SI All-American Gives Reasoning Behind Latest LSU Football SI99 Rankings
LSU's 2021 class has been consistently among the top in then country and a lot of that has to do with the high caliber talent that ranks at the top of the class. On Frdiay, five members of the Tigers' 2021 class were selected to the final SI99 rankings and we wanted to know what went into the decision.
Maason Smith, Sage Ryan, Derrick Davis, Corey Kiner and Armoni Goodwin all earned spots in the top 99 ranking of prospects.
We caught up with SI All-American recruiting director John Garcia, who gave the reasoning behind putting the five 2021 LSU signees who earned spots on the list:
The final SI99 rankings included plenty of movement between the prospects who were able to see the field in 2020 and LSU signee Maason Smith helped his stock as much as any SI99 member, moving some 24 spots from the preseason list to the final one. While sitting at No. 36 overall is no slight, the move up the ranks had to do with the senior's reshaped body and gaudy pass-rushing production from both the inside and outside on Friday nights.
Previously, Smith was viewed as a true interior projection, and while he will spend most time on the inside on Saturdays in Death Valley, his length and overall athleticism will allow for some time closer to the edge -- perhaps as a 5 or 7-technique -- should the Tigers ask that of the in-state star at the next level. His 24 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2020 came in critical moments against double teams more times than not. The length and motor have combined with his raw power and short-area quickness quite well and we should all expect an instant impact along the Tiger defensive front.
LSU, as many would expect, had multiple secondary signees crack the SI99 rankings, but not a true corner. Instead, sub defenders and safeties splashed at the prep level in Derrick Davis and Sage Ryan. Davis has some throwback safety traits in the range and and balance department while Ryan has the frame and athleticism to line up anywhere in a defensive backfield. We like him as a nickel type due to his raw torque and physicality at the moment, with developmental upside as a safety or potentially boundary cornerback down the line.
The Tigers signed one of America's top running back hauls, holding onto Ohio Mr. Football Corey Kiner and adding a fellow SI99 member in longtime Auburn commitment Armoni Goodwin. These two actually complement each other quite well in projecting them playing together in the LSU backfield with Goodwin as the no nonsense, one-cut power runner with great bust and Kiner serving as the steady three-down type more equipped to play in space.
Goodwin is one of the most prolific backs in Alabama state history, a rare four-year starter in the state's highest classification (7A) no less, where the initial defender just doesn't get him to the turf. Kiner's career included 7,000 rushing yards in another top 10 football state in Ohio, where his consistency and contact balance make him one of America's top running back prospects.We were close to having Kiner in the initial ranking and his strong senior year simply forced our hand.
