Ad Disclosure
LSU finished the recruiting season in emphatic fashion, locking down all of its commits and bringing a few new names into the fold.
With few big names still floating around unsigned, it seems a certainty that LSU will finish with a top-10 class according to most services. All of the Tigers’ committed players coming into the day signed their Letters of Intent, while three new players came into the fold, bringing the class total to 25.
LSU finished the day with 10 players in the ESPN 300, 12 players in 247Sports’ Top 250 and 13 in the Scout 300.
Finishing strong
LSU had one of the best closing pushes in the country, adding six players late in the game, four of them four-star prospects.
Four-star offensive tackle Chidi Valentine-Okeke and four-star defensive end Arden Key both pledged to LSU in the final week leading up to NSD. Key could be an impact player off the bat for a defense that sorely needs a pass rush. His signing with LSU caps off an eventful recruiting period that included two commitments and decommitments with South Carolina.
At the last minute, the Tigers got a big addition in four-star offensive tackle Toby Weathersby, a Houston native who is a top-10 OT in the country. The additions of Valentine-Okeke and Weathersby are huge for the Tigers, who needed the depth along the offensive line. The Tigers also bring in Maea Teuhema, one of the top two offensive guards in the nation.
The Tigers also got two NSD flips, both wide receivers. Four-star Derrick Dillon, a former Florida commit, surprised many by signing with LSU on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, three-star Brandon Martin, a 6-foot-4.5 Houston native, flipped from Missouri to LSU. There are questions as to whether Martin will be able to get on the field in 2015; there’s talk that Missouri wanted him to go to junior college for a year after his high school, Prime Prep, was recently shut down.
Another Australian punter signed on with the Tigers: Josh Growden, who joins fellow Australian Jamie Keehn on the roster, following Brad Wing.
DBU enrollees
Despite losing three defensive backs from the 2014 team, LSU should be just fine in the secondary. Five-star cornerback Kevin Toliver II is already on campus as an early enrollee, while four-star corners Xavier Lewis and Donte Jackson both signed their LOIs on Wednesday.
There’s some speculation that Lewis could be a fit at safety, but LSU is already loaded at that position. The Tigers will certainly have a young and versatile secondary with the addition of these three touted prospects.
Backfield depth
The Tigers ran the hell out of the ball in 2014, and they shouldn’t miss a beat despite losing three key members of the backfield. In place of Terrence Magee, Kenny Hilliard and Connor Neighbors, LSU brings in four-star running backs Derrius Guice and Nick Brossette and four-star fullback David Ducre, already enrolled in classes. The three players will provide versatility in the backfield and all have a good chance to see the field early.
Signees
- Tyron Johnson, WR, five-star
- Maea Teuhema, OL, four-star
- Derrius Guice, RB, four-star
- Donte Jackson, ATH, four-star
- Arden Key, DE, four-star
- Chidi Valentine-Okeke, OT, four-star
- Toby Weathersby, OT, four-star
- Derrick Dillon, WR, four-star
- Xavier Lewis, CB, four-star
- Nick Brossette, RB, four-star
- Jazz Ferguson, WR, four-star
- Adrian Magee, OT, four-star
- Brandon Martin, WR, three-star*
- George Brown, OT, three-star
- Isaiah Washington, DE, three-star
- Bry’Keithon Mouton, TE, three-star
- Lanard Fournette, ATH, three-star
- Foster Moreau, TE, three-star
- Josh Growden, P, two-star
- Blake Ferguson, LS, two-star
- Jeremy Cutrer, S, three-star (JUCO)
Early enrollees
- Kevin Toliver II, CB, five-star
- David Ducre, FB, four-star
- Hanner Shipley, TE, three-star
- Justin MacMillan, QB, three-star
*As of this posting, LSU was still awaiting Martin’s LOI, but they expect to sign him by the end of the night.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
