It’s Saturday night in Death Valley, and 102,321 fans are screaming as the Tigers are on defense.
It’s so loud you can feel it in your chest.
But somehow, even inside this historic venue – known for its noise and overserved patrons – one side of the field is entirely silent. Not even a peep.
How is that possible? Meet Mansoor Delane, the culprit, who was told by an SEC head coach before a game this season not to worry; the ball wasn’t coming his way.
Delane, the senior corner from Silver Spring, Maryland, signed with LSU in December as a transfer from Virginia Tech, where he spent the first three years of his collegiate career. He was highly-touted as the No. 1 corner in the portal, looking for a bigger stage and a larger platform to showcase his talents.
BUT WHAT THE WORLD IS SEEING on Saturdays, as Delane shuts down opposing receivers and shoots up NFL Draft boards, is nothing new to those who know him best.
For Kyle Schmitt, head coach at Archbishop Spalding High School in Maryland, Delane was “one of the best players we’ve ever had” in a program that spits out Division I prospects and prides itself on defense. Spalding gave up just 34 points total last year.
A private Catholic school in Severn, Md., Spalding is where Delane spent his sophomore through senior years of high school. His freshman year was spent at the Landon School, an even smaller college preparatory school in Bethesda, where his older brother, Zayd, attended two years before him.
Landon was known for lacrosse, not football. Their games were played on Thursday afternoons, not on Friday nights. Offseason workouts were limited. Film sessions were lonely. That’s when Delane, a budding star committed to his craft, knew deep down a change had to be made, sooner rather than later.
“My older brother, he went to Landon and I saw how they went through the recruiting process,” Delane said. “I wanted better for myself. I had some family friends that went to Spalding and recruiting was going really well for them. I saw a great opportunity over there and great coaching. So I took that leap of faith to transfer.”
Spalding had everything Delane was looking for. A winning football culture, a staff committed to constant improvement, and competition, with future D1 players like Zakee Wheatley (Penn State) and Lavain Scruggs (Maryland) pushing him every day in practice. For Delane, it didn’t take very long to realize: this wasn’t a lacrosse school anymore.
“He was looking for a higher level of football,” Schmitt said. “I think when he came it was a bit of a football culture shock (at Spalding). He had been at a smaller school at Landon. It was a different environment.”
It was a whole new ballgame. His sophomore year at Spalding, Delane was benched. The talented cornerback – who Schmitt now categorizes as a “model” for his current and future players – was too often caught up in the opponent, his own play, and the wrong details. He learned the hard way.
“It’s almost like he had to learn that lesson,” Schmitt said. “We find, often times, that the bench is the best place to learn lessons. It’s such a credit to him and his family. He wasn’t a kid that, at the first sign of adversity, was jumping or transferring schools. He didn’t blink. The fire burned brighter and he wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again in his career.”
“It humbled me,” Delane said. “You never know it all. I learned that. Just coming in and being a sponge to all my coaches, it felt like that was a great learning lesson right there.”
MANSOOR WAS A QUICK LEARNER. Most players his age would pout after being benched, but he got motivated. Most would quit, but he went back to work. That, Schmitt says, was the sign of a mature young man who came from a great family.
From that point forward, Delane was relentless in his preparation, fearless in his play, and unwavering in his pursuit of excellence. He became a leader by example. He became someone who could Master the Mundane, an internal motto for those inside the Spalding program. He became someone who had a short memory on the field, and could be coached hard off it.
“He’s a guy that covered all his bases,” Schmitt said. “He wanted to watch the opponent. He wanted to see what they did. What we tried to teach him was to internalize that in his preparation for himself. Whether it was footwork, hand placement, eyes – we talked so much about eyes. He was a player that grew there so much. It was the unrequired work. He’s a guy that outside of our place wanted to be a better player.”
Delane blossomed from his sophomore to senior year. A wide-eyed sophomore who transferred from a small school left Spalding with an “overwhelming bravado.” It’s a confidence that, Schmitt says, Delane had at a young age, but didn’t always believe. But his growth – specifically from a strength standpoint – turned belief into proof. He was becoming a star.
“(His confidence) was there when he was young, but I don’t know if he believed it yet,” Schmitt said. “He was callused. He was hardened. He believed in who he was and what he was about as a player. But it’s always been there. There’s a foundation now that’s a little unbreakable. He willing to take on any challenge. He’s willing to play against the best in the country. I think that’s a big reason he is at LSU. The confidence was there. But now the proof is there.”
PROOF WAS EARNED through big time plays, like the game-saving third down stop Delane made at the goal-line against Gonzaga, a top-ranked WCAC opponent, his senior year. It was a defining moment of his Spalding career and a play that helped get Spalding over a hump to win a game it would typically lose.
“We had been a team that, honestly, was thought of as not being able to win the big game,” Schmitt said.
“He came from the other side of the field and met a guy at the 2-yard line and made the play on third down. It resonates as a play that won us one of the biggest games we’ve ever won here. That was a game that got our program over a hump. He was a monster against high-level competition.”
Delane went on to play three years for Virginia Tech, where he played in 33 games (29 starts) with 146 career tackles, 7.0 for loss, 22 passes defended and six interceptions. His junior year, he received third-team All-ACC honors after ranking third in the league in picks.
But just like his decision to move from Landon to Spalding, Delane felt he needed a change, and a larger stage, to show his abilities to the world. As a senior with one year left of eligibility, Delane wanted to either go to the NFL or something close to the NFL. That’s when LSU called.
“I was looking for an opportunity to stamp my name,” Delane said. “I want to leave no doubt. Returning to college, I felt like I had some more meat on the bone and LSU gave me the best platform to do that, surrounded by great and talented people. It was an easy decision.”
LSU, time and time again, provides its student-athletes with The Platform to Transform. Delane is now reaping the benefits, catching the attention of NFL scouts and national award voters across the country. In his debut at Clemson in primetime, Delane was targeted eight times, allowing just one reception with two PBUs, one interception for a passer rating of zero. Against Florida, he was targeted six times, allowing just 11 yards receiving with five tackles and a PBU. From that point forward, the word got out across college football: don’t throw 4’s way.
Message received. Over the last four games, he’s been targeted just five times. So don’t bother trying to reach Delane. Don’t try to call and don’t try to text. He’s on island time.
“I’m not falling asleep,” Delane said of the lack of targets. “When the time comes, like it did vs. South Carolina, I’m going to be ready.”
Of players with 200+ coverage snaps, Delane has the lowest completion % against (26.1), the fewest total yards allowed (77), the highest forced incompletion % (39.1%) and the lowest passer rating against in the country (22.9).
When looking at LSU defensive backs since 2016 with 200+ snaps through seven games, Delane still has the lowest completion percentage, fewest total receptions allowed (6), lowest passer rating (22.9) and the highest forced incompletion percentage. Consider the DBs who have walked these grounds since 2016. Mansoor Delane is one of them ones.
“We thought we got the best corner in the portal and he is playing to that level,” said head coach Brian Kelly. “He has delivered. He’s purposeful in his work and fearless in his preparation. He wanted to be on a platform and a stage like LSU to showcase his abilities.”
Delane is the type of corner LSU fans are used to watching in purple and gold. A playmaker, dripping with swagger, who doesn’t say much but lets his play do the talking. It’s crazy, but before the season, he wasn’t even listed on the Thorpe Award watch list. Don’t think he didn’t notice.
“I feel like it’s personal for me because I wasn’t even on the watch list,” Delane said. “When that came out before the season, I was like, ‘Dang,’ and that really made me go harder. There were 20+ DBs on there and I felt like I didn’t get the recognition I deserved.”
That’s become ancient history. Delane, who is now a projected top pick and a frontrunner for the Thorpe, watches his stock rise every time he steps on the field. He’s been so good, opposing teams are not even thinking about throwing his way.
That type of status is earned and it hasn’t always been easy. Delane’s journey forced him to bet on himself and make some difficult decisions. That’s why Delane’s family, his only constant through so much change, is so important to him.
He has four siblings: his little brother, Faheem, who is currently a freshman safety at Ohio State, his older brother, Zayd, and his two older sisters, Sumiaya and Medina. His Dad, Jafau, and his Mom, also named Medina, led a traditional household. No television when they were young, lots of outdoor activities, and homeschooling until about the second grade. Delane’s mother would cover the academics during the day and Jafau would handle the athletics when he came home from work.
“It takes a village to get where I’m at today,” Delane said. “Everyone plays a part and plays a role in my life. Nothing was all me. I love everything they do for me.”
Mansoor is an Arabic name, meaning “victorious with the help of God.” Delane is a practicing Muslim and has been his entire life. Every game day, his eye black reads All Praise Due to Allah. In fact, Ramadan – the holiest month on the Islamic calendar – has fallen in between football season the past couple of years, but Delane remained committed to fasting.
“The spiritual component of reflection was always there,” Jafau said. “He’s been practicing since he was a little kid. (Our kids) grew up in it. This is the structure that we set up, and you always have the choice to choose for yourself, but he’s always been very committed.”
Delane has always been committed – to his craft, to his family, and to his faith. There’s a maturity there, almost a quiet confidence, that shows in everything he does. It’s a product of every step he’s taken to get here, every decision he’s made for his future, and every lesson he’s learned – from Landon to Spalding, from Virginia Tech to LSU. He’s just got one more place to go, which for Delane and his family will be in five months, live from the green room at the NFL Draft.
“Every choice brought him more clarity to what he wanted to do,” Jafau said. “He was given opportunities and I saw him really make the most out of it. The commitment to the craft, the commitment to the school, the commitment to the team was really more enhanced because he felt like he gave up something to be there.”
When Delane is not breaking up passes, forcing fumbles, or rushing the passer, he’s probably playing with his dog, Nola, an XL Bully.
When Delane is not being targeted on the football field, he’s remaining vigilant, waiting for a mistake he’ll make you pay for.
So the next time you step into Tiger Stadium, listen to how loud it gets. Listen to the noise and feel the Valley shake.
For opposing receivers being covered by Delane? It’s the quietest place on Earth, as they sit, stranded, on an island by themselves.