No. 4 - Toriano Pride
This might have been the biggest surprise for me. When this season began, I presumed two things:
1) Pride was ahead of Jeadyn Lukus on the depth chart
2) Pride would probably be one of the starters in 2024 when Sheridan Jones exhausted eligibility and Nate Wiggins probably went pro.
I presumed too much. It didn’t take long to see that Pride had not only fallen behind Lukus on the depth chart but perhaps behind freshmen Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis as well.
By the end of the season, we knew he was behind those two freshmen and that he wasn’t likely to be a starter in 2024. Nonetheless, I was still surprised that Pride left.
He might not have started the season at the top of the depth chart, but he still seemed to be a strong candidate to be part of the regular rotation at cornerback.
Now that Pride is gone, there is a lack of depth. The three at the top – Lukus, Terrell, and Lewis – are a solid top three. After that, the Tigers have Myles Oliver (who hasn’t played much), redshirt freshman Branden Strozier, and three true freshmen.
Yes, one of those freshmen is Corian Gipson, who is very talented. Yes, last year’s freshmen turned out to be very good. I would still prefer to have Pride in the room.
Next: No. 3 - Andrew Mukuba