A Look at the Visits LSU Football Hopes to Turn Into Commitments in 2022 Class
The LSU recruiting class is starting to take shape with 11 commitments and a bona fide top five class. If the Tigers close on the following players, it will be difficult to keep LSU from signing the nation’s No. 1 class.
The LSU Tigers need to close on a handful of top prospects to sign the nation’s No. 1 class. The biggest need will be maintaining balance; finding top-notch recruits at every position group. The areas of need would be running back (1), offensive line (3), defensive end (2), cornerback (1-2), and defensive tackle (1).
Of course any truly great player could also aid LSU in signing the top recruiting class in the land, but from those above position groups, here are four of the players that could allow the Tigers to sign the top class in the country because they are very talented and play positions of great need.
Walter Nolan, Defensive Tackle, 6’4”, 305-pounds, Cordova (Tenn.) St. Benedict
Until a person watches Nolan run a forty-yard dash live, it’s hard to fathom just how athletic this young man is. After watching him for over an hour at the Atlanta Under Armour Camp, there’s no question he could play defensive end within the SEC. Keep in mind, Nolan is already over 300-pounds.
The number of human beings capable of legitimately playing defensive end at that size are few and far between. When watching Nolan go through bag drills, one-on-ones, lateral quickness drills, and the forty, it’s surreal.
He’s that dude.
As for Nolan’s recruitment, the Tigers are in the thick of the race. LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron is an ace recruiter and he’s keeping the Tigers in play. Nolan already took official visits to Florida (June 4) and Michigan (June 18), and he’s looking at several other schools, including the Tigers, to finish out his final three official visits. Look for LSU to be one of those visits.
TreVonte’ Citizen, Running Back, 6’0”, 215-pounds, Lake Charles (La.) Lake Charles Prep
LSU needs one great running back in this class. Why not sign the local talent that’s heard about LSU his whole life? Citizen is an every-down running back with talent to play for any school in the country.
Citizen has seen his recruiting stock soar in recent months, but he could not stay hidden in Southwest Louisiana’s marshland forever. A powerful build and really good top-end speed allowed him to earn offers from numerous programs before honing in on his official visits.
Citizen’s official visits include Texas (June 4), Texas A&M (June 11), Auburn (June 18) and LSU (June 25). The word on the street is that LSU did a very good job with Citizen this past weekend, and the Tigers are in contention for his services. He fits a position of need, is quite talented, and a local prospect to boot. The Tigers would do well to sign Citizen.
Denver Harris, Cornerback, 6’1”, 180-pounds, Houston (Texas) North Shore
The Lone Star State cornerback has been on LSU’s recruiting radar for a couple of years, and for good reason. Harris is the type of cornerback that could play boundary cornerback, slot cornerback, or field cornerback. Considering Harris’s height and length, that’s a unique combination of skills.
With official visits in the books for LSU (June 11), Texas (June 18), and Alabama (June 25), Harris could shut his recruitment down, but the more likely scenario has Harris going into the fall before making a decision.
The scuttlebutt has Alabama and LSU really going after Harris, but do not count out Texas either. In fact, some still feel that’s where he could sign his letter of intent. It’s recruiting. Just because one team or another leads for a prospect in June does not mean that school will sign that prospect in December.
Look for LSU to attempt to bring Harris back to campus for at least one unofficial visit this fall. He’s a special talent. The Tigers will recruit him to the bitter end.
Kelvin Banks, OT, 6’5”, 305-pounds, Humble (Texas) Summer Creek
Of the prospects listed within this group, Banks could be the most likely to make a decision within the next few weeks. He’s already taken all five official visits, so there has been ample information provided to this young man.
LSU (June 4), Oregon (June 8), Oklahoma State (June 16), Texas (June 18) and Texas A&M (June 24) make up the official visit list for Banks. Many believe that Texas and Texas A&M are in the front of the pack. While that could be the case, LSU recently hired Brad Davis to be its new Offensive Line Coach.
Even if Banks selects another school, he will undoubtedly continue to hear from the Tigers and Coach Davis. He’s only going to get to know Davis more and more, so this is an interesting opportunity for not only LSU, but Coach Davis. Banks is capable of playing as a freshman, so landing him would really help at a position of need as the Tigers would ideally sign five talented offensive lineman for the class of 2022.
Quency Wiggins, Defensive End, 6’6”, 265-pounds, Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep
After playing basketball all through middle school and into high school, Wiggins finally gave in to the many individuals that told him he should play football. Watching Wiggins on the basketball court displays why he’s so coveted as an athlete, and thinking about his long-term potential is just scary.
This young man has about a year of football under his belt, yet he’s “yoked” up like a professional boxer about to fight for the Heavyweight Championship. Now that football is Wiggins’ future, he’s looking at programs from across the country.
Again, he’s new to football and football recruiting, so his recruitment may play out a little longer. With offers from the likes of Texas, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Southern California to name a few, Wiggins is not short on opportunities.
What Wiggins does have is an upside that’s through the roof. His length, natural bend, broad shoulders make it easy to project him at 290-pounds in two years, while still being able to play defensive end. Wiggins may be the most difficult prospect from this list to project where he signs, but he’s absolutely one of the nation’s most talented prospects.
Final Thoughts
A handful of linemen, a talented cornerback, plus one really talented running back, and voila! LSU could find itself in the No. 1 position in the country. Adding a few other recruits like pure athlete Kendrick Law or defensive end J’Mond Tapp would also be stellar additions to the class.
It’s a matter of finding the final pieces to a class that’s started out very well and simply needs to finish out with players that allow this to be a balanced and highly talented group overall. LSU has a chance to make it happen. The Tigers could sign the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.
