LSU football’s defense took a massive step in 2025. Much of that can be credited to the addition of transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Delane led an improved secondary, working as a shutdown corner on the outside of Blake Baker’s defense. Delane’s draft stock skyrocketed with the Tigers, and he went on to be a top 10 pick.
A shutdown corner can make a defense. As receivers have grown more and more talented over the last 15 years, the presence of an elite cornerback has become critical.
Today, we’ll take a stab at ranking the SEC’s top 15 cornerbacks for the 2026 season. It’s a deep class this year as several impact corners return from 2025. This wasn’t an easy ranking, especially with all the breakout freshmen we saw last year. Let’s jump in.
15. Vicari Swain, South Carolina
Swain returns for year four with the Gamecocks and has 815 career snaps under his belt. 2025 was a career year, posting a 74.0 PFF coverage grade. At 6-foot-1, Swain has the length to play man coverage vs. SEC wideouts.
14. Antonio Kite, Ole Miss
Kite had some up and downs in 2025, but he was a starter on a defense that made the CFP semifinals. He finished the year on a high note, not allowing a single target vs. Miami. He didn’t log an interception last year, but he broke up four passes.
13. Graceson Littleton, Texas
Littleton was one of several breakout freshmen at cornerback in the SEC last year, wasting no time claiming a starting role. He earned a PFF defensive grade of 70.6 while intercepting two passes. He has an All-SEC ceiling this fall.
12. Jay Crawford, Ole Miss
Crawford transferred to Ole Miss after spending two years at Auburn, and Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding hopes Crawford’s man coverage skills can allow the Rebels to do more schematically.
Crawford posted PFF coverage grades of 70 or better in each of his two years at Auburn. He’s already played over 1,000 snaps.
11. Dezz Ricks, Texas A&M
Ricks’s stats aren’t uber impressive, but he’s a talented corner entering year three as a starter at Texas A&M. He has the physical tools to be an impact corner in this league and he’s trusted by the Aggies’ coaching staff. There’s a chance Ricks puts it all together and has a big year in 2026.
10. Eli Bowen, Oklahoma
Oklahoma plays a ton of zone coverage. Bowen knows his role and executes it. Few corners in the league are as skilled at playing in zone coverage. He’s only 5-foot-9, but he understands leverage and positions himself to make plays. Bowen intercepted two passes in 2025.
9. PJ Woodland, LSU
I would bet Woodland ranks higher on this list by the end of the season. The LSU corner burst on the scene in 2025 as one of the SEC’s most versatile defensive backs. He excelled on the outside and playing in the slot, giving Baker flexibility in the secondary.
8. Bo Mascoe, Texas
Mascoe is the only player on this list transferring into the SEC. He arrives at Texas after playing three years at Rutgers. Mascoe posted an elite 83.1 PFF coverage grade with the Scarlett Knights last year and Texas hopes Mascoe’s presence will lead to more consistent secondary play in 2026.
7. Courtland Guillory, Oklahoma
Guillory complements Bowen well in OU’s secondary. He’s a long corner who plays with attitude. He’s physical enough to win at the line of scrimmage when pressing and athletic enough to stick with speedy wideouts in coverage. His passer rating when targeted was just 66.7, though he needs to cut back on the penalties this fall.
6. Zabien Brown, Alabama
Few corners in the SEC are as established as Brown and he probably deserves to be higher on this list. He’s played 1,424 snaps in Bama’s defense in two years, registering 6 PBUs, 5 INTs, and 26 stops in that span. Brown has a chance to be one of the first cornerbacks selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
5. DiJon Lee Jr, Alabama
Lee will join Brown to form the best cornerback duo in the SEC. Lee is a long and physical corner, allowing him to win in man vs. elite wide receivers. He posted an 80.2 PFF coverage grade last year and forced five incompletions. Lee has a few things to clean up, but his five-star pedigree warrants his placement at No. 5.
4. DJ Pickett, LSU
Pickett lived up to his five-star billing with LSU in 2025. The true freshman wasted no time emerging as one of the SEC’s best corners. Few corners in the SEC played as much man coverage as Pickett — LSU trusted Pickett to win on an island and he did. He posted a 76.2 PFF grade in man.
3. Ty Redmond, Tennessee
Redmond jumps off the tape. The Tennessee corner has elite burst, allowing him to turn and run with speedy wide receivers. Against bigger wideouts, he’s strong enough to press at the line of scrimmage. Redmond’s 81.6 PFF coverage grade was one of the best marks in the SEC.
2. Ellis Robinson, Georgia
The former five-star emerged as a force for Georgia’s defense last year. Robinson’s ball skills are elite, picking off four passes and only allowing a completion percentage of 42.9%. Robinson figures to be even better this year as he gears up for an All-American campaign.
1. Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
Jones only allowed 11 completions on 38 targets in 2025. No other returning corner in the SEC posted a completion rate that low with that volume of targets. Athlon listed Jones as preseason first-team All-SEC and I expect the SEC coaches will do the same.
Jones has over 1,000 career snaps with the Bulldogs and broke up nine passes in 2025. He stands at 6-foot-4, but moves like a much smaller corner. That blend of height and athleticism is rare. Jones is one of the best players in the SEC and brings real value to Mississippi State’s defense.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: The SEC’s top 15 cornerbacks for the 2026 college football season