LSU's 2022 season and the Brian Kelly era are officially on-deck, but two current members of the secondary appear set to be playing on Sundays instead.
Junior cornerbacks Cordale Flott and Derek Stingley Jr. intend to declare for the NFL draft and forgo their remaining eligibility, according to reports.
That leaves the group that Ed Orgeron confidently entered the season referring to as the best in the country largely gone by the end of it. Cornerback Eli Ricks has already transferred to Alabama, and Stingley is projected to be a high first-round selection despite his recent injury woes.
Neither played in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, where LSU fell 42-20 as WR Jaray Jenkins started at quarterback. But he and a group largely made up of young players help up well later in the season as the Tigers adopted a blitz-heavy scheme that prioritized pressure over numbers in coverage. Ricks and Stingley both suffered season-ending injuries and missed much of the year. Those injuries made for a lot of snaps for Flott on the outside, having begun the season in the nickel role. He combined for 83 total tackles the last two seasons, along with 7 passes defensed, forced two fumbles and nabbed an interception.
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The offseason work for Flott could play a role. He's currently projected as late-round option or UDFA in most pre-draft projections.
Flott's departure would leave Dwight McGlothern and Jay Ward as the elder statesman in the cornerback room, two more players who held up well late in the season when pushed into spot duty.