Better Know a Freshman: Dwight McGlothern

One of the reasons LSU claims the DBU moniker is that it not only produces quality NFL defensive backs, it produces a strong quantity as well. For every Corey Webster or Patrick Peterson, there’s a Tharold Simon or Jalen Mills.

LSU puts its DBs in the NFL, even the ones who may have been nickel defenders but never starters. Dwight McGlothern is walking into a crowded defensive back room, but there’s no reason to think he won’t be playing on Sundays in a few years.

The Story

While McGlothern graduated from Klein Oak in Spring, Texas, he is a Louisiana native. McGlothern was born outside of Shreveport and per his recruiting timeline on 247, LSU was the first school to offer him a scholarship. The scholarship offer came in January of his freshman year but LSU had to wait nearly three years for McGlothern to commit. In that time schools like Alabama, Oregon, Texas, USC and Virginia Tech all offered.

McGlothern committed to LSU on the national stage, at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. After pledging to the Tigers, McGlothern was one of the best players on the field, intercepting two passes and returning one for a touchdown.

The Numbers

Five-stars (98-110 rating): The top 32 players in the country to mirror the 32 first round picks in the NFL Draft. These are 32 players that we believe are the most likely to be drafted in the first round from each recruiting class. The full list of 32 with five-star ratings typically isn’t complete until the final ranking. Any player with a rating of more than 100 is considered a “franchise player” and one that does not come around in every recruiting class.

Four-stars (90-97 rating): These are players that we believe are the most likely to produce college careers that get them drafted. By National Signing Day, this number is typically in the range of 350 prospects, roughly the top 10 percent of prospects in a given class.

Three-stars (80-89 rating): This is where the bulk of college football prospects are found and it incorporates a large range of ability levels, all of whom we consider as possible NFL players long term.

Two-stars (70-79 rating): These are prospects that we consider to be FBS-level players with very limited NFL potential.

247 Composite Ranking: ****

247 Composite Rating: .9025

The Film

The first thing that stands out to me about McGlothern is his size. Standing at 6’2” he’s already got the height to be an NFL corner, he certainly won’t be at a size disadvantage against wideouts while at LSU. In fact, SI’s Brian Smith compares McGlothern’s length and wingspan to another former Tiger, Tharold Simon.

The Future: The Tharold Simon comparison makes sense from a physical standpoint, but I wonder if McGlothern’s career looks more like Ron Brooks. Brooks wound up playing behind guys like Simon, Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu. He played in 53 games but only started three times and that was due to Mathieu and Simon being suspended in 2011.

McGlothern is in a similar situation as Brooks. Derek Stingley might already be the best corner LSU has ever had and he has two more years left. Elias Ricks, McGlothern’s 2020 classmate, was either the No. 1 or 2 high school cornerback in America depending on which outlet you were going off of. And oh by the way, there’s still returning players like Jay Ward and Cardale Flott both of whom played well as true freshmen last year. LSU is just loaded with talent at corner, so I wonder what kind of role McGlothern can carve out for himself.

High End: Rises to the competition and sees playing time right away as a freshman, eventually becomes a starter thanks in part to his size

Low End: Significant contributor but never starts on the outside

Realistic: I think McGlothern winds up being a fan favorite. He’ll be on the field as early as 2020 and eventually becomes a starter once Stingley, Flott and Ward move on in 2022 or ‘23. I think McGlothern is the kind of guy every program needs and could one day be the No. 18 for LSU.