Ad Disclosure
Even with the end-of-the-regular season drama surrounding head coach Les Miles, plus a change at defensive coordinator, LSU’s recruiting has not missed a beat.
The Tigers currently have the top class in the Southeastern Conference and the country, and with more elite talent on deck possibly heading to Baton Rouge, there’s a good chance LSU can finish No. 1 on national signing day.
With that, the Tigers need to sign a quarterback. Maryland commit Dwayne Haskins is a major target, but LSU must battle Ohio State and the hometown Terps for his services. The Tigers also are looking at former Rutgers commit Anthony Russo.
Current rank: No. 1 SEC, No. 1 Nationally (247Sports Composite rankings)
Top commit: Saivion Smith, CB, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. For the second straight recruiting cycle, LSU has gone into the state of Florida and swiped its top cornerback prospect (the Tigers landed Kevin Toliver II out of Jacksonville last cycle). The 6-foot-1 Smith is similar to Toliver in that he’s got a rare combination of excellent size/speed/footwork and athleticism. This is yet another big out-of-state recruiting win at defensive back for one of LSU’s best recruiters, secondary coach Corey Raymond.
Sleeper: Andre Anthony, DE, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr. At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, Anthony obviously will have to gain weight and strength to reach his full potential as a defensive end at LSU, but the guy has excellent natural pass rushing skills. That’s enough of a great foundation for LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who is one of the best coaches of that position in the country- perhaps even the best- to work with and coach him up to be a great one.
Quick take: There is plenty to love about this class. It’s deep with elite defensive talent, including Smith, stud Texas safety Eric Monroe and defensive tackle Edwin Alexander (with Rashard Lawrence on deck as a likely commit). It’s also easy to like the size the Tigers have coming in at wide receiver as Drake Davis (6-foot-4), Dee Anderson (6-foot-5) and Stephen Sullivan (6-foot-5) are both plus-sized targets with great athleticism and speed for their height. Connor Culp is an excellent kicker as well. All that is missing is a quarterback and LSU is determined to find one this cycle.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
