Three LSU Football Commits Named to SI99 Rankings for 2022 Class
Every year, the SI All-American crew spends months evaluating the best of the best in every recruiting class. In 2022 the talent, especially in Louisiana, is as good as any in recent memory.
Those months of evaluation and careful placement all rolls into the release of the SI99, a ranking of the top-99 players in the country. For LSU, the 2022 class saw three commits and a bevy of uncommitted local players make the prestigious SI99 list. Quarterback Walker Howard came in ranked No. 49 overall while tight end Jake Johnson was ranked No. 68 and cornerback JaDarian Ryhm was No. 86 in the initial rankings.
Howard, Johnson and offensive lineman Will Campbell have all really taken the 2022 class by storm and become leaders, trying to lure as much top tier talent to the program as possible. The St. Thomas More quarterback was seen on campus multiple times throughout the summer as he prepares for his senior season. Viewed as one of the top quarterback prospects in the entire 2022 class, Howard came in as the No. 6 overall quarterback in the SI99 rankings while Johnson was the No. 3 tight end.
Back in June, both Howard and Johnson lit it up at a camp hosted by the LSU coaching staff. It was the first the time the two were able to connect face to face and in front of the Tigers' offensive coordinator Jake Peetz and passing game coordinator DJ Mangas.
"Having the chance to throw with Jake at the camp was really awesome," Howard said. "He shocked me, he's one of the best players in the country and an absolute stud. He makes it easy on me, makes it easy that no one can guard him.
"He's a really great thrower, can put the ball wherever he wants but I'm sure we're looking forward to building that chemistry in college and ready to compete with each other," Johnson said of Howard.
Among the other Louisiana prospects who were named to the initial 2022 SI99 rankings were nickel cornerback Kendrick Law (No. 33), reciever Shazz Preston (No. 56), safety JaCoby Mathews (No. 66) and edge rusher J'Mond Tapp (No. 77).
LSU is in good standing with all of those players, including Mathews, who recently opened his recruitment back up last week after being committed to the Tigers since April. The purple and gold still have plenty of work to do to fill out this class, which currently sits at No. 6 in the country on SI All-American with 16 total commits.
