LSU Recruiting: Star Studded Visitors List for Mississippi State Game
LSU recruiting is booming as we enter the fall period and this weekend is a monstrous one for the football program. Hosting a trio of IMG Academy prospects, which includes the No. 1 and No. 2 cornerbacks in the 2024 class, while also getting 2023 commit Ryan Yaites on campus, it’s a big weekend in Baton Rouge.
The Tigers had a number of guys in town for their home opener last weekend, but the star studded list this weekend may be even better.
Here’s an updated look at a few guys in town:
Ryan Yaites - Safety (4-star)
A Denton, Texas native, pursuing and landing a prospect like Yaites shows some of the early reach this coaching staff is having in the south, particularly coach Kerry Cooks who has a ton of experience recruiting Texas.
As a junior last season, Yaites had 42 tackles and eight pass breakups, showing off his 6-foot-1 length. Yaites has been playing cornerback in high school. His length and natural strength, however, will allow him to be more than just a cornerback candidate for the Tigers.
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At safety, Yaites provides the natural power, length and speed that’s needed to get off the hash and make a beeline for the sidelines to knock down a deep ball. That’s something he’s commonly seen doing. He’s also not afraid to come down and hit, as his junior film displays.
Desmond Ricks - Cornerback (5-star)
Desmond Ricks, the nation’s No. 2 overall player, included Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers in his top 10 over the summer and is already looking to get to campus for a game day. A 5-star prospect and the consensus top defensive player in his class, Ricks could jumpstart this 2024 class in a big way.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder plays his high school ball for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., one of the top programs in the country. Ricks has shown tremendous growth in his game since getting to IMG, consistently playing against blue-chip prospects.
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LSU has been on a tear in the recruiting game, reeling in a number of top defensive backs. The ability to develop the secondary and push out draft picks each year makes the Bayou Bengals a cornerbacks dream.
It’s important to note this will be Ricks’ third time on campus this year. The Tigers are clearly making an impression in his recruitment as he enters his junior year at IMG.
Ellis Robinson IV - Cornerback (4-star)
Robinson will join Ricks, his partner in crime, on a visit to LSU for the Mississippi State game this weekend. The Tigers are one of the 10 teams to make Robinson’s top schools list along with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina and USC.
Robinson is a consensus Top-10 prospect in the country and No. 2 cornerback in the 2024 class, only behind Ricks. It’s no secret LSU has coined the term “DBU” and hosting two of the top corners in the 2024 cycle could go a long way.
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Kelly and the Tigers are dipping heavily into this 2024 class and it starts with the pair of IMG defensive backs. Already reeling in a few guys in that class, Robinson IV and Ricks could jumpstart it in a big way.
Samuel M’Pemba - EDGE (5-star)
The 2023 EDGE will join his IMG teammates for a visit to Death Valley this weekend despite not being listed among his top seven schools earlier this summer, a group which included Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon and Tennessee.
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M’Pemba is also set to go on official visits to Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon this fall as he winds down his recruitment. For the Tigers to host the elite EDGE alongside two of his teammates is a huge step in the right direction for LSU.
Look for the Tigers to continue dipping into the IMG Academy talent pool. A school that attains some of the top guys in the country, this recruiting staff is clearly trending in the right direction after getting the trio down to Baton Rouge for the weekend.
