LSU Football 2022 Season Preview: The Transfer Cornerbacks

The season-opener for LSU football is still months away, but it’s not too early to get to know the team.

Brian Kelly knows that winning and winning now is important to LSU, and he knows that his first season at the helm of the program is absolutely critical.

So while Kelly put together (or hung on to) a solid 2022 recruiting class that ranks 12th nationally and 4th in the SEC per 247Sports, he also hit the transfer portal extremely hard.

We may never see Kelly utilize the transfer portal this much ever again. Then again, we might.

The transfer portal is a huge part of college football these days, and its impact on the sport can only be compared to free agency in the NFL.

All told, Kelly and LSU football have collected 14 transfers (along with 15 recruits who have signed letters of intent). The transfers include seven defensive players, five offensive players, and two specialists (a punter and a long snapper).

On the defensive side of the ball, LSU’s transfers include one lineman, two linebackers, two safeties, and two cornerbacks.

Note: the two safeties might also find playing time at cornerback, where LSU has several holes to fill, but for simplicity’s sake, they will be covered in a later article as safeties because 247Sports (link below) list them as safeties.

Here’s a deep dive into the two transfer cornerbacks as Death Valley Voice previews the 2022 LSU Football season.

*All player position assignments and grades are as transfers per 247Sports.

LSU FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE TRANSFERS FOR 2022: CORNERBACKS

Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State) – 4 Stars (0.93)

Bernard-Converse is a fifth-year senior and will likely be deep in the mix for starting role with LSU’s 2022 defense as the Tigers look to replace four outgoing cornerbacks.

He started in 47 consecutive games for Oklahoma State where he tangled on a regular basis with some of the best passing attacks in college football.

Over four seasons with the Cowboys, Bernard-Converse totaled 196 tackles (146 solo), 5 sacks, 24 passes defended, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble.

Oklahoma State also experimented with him as a punt returner during his freshman year when he returned one punt for 14 yards.

Greg Brooks, Jr. (Arkansas) – 4 Stars (0.90)

Brooks is from Harvey, LA, and heading home to finish his career with LSU after helping rebuild Arkansas’ football program over the past several years.

Through the course of three seasons with Arkansas, Brooks played in 33 games and has a stat-line nearly as impressive as Bernard-Converse’s. He too should be deep in the mix for a starting role.

Over the past three seasons, Brooks collected 103 tackles (53 solo), 2 forced fumbles, 4 interceptions (including a 69-yard pick-six against Mississippi State in 2020), and 8 passes defended.

Brooks’ ball-hawking abilities and familiarity with the SEC West should make him a valuable asset to the Tigers’ defense this season.