LSU Recruiting: 2023 Offensive Weapons, More to Come
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LSU has secured a number of dynamic offensive weapons to their 2023 recruiting class. Headlined by 5-star wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr., this program is in good hands for the foreseeable future.
Add 4-star quarterback, and Baton Rouge native Rickie Collins to the class, and this group begins to look even scarier. With a Top 5 unit to this point, the 2023 cycle has the chance to add more talent.
Here’s a look at the offensive weapons LSU has in their arsenal as we inch closer to Early Signing Day:
Rickie Collins - Quarterback (4-star)
The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder recently competed at the Elite 11 Finals, putting his talent on display surrounded by the top signal-callers in the country. Holding his own, it became clear Collins is special and deserves to be ranked among the top quarterbacks in this 2023 class.
Collins, who is a consensus 4-star, Top-250 player in the country, joins a lethal 2023 class and gives this program a game-changing signal-caller.
Shelton Sampson Jr. - Wide Receiver (5-star)
The top-five wide receiver in the country and No. 3 player in the state of Louisiana looks to continue the rich history of elite wideouts to come through Death Valley.
At 6-foot-4, 185-pounds, Sampson Jr. is a physical, high-flying wide receiver who succeeds at fighting off pressure when reaching the ball at its highest point. The Baton Rouge native gives the Tigers a dynamic wideout who can add to an already loaded receiver room.
Jalen Brown - Wide Receiver (4-star)
The Miami, Fla. speedster, before Sampson Jr., was the highest rated prospect to commit to the Tigers in early July. At 6-foot-1, 170-pounds, Brown is a quick, vertical threat receiver with phenomenal technique to separate himself from defenders.
The duo of Brown and Sampson Jr. gives LSU the next great one-two punch for the future. Brown told LSU Country his expectations once in Death Valley alongside Sampson Jr.:
“Me and Shelton, if he comes to LSU, is going to be crazy,” Brown said. “There’s always that duo at LSU that competes for a national championship. Odell and Jarvis. Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. I feel like him and I would be the next generation of that duo.”
Kaleb Jackson - Running Back (4-star)
Baton Rouge native and 4-star running back Kaleb Jackson gave LSU and head coach Brian Kelly a massive in-state commitment in early July. Jackson will be accompanied in the backfield by Trey Holly, another Louisiana native and highly regarded 2023 prospect.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound recruit is a top prospect in Louisiana and a top 10 running back in the class of 2023. For Kelly and his staff to keep the Baton Rouge native home and pair him next to Trey Holly is important after the departure of Tre Bradford this week. Jackson and Holly, like Sampson Jr. and Brown, can provide the Tigers with a gifted one-two punch long term.
Zalance Heard - Offensive Lineman (5-star)
The blue-chip prospect chose LSU over Florida, Nebraska and Florida State, among others. The Louisiana product will now join a program which has an embarrassment of riches in their 2023 class, headlined by 5–star wide receiver Shelton Sampson Jr.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder has been a high-priority target for the Tigers over the last couple of months, with the Tigers looking to keep him close to home. Heard received significant buzz on social media the last few months with this LSU program starting the hashtag trend #Lance2LSU
Tyree Adams - Offensive Lineman (4-star)
The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder has flown up the rankings in the 2023 class with a chance to develop even further under offensive line coach Brad Davis once on campus. Providing LSU with some New Orleans culture, Adams has significant ties that could help the Tigers in the future as well.
Adams became offensive line commit No. 2 in the 2023 class after Georgia native Paul Mubenga committed in July as well. Landing Adams provides the Tigers with a player who can dominate in the trenches and make the engine of this offense go.
Other dynamic pieces to this LSU class:
- 4-star running back Trey Holly
- 4-star tight end Mac Markway
- 3-star wide receiver Kyle Parker
Final Thoughts
Pairing Trey Holly next to 4-star running back Kaleb Jackson gives the Tigers their one-two punch of the future in the backfield. With both in this class, running backs coach Frank Wilson has an embarrassment of riches to work with long term.
The Tigers have also brought in high three-star wide receiver Kyle Parker, an under the radar prospect out of Texas. With a dominant senior season, we could very well see Parker elevate his status before it’s all said and done.
Lacking significant depth at the tight end position, for LSU to go out and secure Mac Markway, a Top-10 prospect at his position, the Tigers add a lethal weapon to this class. Reeling in an influx of talent offensively, Markway looks to be a critical piece to this class.
