Football: Sophomore inherits Peterson’s jersey, hype for new season

Last season, LSU's No. 7 was a star cornerback and punt returner. He racked up defensive accolades and showed off highlight-reel-worthy feats of athleticism left and right during the 2010 season.

This year, the player donning the No. 7 jersey will once again try to make the big plays happen on defense as well as in the return game. That player used to be Patrick Peterson, but after being drafted fifth overall by the Arizona Cardinals, sophomore cornerback Tyrann Mathieu is now the man behind No. 7.

If his freshman year was any indication of what the future holds, Mathieu could soon follow in Peterson's huge footsteps.

Mathieu ended an impressive freshman campaign with a bang, earning Most Valuable Defensive Player honors in the Tigers' 41-24 Cotton Bowl victory over Texas A&M on Jan. 7. In the game, he had two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, seven tackles and even notched a sack.

"If you look at the season he had as a true freshman, and when you look at the number of tackles, the number of interceptions and the number of passes broken up, Tyrann Mathieu was at the top of the chart," said defensive coordinator John Chavis.

The hype didn't die during the offseason, either. Mathieu was one of only three sophomores in the nation to be named to the 2011 Chuck Bednarik Award Watchlist, an award given to the best defensive player in the country each season.

Last season's Bednarik Award winner? Peterson.

While Mathieu is already receiving national publicity before the season starts, he remains unfazed by the pressure.

"I never really was in the spotlight," he said. "The guys standing next to me take a lot of the pressure off of me."

Mathieu plays in a unique position as part of a defensive backfield with at least three players capable of holding starting positions. Mathieu found his niche as the nickelback in the nickel formation last season. The nickel formation allows the defense to play five cornerbacks, which works for Chavis' talented backfield. Chavis said the Tigers will look to line up in the nickel formation more often this season.

"He gives us a suddenness and a playmaker in that position," said coach Les Miles. "Few offenses are ready for his quickness."

Sophomore defensive back Tharold Simon and junior cornerback Morris Claiborne will accompany Mathieu in getting plenty of time in the defensive backfield. Mathieu said the competition keeps him fresh and that he, Simon, Claiborne or senior Ron Brooks could all step in and perform well at cornerback.

"[Chavis] wants all his best players on the field and a lot of speed on the field," Simon said. "When we play [the nickel] we've got a lot of speed on the field and our best players on the field."

Mathieu's spot in the nickel may be exactly what helps him be a playmaker, as it allows him to showcase his ability to recognize opportunities for big plays.

"I don't know if there is a more sudden player in college football than him," Miles said. "The plays you just didn't think you could make, he's finding ways mentally to make them. That's the difference in him."

Unlike the 6-foot-1 Peterson, the 5-foot-9 Mathieu doesn't have height on his side. Chavis said his height doesn't get in the way of his success on the field.

"He's plenty big enough," Chavis said. "Certainly he has the ability to play the ball with his ball skills and his leaping ability. We have all the confidence in the world [in him]."

The focus for Mathieu during his spring and fall has been exactly that ­— his focus.

"We just have been trying to make sure we keep the same intensity and keep everything rolling," he said.

Mathieu said he is looking forward to the first game of the season against Oregon's speedy offense, which has been known to catch even the quickest defenses off guard.

"We looked back on a lot of their games last year and [in] most of those big plays, teams were out of place," he said. "They didn't have their cleats on the ground and they weren't ready."

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Contact Albert Burford at aburford@lsureveille.com