As LSU and Clemson prepare for the season-opening rematch, there will be elite matchups across the field and on the sidelines.
On the sideline, it’ll see Lane Kiffin looking to prove something and Dabo Swinney looking for revenge after last year’s loss to LSU.
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But past that, here’s the matchup that will be the most entertaining to watch.
Yes, an offense and its opposing defense will decide football games – it does in every game. But in LSU’s Week 1 matchup, there’s an intriguing coaching matchup, and it’s not Kiffin and Swinney.
Instead, it’s their coordinators.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris has come back to Clemson with hopes of turning the clock back to the days of his highly efficient Tigers offense, which ushered in the Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence eras of Clemson football.
But as Morris takes the reins again, his first foe will be Blake Baker.
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Since taking over as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2024, Baker has turned LSU’s uncharacteristically bad 2023 defense into a top-25 unit in just two seasons.Now, in his third season, he looks to take the next step and become one of the nation’s top defenders.
LSU’s defense had a handful of departures for the NFL, but some key replacements for them joined a bulk of returning pieces to create a strong defensive unit.
But even more importantly, this year, LSU has more players who fit Baker’s scheme. With a reloaded defensive line and a deep linebacker room to create pressure and chaos up front, this secondary will be able to shine in man coverage.
One cornerback in particular is ready to shine as LSU’s new top cornerback in Baker’s scheme.
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DJ Pickett and Bryant Wesco Jr.
That cornerback is DJ Pickett.
His Week 1 matchup will likely be Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson’s top receiver.
Wesco enters 2026 as one of Clemson’s most accomplished young players, having recorded 72 career receptions for 1,245 yards at 17.3 yards per reception and 11 touchdowns in just 19 career games.
His production flashed in his first collegiate season. His 143 receiving yards against SMU in the ACC Championship Game were the most by a freshman in ACC Championship Game history. It also put him in elite company in Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Artavis Scott and Justyn Ross as the only Clemson players to record three 100-yard games in their freshman season.
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Through the first part of the 2025 season, Wesco was one of the ACC’s premier receivers, catching 31 passes for 537 yards and six touchdowns before a back injury ended his year prematurely.
Wesco will be coming off that injury and immediately face a Freshman All-American cornerback three inches taller than him.
Pickett’s bag is deep. He stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 195 pounds while also running a 10.7 in the 100-meter dash in high school.
Athleticism is great, but you only see playing time at LSU if you can make plays, and Pickett can. In 262 pass coverage snaps in 2025, Pickett allowed only 15 receptions for 188 total yards and just one touchdown with 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack, all while tying for the team lead in interceptions, with three.
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A healthy Wesco versus a seasoned Pickett will be Week 1 cinema.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as These Matchups Will Decide LSU and Clemson’s Season Opener.
