D.J. Pickett chooses LSU over the Miami football program and Oregon

Five-star defensive back D.J. Pickett announced his commitment to LSU on his Instagram at 7 PM Eastern Time. Pickett chose LSU over Miami and Oregon. Pickett is the sixth-ranked prospect, second cornerback and the top player in Florida in the 2025 class. Miami currently has the ninth-ranked 2025 class.

Pickett told On3 during his commitment ceremony that he chose LSU because of their history of developing defensive backs. Oregon entered the commitment announcement on Wednesday as the projected leader for a commitment from Pickett, with the Miami football program second.

LSU moved up to the fourth-ranked class in the 247Sports composite rankings with the addition of Pickett. Miami should be expected to continue recruiting Pickett hard hoping for a late flip in the 2025 cycle. Miami has flipped a few signees late in the last two classes.

Pickett has exceptional length at 6'4 and 178 pounds. Pickett is projected as a CB in college but has also been listed as a safety. Consensus scouting reports have praised Pickett for his two-way playmaking skills. Pickett had 95 receptions for 1,919 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns in the last two seasons.

Defensively Pickett had 51 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three pass breakups, a fumble recovers and a forced fumble in the last two years. Pickett will focus on defense in college but could be used on offense in special situations.

Four-star prospect Chris Ewald and three-star Timothy Merritt committed to Miami in June at CB in the 2025 class. Miami is waiting on the commitment announcement of four-star CB Jaboree Antoine. Antoine is announcing his commitment on Saturday at noon.

Cornerback is a clear priority for Miami in the 2025 class. Miami hosted seven CBs for official visits in June per the 247Sports database. Four-star Booker T. Washington prospect Ben Hanks is the other CB to watch for Miami. Hanks is a Florida legacy, but Miami is the Gators strongest challenger.