Top In-State Talent Committing Elsewhere, Too Early to Press Panic Button
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A main priority for the LSU Tigers has been winning recruitment battles for the top talent in Louisiana. Securing in-state prospects, dating back decades, has been what makes the LSU culture.
Though recently we have seen some of the top recruits take their talent elsewhere, namely in the 2022 class.
With the Tigers losing out on two of the state’s top wide receivers last year in Shazz Preston and Aaron Anderson to Alabama, LSU head coach Brian Kelly has put his foot on the gas for the 2023 cycle to go differently.
Though to this point it hasn’t quite gone as planned. Still extremely early and not yet time to press the panic button, the Tigers have lost out on a few of the state’s top players. Yes, Arch Manning committed to Texas, but LSU came in late during the recruitment process and knew their chances were slim.
Aside from Manning, we have seen prospects take their talent elsewhere. The No. 3 prospect in Louisiana, Derek Williams, recently announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns, joining Manning.
Another major domino to fall in the 2023 class was four-star quarterback Eli Holstein. The No. 2 gunslinger in the state, and former Texas A&M pledge, recently committed to Alabama to suit up for the Crimson Tide and Nick Saban.
Missing out on Manning, Williams and Holstein are major losses, but the Tigers are still in the hunt for the state’s No. 2 prospect, Shelton Sampson Jr.
The top-five wide receiver in the country has taken visits to LSU, Florida State and Alabama, but the Tigers are heavily in the mix. To secure Sampson Jr. would be a huge boost in the right direction for this new coaching staff.
Another top-10 prospect in the state of Louisiana, Zalance Heard, has received significant buzz to LSU as well. A former teammate of current LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell, Heard could also help this 2023 class significantly.
Heard is the No. 1 offensive lineman in the state and would certainly elevate the depth of the Tigers going into 2023.
All in all, the 2023 cycle is ramping up, and the Tigers are asserting themselves in the state’s top prospects recruitment. Despite missing out on a few notable players, now is not the time to press the panic button.
Being so early in the process and coming off of such a beneficial June recruitment period, head coach Brian Kelly and his staff certainly feel they are trending in the right direction when it comes to the top Louisiana prospects.