LSU Football Adds Louisiana Quarterback to 2025 Recruiting Class

Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab quarterback Emile Picarella will join LSU's 2025 roster as a preferred walk-on to begin his college career.

The three-star quarterback will bypass on offers to other programs in order to stay home and suit up in the purple and gold this upcoming season.

Picarella is rated at the No. 40 overall player in Louisiana after shining as a junior for his prep squad in 2023.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder tossed for over 2,300 yards and 34 touchdowns during his junior campaign with scouts beginning to take notice of his talents.

Now, he'll bypass scholarship opportunities to accept a preferred walk-on spot with the LSU Tigers.

Picarella will not count against the 85-man scholarship count on LSU's 2025 roster.

Happy Birthday to me! I can't wait to live out my dream. Thank you for the opportunity, Coach Sloan @joesloan @CoachBrianKelly @jordanarcement @nathanpurvis pic.twitter.com/Xo03qCZwQM
— Emile Picarella (@EmilePicarella) February 4, 2025

"I can't wait to live out my dream. Thank you for the opportunity, Coach Sloan," Picarella wrote in a social media post.

LSU's current quarterback room consists of returning starter Garrett Nussmeier and backups Michael Van Buren alongside Colin Hurley.

Van Buren joined the Tigers this offseason after one season as the starter with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Hurley returns after redshirting in 2024 as a true freshman.

Now, LSU will have Picarella rounding out the quarterback room this offseason alongside Nussmeier, Van Buren and Hurley for the 2025 season in Baton Rouge.

What do scouts think of Picarella's game? 247Sports had this to say:

"A 2025 from University Lab in Baton Rouge (La.), Picarella's arm talent was quite noticeable in the midst of a windy day. At 6-foot-2 and 210-pounds, the unranked prospect appeared to have no issues navigating a tricky throwing day as his strong base and steady velocity impressed throughout the afternoon," 247Sports' Cooper Petagna said after Picarella's showing during the Elite 11 Regionals.

The 247Sports Evaluation: "Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab's Emile Picarella enjoyed a strong junior season in Fall 2023 and impressed this spring on the elite camp circuit, including a performance in front of 247Sports staff at the Elite11 Oxford Regional.

"The consistent velocity Picarella has shown in multiple camp settings this spring follows similar returns from this past fall, when he threw for 2,312 yards, 34 TDs, and only three INTs while completing more than 70 percent of his passes (134-for-188). Picarella shows play-extending functional athleticism and pocket awareness, along with encouraging touch consistency in myriad situations.

"The 6-foot-1.5, 210-pounder led U-High to an 11-2 record and a Louisiana Division III Select state semifinal appearance in 2023. Picarella debuted with a strong three-star 86 rating this week on 247Sports."

Picarella will join LSU this May with the summer enrollees as he gears up to join the program in the coming months after making his announcement on Tuesday.

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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