What the June Visits and Camps Mean for LSU Football in Recruiting
With LSU hosting several top recruits this upcoming weekend and hosting camps throughout June, there’s more than just football to consider as to why these recruiting events are important to the LSU football program.
It’s imperative for top programs like LSU to have camps and official visits that are well organized that provide opportunities for recruits and their families to learn about not only football, but everything with a university. That’s why they are so important. This year, that theory goes well beyond the norm.
Recruits have been away from college campuses for over a year, and college coaches have not been able to go watch the recruits play at their respective high schools either. Now that the NCAA lifted the ban for face-to-face contact during on-campus recruiting events, it’s a huge opportunity for the LSU coaching staff to make an impact along the recruiting trail.
Bringing Prospects to LSU’s Campus Pays Dividends
Recruits coming to LSU’s football camps is great to get to know the coaching staff. There’s no question. Same with the recruits taking official visits this weekend like Shemar Stewart, the big-time defensive end from Miami (Fla.) Monsignor Pace.
Additionally, just being on the LSU campus allows football recruits to further understand the institution itself, what the campus looks like during the summer months, how big it is and how to navigate to certain locations on the campus. Keep in mind, many of these young men have not been on a college campus for over a year.
It’s about feeling and comfort more than ever, in large part due to COVID-19. Recruits want to be as close to home as possible, in theory, while walking around a potentially far-away location like LSU, before selecting a university. Recruits want to experience everything they can.
Whether it is this upcoming weekend’s top stud offensive line recruits such as Kam Dewberry and Kelvin Banks getting to know each other in person, or just recruits coming to Baton Rouge for an official visit, this weekend and the next several are all about allowing the prospects to simply see what LSU has to offer.
The coaches will coach the camps and certainly catch the attention of possible recruits. That’s what they have done for years. It takes care of itself. It’s the environment, the food, the city, the people, and the LSU players that recruits meet and speak with combined with anything else that allows a recruit to be comfortable. The school that wins that particular battle with a recruit oftentimes gains a signature on national signing day.
June 4th Weekend: Elite Players Coming to Baton Rouge
The June 4th weekend will be a vital recruiting weekend for the Tigers, as it will set the tone for the rest of a loaded month of official visits, unofficial visits, and camps. While the official visit list is almost always a fluid situation, expect around six to eight prospects to take official visits. There are always a few players that change their official visit dates last minute, so anything is possible.
Along with Banks, Dewberry and Stewart, top running backs Terrance Gibbs and Damari Alston will be in Baton Rouge, as will Florida State commitment Julian Armella, another talented offensive lineman. All of them will get to know each other better by being around each other for an entire weekend.
As a rule, top recruits want to learn about other top recruits. Where they are really thinking about going, and why, will be a big part of the communication. While they communicate on social media and text with each other, there is something different about meeting someone in person. Some of these recruits could bond and decide they want to attend the same school. That happens quite often throughout college football recruiting. As for the camps, there’s an added bonus for all involved.
Camps Provide Opportunities
For starters, LSU is having an offensive line camp this weekend. Because LSU is looking to load up on offensive line talent within this recruiting class, it’s vital for the LSU coaching staff to not only recruit the top talent that’s on campus, but to look for any late bloomers that show up and show out during camp.
Recruits that develop during the latter stages of their high school careers are most common along the offensive line. Players are still growing into their bodies, they develop strength at different stages of their high school careers, and sometimes a prospect has only played football for a couple of years. These types of situations happen every year, and this weekend could be a golden opportunity to find a diamond in the rough. There is one concern about the offensive line camp.
With LSU letting Offensive Line Coach James Cregg go it is an unsettling sign, especially right before the camp. While LSU Head Coach Ed Orgeron was able to find a replacement quickly, this is a major blow to LSU’s recruiting efforts for this weekend. That’s why it would not be surprising if one or more of the offensive line recruits decided to change his LSU official visit date. Just something to consider.
Final Thoughts
This first weekend is huge for LSU. The prospects are back to visiting schools, and there’s an opportunity to learn more about each recruit that comes to Baton Rouge, as well as the recruits learning about the Tigers.
This weekend is a microcosm of the entire month of June’s recruiting calendar. Prospects need that time to find out if LSU is a fit for them and vice versa. It’s jam-packed with top recruits taking an oficial visit or going to camp, so there should be quite a bit of information during the next several weeks. This weekend is when it starts, however, as LSU has an opportunity to really improve its 2022 recruiting class.
