What LSU Football is Getting in 2022 Safety JaCoby Mathews
There are three very important aspects to LSU adding JaCoby Mathews to its recruiting class.
As LSU continues to develop one of the best overall 2022 recruiting classes, the addition of Mathews is one that should be valued from more than one perspective. He’s an elite safety talent, and the Tigers certainly need help in the deep secondary.
Mathews committing makes him in-state prospect No. 9 to select LSU, a great trend. Finally, gaining Mathews’ commitment also means it's another player that selected the Tigers over the Crimson Tide.
Help in the Deep Secondary
Mathews is a unique safety. Despite his NFL-ready frame and build, the Ponchatoula (La.) High School player is also one that tracks the football much more like a wide receiver. It’s rare for defensive backs to consistently catch the football like Mathews does. He turns opportunities into turnovers.
Even when one-on-one with a talented wide receiver, Mathews already proved he can run with speedy athletes in the open field, and he can time his opportunities to actually catch the ball. LSU missed too many of these types of opportunities during the 2020 season. Along with a talented 2021 safety class that includes Sage Ryam, Derrick Davis and Matthew Langlois, Mathews will help build a talented depth chart for the foreseeable future.
Keeping Mathews Home Continues the Trend for LSU
LSU is rolling with the local talent, and that’s a very good thing to note because of the abundance of Louisiana high school talent available for the class of 2022. Even though Louisiana continuously produces elite groups of prospects, the 2022 class is extremely deep. If LSU did not leave the state for another player it could sign a top five class. That’s why Mathews’ commitment means so much.
He’s yet another signal that LSU is making a concerted effort to keep players home, and that recruits are listening. When one considers that the 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety could have picked Florida, Alabama, Texas, or any number of other elite programs but instead decided to commit to LSU, that will likely help with other in-state prospects.
The ball is beginning to roll down hill for the Tigers in-state recruiting efforts. This could be the best group of Louisiana prospects to sign with LSU in many years. Mathews will now have his chance to help the Tigers recruit other local products to Baton Rouge.
Tigers Over Crimson Tide
Mathews is yet another player to select the Tigers over Alabama. As noted last week within the article denoting LSU and Alabama recruiting battles, it’s imperative moving forward that LSU beats out Alabama for top-notch Louisiana players.
Too many players leave Louisiana to play for the Crimson Tide, and beyond volume one must consider the sheer level of talent that’s heading to Tuscaloosa from the bayou as well. Mathews took a long look at Alabama before picking LSU, and once again the Tigers came out victorious.
If LSU can somehow shut Alabama out of Louisiana for this particular recruiting class, it would be a major coup for LSU. The Tigers are doing a tremendous job of recruiting local players this year, and Mathews is another big-time player being added to the LSU roster.
