SI All-American Provides Analysis of LSU Football's Strong Start to 2022 Recruiting Class
LSU has undoubtedly built one of the stronger recruiting classes in 2022, addressing needs with high caliber prospects. The Tigers have landed seven total commitments to this points, including quarterback Walker Howard, wide receiver Decoldest Crawford, offensive lineman Lucas Taylor, defensive lineman Shone Washington, cornerback Khamauri Rogers and safeties Bryce Anderson and Bryan Allen.
Rogers has already kicked off his junior season in dominant fashion, recording a pick six in his first preseason scrimmage of the season.
"It's DBU and I always wanted to go to LSU because it feels like home," Rogers told LSUCountry in June. "It's the coaches and the way they treat me. They treat me like a son and I just love it down there."
We asked SI All-American recruiting analyst John Garcia for his early thoughts on the Tigers' class and how it stacks up with others across the country:
The defending champs are rolling in 2022 recruiting right now relative to the rest of college football to date. The title, Coach O's stability and NFL prospect production play a part but the group features seven prospects from pipeline states as well, including a trio from within state lines led by quarterback Walker Howard.
Texas and Mississippi represent the remainder of the class despite Lucas Taylor playing his high school ball at Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's Episcopal, where he transferred from the Pelican State earlier in his prep career. The lifelong Tiger fan was a relative lock to the program once offered, with the historic 2019 campaign serving as a seal-the-deal moment in the recruitment. Taylor, by the way, looks to have turned the corner on his potential as a junior, going from a mauling guard to a lighter-on-his feet swing line prospect with rock solid technique and an improved pass set.
Landing Howard in June was a table-setting moment for the class not in that he's likely the top passer in Louisiana for the class of 2022 (and stands as arguably the top QB in the state including the 2021 group), but it hits a bigger team need and adds urgency to the quarterback room once he arrives. Howard is a plus athlete at the position but makes his proverbial money with a live arm. The ball jumps off of his hands to all three levels and he can push it outside the numbers with a classic three-quarter release point to boot.
Having a strong 2022 base class from a positional and geographical standpoint proves even more important for LSU in the last 24 hours as the NCAA extended the recruiting dead period through the New Year, ensuring prospects in 2021, 2022 and beyond will be unable to make campus visits while coaching staffs will not be able to evaluate on the road this fall for the states still playing football.
The makeup beyond the future QB1 is critical in that three defensive backs are on the commitment list in addition to early verbals in the trenches. Cornerback Khamauri Rogers has classic cornerback traits and modern-day length and athleticism for the position. He is already among the most fluid prep corners in the country despite his youth.