The LSU Fighting Tigers football team represents the great state of Louisiana. Tiger fans are well aware of the many outstanding LSU athletes that were born and raised in Louisiana. However, many notable LSU players have traveled to Baton Rouge from other areas of the country.

Women’s Basketball National Champion, Angel Reese, and former LSU linebacker, Greg Penn III, both came from Baltimore, Md. This season, the Tigers have two Maryland natives on the football roster in cornerback Mansoor Delane and kicker Damian Ramos.

“I’m from Silver Spring, which is like 30 minutes away from Baltimore,” Delane said. “I think Maryland has a really good high school football program. They develop the kids very well. I think it’s a little bit slept on when it comes to high school football.”

These players underwent two completely different journeys to LSU. Delane, who played from 2022-24 at Virginia Tech, is a key member of the Tigers’ top-ranked transfer portal class for this season.

“I was debating on whether to go to the draft or to transfer,” Delane explained. “When I came to my official visit at LSU, it really was a no-brainer. Meeting with (LSU secondary) Coach (Corey) Raymond, talking to (LSU head) Coach (Brian) Kelly, it was a good opportunity for me to play my last year of college.”

The prestigious history of both the program and the coaching staff was what attracted Delane to Baton Rouge. Raymond also played a pivotal role in Delane’s decision.

“C-Ray’s history speaks for itself,” Delane said of Raymond. “Just the lineage of people he puts in the NFL. He’s really big on the fundamentals, the basics. Ultimately, he’s helping me become a better player. He’s very old school and wants us to play football the right way. Letting the game come to you and not trying to do too much. Don’t try to play to be seen. Just play the game and the plays will come to you.”

Raymond has coached some of the most elite defensive backs in the school’s history, including Tyrann Mathieu, Tre’Davious White, and Derek Stingley Jr. Delane hopes to add his name to that list. However, coming out of Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Md., he was not necessarily a top recruit.

“I didn’t really have too many offers coming out of high school,” Delane recalled. “I was a three-star recruit. Virginia Tech just showed me the most interest, and I thought Blacksburg would be a cool area for me away from home.”

After playing his first three seasons at Virginia Tech, Delane transferred to LSU for the chance to win a national championship.

“After my last year at Virginia Tech, I entered the portal looking for somewhere better,” Delane said. “Just a different opportunity, new beginnings, and that led me to LSU. I’m enjoying everything so far.”

Ramos is going into his fifth season at LSU. He committed to the Tigers right out of St. Paul’s School in Baltimore.

“Throughout high school, I wanted to be a college kicker for a big program with a big stadium,” Ramos said about his recruiting process. “I worked my tail off. I was a five-star kicker. I was ranked Top 20 in the country but unfortunately, my recruiting stage was during Covid. I didn’t get to go to any college camps. I didn’t get to visit any schools. Even though I was a top-ranked kicker, I wasn’t getting any offers.”

Ramos’ recruiting journey felt challenging at times, but destiny would eventually take an unexpected turn for the better.

“When it was getting close to time to make a decision, I didn’t really have a lot of options,” Ramos admitted. “I was waiting to see if something would come through. My dad kept telling me to be patient. I kept getting a lot of mail from LSU, just normal student mail. I was already accepted into LSU as a student, but I just needed a way on to the football team. So I wrote up an email, with all my stats and information.

“A few days later, I was actually playing (the video game) Fortnite and I got a call that said ‘Baton Rouge, LA,’ and I thought it was Los Angeles at first. I had no idea it was LSU. (Former LSU special teams analyst) Chris Forestier told me they saw my film and wanted to offer me a walk-on position.”

Ramos said he accepted his preferred walk-on offer immediately over the phone.

“In my first year, I didn’t play.” Ramos said. “In my second year, a new coaching staff came in. Two new kickers came in, a grad student and a freshman five-star. It was four kickers total, including me. Then halfway through camp, the coaches invited me in to tell me that I beat everyone out and I started in 2022.”

Ramos has been an incredibly consistent kicker for the Tigers, making 77.6% of his field goals over his career. He is confident that he will be able take his game to an even higher level in his 2025 campaign.

“A big goal of mine for this offseason was to get more distance, more power, more whip in my leg,” Ramos said. “I’ve managed to do that. For this season, one of my goals is to win the Lou Groza Award. I have to have a high percentage, if not go perfect, on my field goals. If I do that, I’m helping my team hopefully win a national championship. In the end, I want to get drafted to the NFL.”

Strong work ethic has been a constant for Ramos over the course of his career. Even when he was struggling to get offers out of high school, he still remained diligent in his craft.

“I had a goal,” Ramos said about his time in high school. “I kicked year-round. Even in the cold winter, I had videos of me kicking in the snow. I got addicted to just trying to kick further and further.”

Both Ramos and Delane have been working hard to have a great 2025 season. However, during their free time, the players have different ways of unwinding.

“I got a dog, a puppy named Nola,” Delane said. “I spend a lot of time with her. I occasionally play some golf. I’m trying to improve my little swing. I love chilling, hanging out with the guys. Whether that’s going bowling or going to each other’s crib, I love spending time with my teammates.”

Ramos loves to expand his horizons by traveling overseas.

“Every break that I have, I try to go somewhere,” Ramos explained. “I’ve been to a bunch of different countries. I’ve been to South America and Europe. I also play the piano. Growing up, I took these national exams. I was really into it.” Ramos said that his favorite countries to visit include Italy, Spain, and Croatia.

These Marylanders will play crucial roles for the 2025 LSU football team. Despite not growing up in Louisiana, both still represent the state in a tremendous way as LSU Tigers.