Even before Mathieu's interception, fumble return and six tackles against West Virginia, Mike was touting the 5-foot-9 cornerback's skills. He told USA Football, “Barring any sort of injury, he’s going to be a first-round pick in the NFL, and he’s going to play a long time because you can’t coach what he has, just natural football instincts around the ball. ... Tyrann came in and had a bigger impact playmaking-wise than (former LSU star and top 5 NFL draft pick) Patrick Peterson did as a freshman."