LSU Impact Early Enrollees Who Can Change Tigers 2022 Season
The Tigers landed a number of highly coveted recruits in their 2022 class during the early signing period headlined by five-stars Walker Howard and Will Campbell. The pair of blue chip recruits are set to enroll in January to kick off their LSU careers along with Quency Wiggins, DeMario Tolan and Fitzgerald West.
To step in day one and make an immediate impact in the SEC is a rarity, but there are quite a few signees the Tigers landed who can break the trend.
Will Campbell
The Tigers needed to sign offensive linemen in this year’s recruiting class and gained one of the nation’s best in Campbell. A top player in Louisiana, the Neville product has stayed loyal to LSU throughout his recruitment, knowing where home is, and has the chance to be one of the best players to come out of this class.
Campbell’s mix of elite footwork and sheer upper body strength is what allows him to dominate any defensive lineman in his path. Going from camp to camp the summer before his senior year, he put on display his talent against some of the top defensive prospects in the 2022 class.
It goes without saying Campbell has the chance to step in day one and make an impact to this offensive line room that is set for a complete remodel heading into spring.
LSU is bringing in freshman All-American Miles Frazier to be one of the tackles but if Campbell lives up to the hype earlier than expected, LSU's offensive line woes would be well underway to being solved. With Campbell in Brad Davis’ arsenal, it’ll be interesting to see where he falls on the depth chart after getting his first spring under his belt.
Quency Wiggins
Wiggins is an absolute playmaker on the field who has the athleticism to get early playing time in Death Valley. At 6-6, 265-pounds, Wiggins mobility is a piece of his game that has seen him rise up the recruiting rankings. A basketball player growing up, the early enrollee has only a few years of football under his belt and his growth on the gridiron has been exceptional.
The defensive line has young talent in Maason Smith and breakout stud BJ Ojulari returning next season where Wiggins can add some depth to the position. It’s hard to imagine what a college workout regimen will do to Wiggins’ body, already displaying the build of an SEC star.
With Wiggins set to enroll in January and get a semester under his belt prior to his freshman campaign, the youngster is sure to see strides in his game to rise up the depth chart going into the fall. An athletic specimen who knows how to use his strength and quick, twitchy movements to his advantage, it’ll be exciting to monitor his improvement over the next few months.
Walker Howard
The Tigers bring back Myles Brennan and Garrett Nussmeier to lead the quarterback room, but the LSU legacy in Walker Howard still has the chance to compete to get some reps under his belt this spring. The likelihood is that Brennan takes over QB1 snaps but don’t be surprised if Howard comes in to compete for QB2 duties immediately.
The pocket awareness and incredible arm strength of Howard is what sets him apart from his peers, flying up recruiting rankings his junior year before getting an invite to the Elite 11 quarterback competition, ultimately finishing as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2022 class.
Howard can bring a different dynamic to this quarterback room and compete for reps this spring. His ability to stretch out plays and make something out of nothing is a piece to his game that can provide a spark for this offense if needed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this class is already shaping up to fill some major voids this team has heading into next season. With a remodeled offensive line and adding depth defensively, head coach Brian Kelly is assembling an efficient first recruiting class for the Tigers.
"I really like this class, and it’s one that fills some immediate needs for us, especially on the offensive line,” Kelly said.“Louisiana is so vital to our success as a program, and we were able to bring the best players in our state to LSU."
