LSU Football: Brian Kelly Details Locking Down Louisiana in Recruiting
LSU added 27 players to its football roster on Wednesday as the Tigers celebrated National Signing Day with a class rated as high as No. 11 in the nation.
The Tigers, who will be after a second straight 10-win season when they face Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1 in Tampa, signed eight of the 10 highest-rated prospects in Louisiana. LSU’s signing class included 17 players who prepped at Louisiana High Schools and six from the state of Texas.
“We’re excited about the 27 total signings - 26 high school players and one junior college player today,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “Fourteen of them will enroll in January, which obviously gives us a great opportunity to develop those players through the winter conditioning program and get them acclimated academically and socially. “We also can put them in a good position from a time management standpoint so that when we get into the summer and preseason camp, they’re a lot more comfortable being in college.”
LSU signed one player from the states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina. Of the 27 signees, 14 plan to enroll early at LSU and take part in spring practice.
“When we talk about recruiting and where our focus is, our focus is on the state of Louisiana,” Kelly said. “Our focus is on freshmen and it’s on a well-rounded student-athlete that recognizes the value of an LSU degree and wants to play for championships. That will be reflected in this class.”
The LSU signing class includes 12 players who won a state championship while in high school, 12 who played on both sides of the ball, and 10 who were invited to participate in the All-America All-Star Games. The group also includes 22 players who were multi-sport athletes in high school.
LSU’s signing class consists of 11 offensive players, 15 on defense and one specialist. The group includes the Mississippi Player of the Year in cornerback PJ Woodland from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, and the Louisiana Player of the Year in cornerback Ju’Juan Johnson from Lafayette Christian Academy.
The top-rated player in the LSU class is tight end Trey’Dez Green from Zachary. Green joins LSU after a stellar prep career, one that saw him star in both football and basketball. Green is the nation’s No. 1-ranked tight end and the top prospect in Louisiana.
Johnson from Lafayette Christian Academy capped his prep career as Louisiana’s all-time leader in total offense (14,451 yards) and touchdowns (171).
“In three recruiting cycles we’ve brought 64 freshmen into our program,” Kelly said. “I’ve said this since I got here - we’re going to build this program on freshmen. Last year, we had to bring in a number of transfers because that was necessary for where we were as a program. This year, we’ve only brought in two.
“You can see the shift in transition towards developing our players and giving them the opportunity to grow within our program. Then, we have to put them on the field. We had some young players who had to play this year, and there’s some growing pains that come along with that. But I’m committed to that growth and that kind of development. I think in the long run that proves to be the way to championships, continuity and consistencies in your program.”
