LSU Recruiting: Brian Kelly Locking Down Louisiana on "The Trail"
Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff are dominating the recruiting trail in the 2025 cycle with this program showing no signs of slowing down.
It started with the No. 1 wide receiver in the cycle, Dakorien Moore, revealing his pledge to the Tigers in August and has quickly blossomed into a program changing class.
Since Moore's pledge, LSU has received commitments from Harlem Berry (No. 1 RB), Bryce Underwood (No. 1 QB) and a myriad of other blue-chippers.
Now, it's become a race to lock down the state of Louisiana on "The Trail" with the Bayou Bengals already receiving pledges from six of the the state's Top 10 prospects.
RB Harlem Berry: No. 1
CB Jaboree Antoine: No. 2
OL Devin Harper: No. 3
LB Keylan Moses: No. 4
TE JD LaFleur: No. 7
OL Brett Bordelon: No. 8
With six of the top prospects in the Bayou State already pledged to Kelly's program, the Tigers are beginning to trend for even more.
LSU has begun separating themselves from the pack for the No. 2 running back in Louisiana: James Simon.
The No. 5 rated player in the state, the Tigers are battling for a commitment with those familiar with his recruitment feeling as though LSU has the edge.
After speaking with sources, LSU Country will log a prediction for the Tigers to secure the services of Simon soon.
A look into what LSU is getting in a few of their current Louisiana commitments:
Harlem Berry: No. 1 Player in Louisiana
LSU commit Harlem Berry returned to Baton Rouge on Saturday for an unofficial visit as he looks to help bolster the Tigers' 2025 recruiting cycle.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound speedster out of St. Martin's Episcopal in Metairie (La.) is another program-changing player who will only add to the embarrassment of riches in LSU's running back room for the foreseeable future.
Frank Wilson did it again on "The Trail". The recruiting guru rarely swings and misses on the top players in the Bayou State, specifically at the running back position, and once again worked his magic with Berry.
Berry unofficially visited LSU on two separate occasions this fall after making game day visits for both the Florida and Auburn matchups in Death Valley.
Other prospects in for the game were 4-star LSU commit Keylan Moses, 5-star LSU commit Dakorien Moore and 5-star LSU target (now commit) Bryce Underwood with it becoming a star-studded event in Baton Rouge.
The five-star trio of Underwood, Berry and Moore has catapulted LSU's 2025 recruiting class to the No. 1 class in the cycle.
Jaboree Antoine: No. 2 Player in Louisiana
The No. 2 ranked player in Louisiana made his way to Baton Rouge for an unofficial visit alongside several of his peers in the 2025 class on Saturday,
Antoine, one of the top rated defensive backs in the cycle, remains a major priority for the Tigers, with the program now securing his services.
After hiring Louisiana legend Corey Raymond as the cornerbacks coach, LSU has ramped up its recruitment for Antoine in a major way.
Now, he's taken in an important unofficial visit in Death Valley with the Tigers landing the Top 50 prospect in America.
It was a monstrous day for the LSU program with several of the top rated prospects in both the 2025 and 2026 classes making their way to town.
For Antoine, it's clear the Tigers rolled out the red carpet as they battle for his services down the stretch. The 2025 prospect will put to paper in December.
Those familiar with the recruitment of the four-star cornerback's recruitment believe this will come down to an LSU vs. Texas battle down the stretch with the Tigers now receiving the verbal pledge.
Last weekend, Antoine took a visit to Austin (Tex.) for an unofficial with with Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Just a week later, he made his way down to Baton Rouge.
Sources familiar with the Westgate (La.) products recruitment believed he would wait to reveal a pledge until the summer, but now it's all locked down with LSU.
Antoine resides in New Iberia, La. with a major connection coming into play. Raymond, the Tigers' freshly hired cornerbacks coach, is from the New Iberia area as well.
JD LaFleur: No. 7 Player in Louisiana
The four-star tight end has deep ties with LSU and the chance to continue the legacy in Baton Rouge was meaningful.
LaFleur’s father, David LaFleur, was an All-American during his time down South before eventually being a first round draft selection by the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, it’s JD’s turn to shine in the purple and gold. The rising junior has blown up on the recruiting scene, and after shutting down his process early, it was clear where the 6-foot-6, 220-pound monster wanted to be.
A dive into what LSU football is getting in LaFleur:
Physical Tools
LaFleur sticks out like a sore thumb on film. He towers over defenders and his strength as a blocker is evident, but there’s more to his game than just being a physical freak. LaFleur has soft hands that are still developing, and as he prepares for his senior year, he can put it together sooner rather than later.
The LSU legacy was a standout during camps last offseason, and after making his way to Baton Rouge during the Tigers camp schedule, he was clearly the best tight end on the field.
It was his versatility that made others in attendance salivate at what could be. Shortly after, LaFleur walked away with an offer from LSU.
A guy who’s already standing at 6-foot-6, LaFleur has the height to play the tight end position, but continuing to add more good weight will help him hit that next gear as a blocker.
Fluidity
LaFleur’s hands as a receiver are well above his age. He’s big but doesn’t move like a snail once he has the football and his overall fluidity is a piece of his game that is advanced for a player who’s just a rising junior.
An overall stud in the 2025 class, LaFleur has another year to refine his game, but as it stands currently, he has all the makings of being a complete player once he reaches Baton Rouge in 2025.
Stability in the Tight End Room
With LaFleur now penciled in for the future, the Tigers have quite the tight end haul moving forward.
In 2023, LSU went out and signed three tight ends in Mac Markway, Ka’Morreun Pimpton and Jackson McGohan. The trio of freshmen each provided a different dynamic to this program and will each impact the Tigers offense sooner rather than later. Despite McGohan departing the program this offseason, this tight end room is loaded.
Looking ahead, LSU has already received a signature from five-star tight end Trey’Dez Green in the 2024 class.
A freakish athlete who can thrive as a playmaker, the idea of Green alongside LaFleur for the long haul is something this program has to be excited about.
Now, looking even deeper, to add LaFleur to the 2025 class is a monster get for this program as Brian Kelly reels in a huge piece to what this program is building in Baton Rouge.
