Why LSU Football's Recruiting Focus Has Been With Louisiana Prospects
Ed Orgeron has pledged to keep Louisiana prospects in-state after a year that saw the Tigers go hard for out of state recruits. Orgeron and his staff have been on an absolute tear as of late, offering 14 in-state recruits within the 2021 recruiting cycle, now with that number growing to over 20 prospects in the class of 2022.
The Louisiana pipeline runs deep in the NFL with top talent such as Leonard Fournette, Tyrann Mathieu, Odell Beckham and numerous other NFL stars taking over the league. Louisiana is consistently at the top of the leaderboard when it comes to the best high school recruits, only trailing states such as California, Texas, Florida and Georgia.
With Orgeron being one of the best recruiters in the college game, it’s only right he continues to make a splash with the top players in the state. Recently, Orgeron has been a roll by keeping the top talent within state walls, landing the top six players in Louisiana in the 2021 class.
The success of Orgeron’s recruiting is a testament to the winning culture the Tigers are fully capable of having. Landing top talent Maason Smith in 2021 resulted in a rippling effect, stemming the commitments of the top six players in the state to stay home and play for the Tigers. Of those top six, two names to keep an eye on are Sage Ryan and Chris Hilton.
Maason Smith is generational. Keeping him home was Orgeron’s top priority when it came to in-state recruits and it’s paying off. This Tigers staff fully expects Smith to step in day one and make a key impact on the defensive line saying, “There’s no question he’s going to play and play a lot. And he can push for a starting position,” said Orgeron. “He is a very athletic big man. He practices very hard. I do believe he’s going to play a lot as a freshman and is going to be one of the top freshmen on our team.”
Coach O has also praised the talents of true-freshman safety Sage Ryan, anticipating him to come in and continue the tradition of electric LSU defensive backs.
“I’m counting on Sage Ryan coming in. I’m counting on those guys coming in and contributing right away for us,” Orgeron said this spring.
After a successful 2021 recruiting cycle, Orgeron’s mindset has already switched gears and is ready to load up on Louisiana talent in the 2022 cycle. Offering 20 in-state prospects already, Orgeron has secured the commitments from the state’s top three recruits in Will Campbell, Walker Howard and Jacoby Mathews.
It’s rare to see a true freshman come in and provide key snaps in a powerful division like the SEC West, but for Campbell, his size and athleticism gives him the opportunity to do just that. To keep him home to suit up for the purple and gold gives Orgeronthe No. 1 player in Louisiana for the last seven years, a tremendous feat.
With names such as Derek Stingley Jr., Kayshon Boutte, and Terrace Marshall to name a few, Orgeron has been dominating the in-state recruiting battle by keeping Louisiana’s top talent close to home. For most Louisiana athletes, to play in Death Valley is a dream come true, and Orgeron is providing them with the opportunity to do just that.
With Louisiana talent dominating all levels of football, Orgeronis keeping his promise and continuing to secure the state’s top talent year in and year out. After a flawless 2021 recruiting cycle, Orgeron and his staff will look to continue the tradition of landing the top talent in the bayou state and crushing the recruiting battle.
