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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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LSU finished the 2025 campaign 7–6 (3–5 SEC) and closed the year with a 38–35 loss to Houston in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27.
The Tigers’ season was defined by instability, highlighted by mid-year coaching turnover.
Head coach Brian Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, ending a disappointing four-year tenure and leaving associate head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson to serve as interim for the remainder of the season.
Read More on NCAA
LSU officially ushered in a new era on Nov. 30, 2025, hiring Lane Kiffin as its next head coach following the end of the college football season.
Despite the underwhelming record, LSU’s defense remained a relative strength, finishing among the leaders in multiple categories, including a top-25 scoring defense (19.8 points allowed per game) and a top-15 red-zone defense (74.3%).
On Wednesday, one of the Tigers’ most impactful defensive contributors received national recognition, as LSU announced that true freshman cornerback DJ Pickett was named to the FWAA 2025 Freshman All-America team.
The FWAA also named Pickett one of three finalists for its Defensive Freshman of the Year award, alongside Georgia defensive back Ellis Robinson and Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney.
Pickett appeared in every game during the 2025 season and emerged as a turnover-creator in LSU’s secondary, finishing with 35 total tackles (28 solo), three passes defended, three interceptions (tied for the team lead), and two sacks.
He also recorded a quarterback hurry as part of an LSU defense that led the SEC in interceptions (17) and ranked third in pass efficiency defense.
LSU was the only defense in the conference to record more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed (14).
Before arriving in Baton Rouge, Pickett was a consensus five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, ranked as the No. 11 overall recruit, the No. 2 cornerback nationally, and the No. 1 player in Florida according to the 247Sports Composite.
He signed with LSU in December 2024 after choosing the Tigers over more than 40 scholarship offers, including Georgia, Miami, Oregon, and Alabama.
The timing of Pickett’s national recognition is notable, as LSU confirmed following Lane Kiffin’s arrival and the opening of the transfer portal that Pickett intends to remain with the program for the 2026 season, providing a key retention win for the Tigers amid significant roster turnover.
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Pickett’s Freshman All-America recognition and his decision to remain at LSU under Kiffin matter for several clear reasons.
On the field, it provides immediate credibility to LSU’s secondary and gives Kiffin a foundational defensive piece to build around entering his first full season in Baton Rouge.
Beyond the field, in a roster-management era dominated by the transfer portal, retaining a five-star freshman through a coaching change signals that LSU can both recruit and keep top-tier high school talent despite significant offseason turnover.
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