florida with current LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond. Jackson transferred to LSU ahead of the 2025 season, reuniting with Raymond. Jackson was buried on the depth chart last fall and didn't play a ton. Still, he stuck around despite LSU making a change at head coach.
Jackson is a top-three corner on LSU's roster, firmly putting him in the rotation in 2026. Jackson played eight games in 2025, totaling 84 defensive snaps. In the small sample, Jackson posted a PFF coverage grade of 74.5. But nearly half of those snaps came vs. SE Louisiana and Western Kentucky.
This year, more will be put on Jackson's plate. He'll be tasked with meaningful snaps vs. real opponents. LSU can lean on Pickett and Woodland, but no team gets through a season playing just two corners. It's a position that requires depth.
Jackson has the talent. He was the No. 6 cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class and a top-60 recruit. Raymond has a history of developing talented DBs into real contributors, and Jackson's decision to stick around signals the defensive staff is confident entering 2026.
Jackson doesn't need to have a true breakout year, but LSU needs the veteran corner to be reliable. When Pickett and Woodland come off the field, LSU wants to trust that it can still play Baker's aggressive style of defense.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football needs talented corner to emerge in 2026
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.