It’s not often the LSU Tigers are beaten for elite talent from the state of Louisiana. While Alabama has certainly won some battles for some of the better players from Louisiana in recent years, those players often stay home.
On Saturday, another top player from Louisiana will make his college choice in four-star safety, Jardin Gilbert.
Gilbert, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound defensive back from University Lab High School in Baton Rouge, listed a top five of Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama, Mississippi State and Southern.
His rankings changed in November when Gilbert received an offer from LSU.
Texas A&M appears the prohibitive favorite for Gilbert, but the Tigers have made a strong push in recent months.
Two things that could hurt LSU in this recruitment are not having a defensive coordinator and signing three safeties in December’s early signing period.
Losing a player from Baton Rouge would especially sting for the Tigers, but signing Derrick Davis, Sage Ryan and Matthew Langlois in December means LSU is fine at safety for the 2021 class.
Gilbert is a versatile prospect who could play corner at the next level, too.
While the Aggies may be the favorite, never count the Tigers out on a player in their backyard.