Lane Kiffin is used to winning big on the recruiting trail, but the LSU head coach is now on the defensive. A 5-star cornerback, considered a priority target for the LSU Tigers, is now leaning heavily toward another SEC school, leaving two of the conference’s top programs uneasy.

The five-star cornerback has shown massive interest in Shane Beamer’s South Carolina. He spent almost two days in Columbia this past weekend, knowing every small detail about the Gamecocks’ program. Joshua Dobson met with all the coaches and even watched their Saturday spring practice, which impressed him deeply.

LSU is not just monitoring Joshua Dobson here; it is chasing one of the most important defensive backs on its early board. That is why South Carolina’s weekend momentum matters. For Lane Kiffin, this is less about casual interest and more about watching another SEC program make a real move on a priority target.

“It was amazing,” Joshua Dobson said to Rivals after the visit. “Seeing everything and learning more about the school meant a lot, especially for my mom. The business school was great, and I got a lot of time with the coaches. When I pulled up, and the whole staff was outside waiting, that meant a lot. They really showed me how much they care for me and my family this weekend. It made a big impact on how I feel about South Carolina.”

That visit felt bigger than a routine campus stop. Dobson did not just praise the atmosphere, but also pointed to family comfort, staff attention, and academic fit, which are usually the details recruits remember when a school starts separating itself. That’s where South Carolina appears to have helped itself the most.

Teams like Clemson, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas A&M are in contention to grab his commitment. But for now, he is pretty high on South Carolina, as he developed a strong relationship with their defensive backs coach Torrian Gray and is planning a final visit there in June before choosing a school. This is not good news for Lane Kiffin.

“South Carolina has a couple of new pieces, and I’d like to see what they do this season,” Dobson said. “I’m looking forward to them having a big year. Coach Torrian Gray is my guy. We have a real relationship, and we know each other so well. The whole staff at South Carolina knows me.”

Dobson’s interest in the program makes sense, looking at the kind of staff they have gathered to develop the players. Torrian Gray has 26 years of experience coaching at both the college and NFL levels. He has helped develop many players who went on to play in the NFL, including Cam Smith, Darius Rush, and Nick Emmanwori while at South Carolina, as well as Brandon Flowers and Kyle Fuller earlier in his career.

For LSU, this is an uncomfortable part of the battle. South Carolina is not selling Dobson on hype alone, as they’re pitching proven defensive back development and personal trust. When a five-star corner starts seeing both of those boxes checked, the race often gets harder for everyone else involved, including Lane Kiffin’s staff.

South Carolina has also added Dre Bly, a former NFL Pro Bowler and College Football Hall of Fame defensive back, to the coaching staff as a defensive assistant. Having both Gray and Bly on staff gives South Carolina strong coaching for defensive backs and makes it an attractive place for top players like Joshua Dobson to develop and prepare for the NFL.

But even with all the hype around them, LSU can still give them tough competition. The team added top defensive backs, including Havon Finney Jr. and Mansoor Delane, who was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. All thanks to DB coach Corey Raymond, who developed players like Pickett.

What’s interesting is that even the Tigers have locked in an official visit with Dobson. They will host him in Baton Rouge on a multi-day visit from June 12 to June 14. This gives them a solid chance to impress him. On top of that, let’s not forget LSU has major financial backing of $25 million, so money could be a deciding factor in it. But with all the assumptions surrounding Joshua Dobson, let’s see which team finally gets his commitment. But he is not the only player Lane Kiffin is eyeing.

Lane Kiffin eyes another cornerback target for the 2027 season

Taelyn Mayo, a four-star cornerback from Lewisville, Texas, is deciding between 10 schools, and LSU, with Lane Kiffin, is one of them. He is the No. 15 cornerback in the 2027 class and has offers from big programs like LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, and Oklahoma. His final list includes LSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Oregon, Miami, Florida State, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama.

LSU is working hard to recruit him, especially defensive backs coach Corey Raymond. Raymond has been very successful in recruiting players from outside Louisiana. In 2025, he brought in D.J. Pickett, the No. 1 cornerback in the country, away from Miami and Florida, and Pickett made a big impact as a freshman at LSU. This shows Raymond can develop top cornerbacks.

Mayo already visited LSU last year and plans to visit again in June. But he has also visited Ole Miss twice, which could make things tricky for Lane Kiffin. Mayo is looking at all his options carefully, and LSU will need to impress him to get his commitment.