Ed Orgeron, LSU Football Building that Fence Around Louisiana Recruiting
When Ed Orgeron was hired full time in 2017, from a recruiting aspect, it was viewed as a good move. A Louisiana native, Orgeron had always recruited the state well, whether it was at Miami or USC.
In his opening press conference, Orgeron said that the primary goal was to not only compete for championships at LSU but also build a wall in Louisiana during recruiting. Over the last four years, Orgeron has kept true to his word, luring in top prospects Derek Stingley Jr., Ja'Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall, John Emery, Kardell Thomas, Trey Palmer, Kayshon Boutte, Jaquelin Roy, Maason Smith, Sage Ryan and Brian Thomas.
"I watched LSU from afar all throughout my career and sometimes I had success in Louisiana and I know how much you get from a young man in the state of Louisiana," Orgeron said on Off the Bench. "Not only a great young man but a winner who's well coached. It's a premium to keep guys in state, it's always a battle, it's going to be a battle this year. But I'm pleased since I've become head coach, nine five stars have signed with LSU and we're gonna continue that trend."
These sentiments couldn't be any truer for the Tigers in the 2022 class, which is off to a terrific start with 13 committed players, nine of which reside in the Pelican State. The Louisiana class is deep with talented prospects, starting with quarterback Walker Howard, offensive lineman Will Campbell and safety JaCoby Mathews, all of whom are committed to the purple and gold.
It's shaping up to be another one of those loaded in-state classes for the Tigers, which have panned out in recent memory. Just ask the 2017 class, which included local, not heavily recruited talents like Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. But the work is far from done.
This summer, for the first time in a year, high school prospects will be allowed to visit campus officially and interact with the coaching staff and visit facilities. It's an aspect of recruiting that's right up Orgeron's alley as he's proven to be able to connect and excite some of the top players around the country to sign with the Tigers.
"I can't wait to see them and evaluate them. We haven't seen a high school player work out in over a year. It's a part of the evaluation process, I love the camps, they're interactive, see the parents and just having activity around," Orgeron said. "June is gonna be a tremendous month, we've got official visits coming in, we're gonna save the state of Louisiana guys, they're gonna come unofficially. We want them to come during the season, some top guys from out of state so I'm excited about that."
It'll be a key period of time as the new staff members like Jake Peetz and Daronte Jones, who have been in the NFL for a number of years, continue to adapt to the college game and the recruiting world. Getting to interact with those prospects one on one will play a role in what kind of second half this staff can have with the 2022 class.
