Defensive back is often the most scrutinized position in football, and sometimes in all of sports. To succeed in the secondary, it takes athleticism, quickness, caution and humility.
LSU Football displays a profound history of defensive backs. LSU has even been dubbed “DBU,” short for Defensive Back University. With the likes of Patrick Peterson, Tommy Casanova and Jerry Stovall, it is no secret the Tigers take great pride in their secondary.
Today, DBU is led by a pair of tenured Tigers, Sage Ryan and Major Burns, who know what it takes to continue the defensive back legacy in Baton Rouge.
Ryan and Burns are a pair of Louisiana natives who arrived at Death Valley in different ways, but both embody what it means to be a Tiger and members of the prominent DBU.
Ryan grew up donning purple and gold. For the Lafayette, La., native, LSU football is in his DNA. Ryan’s uncle, Trev Faulk, was a star linebacker for the Tigers from 1999-2001. That Faulk last name might sound a bit familiar; Ryan’s cousin is LSU’s all-time rushing leader Kevin Faulk. Becoming a Bayou Bengal was quite literally in Ryan’s blood.
“LSU was always the plan,” Ryan said. “I watched my uncle, and I watched my cousin. They paved the way to this legacy.”
A do-it-all five-star recruit at Lafayette Christian Academy, Ryan helped bring the school back-to-back state titles. He was sought after by nearly every college in the country, but he decided to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and cousin and attend LSU.
Ryan is a versatile defender who can play all over the secondary; it is part of what makes him so attractive to coaches. He can disrupt quarterbacks from the safety, nickel and cornerback positions. He is an offensive coordinator’s worst nightmare.
Ryan is not shy to get in the backfield either, recording 4.5 tackles-for-loss in 2023. He has been quick to get involved this season as well, forcing a key fumble in the Tigers’ road victory against South Carolina. Ryan credits his success on the field to being able to impact the game in every aspect of defense.
“Playing corner, nickel, and safety helped me know every position on the field,” Ryan said. “It helps me play fast, free and confident. It gives me the ability to communicate, too.”
Ryan has battled his fair share of injuries in his time as a Tiger, but his dedication and resiliency continue to get him back on the field.
As a true freshman, Ryan got a whiff of the action, starting in two games for the Tigers under head coach Ed Orgeron. When the Tigers and Orgeron parted ways, Ryan stayed the course, and it was only an upward trajectory from there. Ryan believes that once a player commits to a school, he should stay committed.
“With the transfer portal, a lot of guys want to pursue money or other valuable things,” Ryan said. “That’s not my mindset. I’m from Louisiana, and I want to represent that.”
In his first season playing for Brian Kelly in 2022, Ryan appeared in every game. The redshirt freshman was a bright spot on defense for the Tigers, forcing and recovering two fumbles on the year, as well as contributing a key third-down pass deflection in the Tigers’ victory over Auburn.
The following season, Ryan progressed, yet again. He continued to appear in every game for the purple and gold and earned nine starts. He posted career-highs in tackles, tackles-for-loss, and pass deflections.
Ryan is playing in his fourth season with the Tigers and is a leader, not just for the defensive backs, but for the entire team. As a veteran, he leads by example and displays his high IQ for the game.
Major Burns’ path to LSU was not as straightforward as Ryan’s.
Even though he grew up and went to school in Louisiana, the Baton Rouge native was not always set on becoming a Tiger. The former Madison Prep Academy standout spent his freshman year in Athens, Ga., with the Bulldogs before transferring home to LSU.
Burns is a phenomenal athlete who keeps every offense on their toes with cunning ball-hawking skills and tremendous instincts. His high IQ and knowledge of the game make him a threat on every play.
Coming out of high school, Burns was a top-five recruit in the state of Louisiana who played all over the field, but was recruited as a safety. Like Ryan, Burns held offers from roughly every major college football program in the country.
Burns arrived at Georgia in 2020 to play for Kirby Smart, but his time there did not last long. After appearing in six games for the Bulldogs, Burns submitted his name in the transfer portal.
The Tigers were immediate frontrunners to land the hometown kid, not just because of their reputation for producing excellent defensive backs, but also because Burns wanted to be closer to his family following the passing of his father. LSU gave him the ability to excel on the field and at home.
“With the loss of my father, I wanted to come home and be the man that my family needed at the time,” Burns said. “Coming home was the perfect opportunity to be there for my family.”
Since coming home, Burns has grown into a vocal leader who radiates confidence.
In his first year with the Tigers in 2021, Burns made five starts and secured an interception. He also assisted the Tiger defense by making 25 tackles.
A year later, Burns took an even more important role for DBU. The safety appeared in nine games and impacted the game in the secondary as well as the backfield. He recorded three pass deflections and 3.5 tackles-for-loss.
Burns took another stride in 2023, starting in all 13 games for the purple and gold. He led the Tigers in tackles with 93. Most notably, Burns had a clutch fourth-quarter pick-six which sealed the win for LSU at Missouri.
“Running into the end zone, I felt every emotion,” Burns said. “I was happy to seal the win for my home state. It was one of the biggest plays I have made in my life.”
In his fourth year in Death Valley, Burns continues to be a leader. He has started every game at safety for the Tigers and got involved in a big way in the September 14 win at South Carolina, recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter.
“Getting to play for DBU means the world to me,” Burns said. “It was a dream of mine to get the opportunity to play here.”
Ryan and Burns have been tasked this season with leading young Tiger defensive backs Ashton Stamps, PJ Woodland and Dashawn Spears, among others. The underclassmen have been thrown into the fray for the Tigers, but they have a pair of veteran leaders among them to show them the ropes and preserve DBU.
It is safe to say that together, Ryan and Burns have the heart and intangibles to consider themselves excellent representatives of LSU and worthy members of DBU.
“DBU is a tradition,” Ryan said. “It’s a mindset here to go out and show that mentality on Saturday. We have a lot of great guys who have come through here and have made it in the pros. DBU shows up on Sunday, too.”