Tag: Damien Shanklin

LSU a winner on the recruiting trail in the month of July

After a slow start to the summer, LSU kicked things into high gear during July.

As the calendar turns to August and LSU prepares to begin fall camp ahead of the 2024 season, it has quite a bit of momentum on the recruiting trail.

After a slow start to the summer that saw the Tigers lose a couple of top-100 commitments, it was a big July as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and staff landed a handful of top targets headlined by five-star cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], five-star receiver [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag] and top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

It also ended the month with a flip on Wednesday, landing former South Carolina linebacker commit [autotag]Jaiden Braker[/autotag].

On3 broke down its recruiting winners from the month of July, and it should be no surprise that LSU found itself on the list.

Brian Kelly and his staff again proved their recruiting chops, beating out the longtime perceived favorites for a number of key additions. None were bigger than Five-Star Plus+ cornerback DJ Pickett — thought to be headed to Oregon until the 11th hour. A top-five prospect nationally, Pickett is a monstrous addition for the Tigers’ secondary group going forward.

Three days after that, the Bayou Bengals beat out Notre Dame for elite wide receiver Derek Meadows, adding a huge piece for Five-Star Plus+ QB Bryce Underwood on offense. Those two were the headliners, but Kelly and Co. rounded things out with top-100 EDGE, Damien Shanklin, On3 top-100 defensive lineman Zion Williams, four-star DL Brandon Brown, On300 safety Jhase Thomas, and three-star linebacker Jaiden Braker.

LSU’s class currently ranks third nationally, and it could push for an even higher spot as it’s still in the mix for some top prospects such as five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag], who it is currently trending for.

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LSU jumps up to No. 3 in ESPN’s 2025 recruiting rankings

The Tigers have the potential to land an elite 2025 recruiting class.

After getting off to a red-hot start in the 2025 cycle with several consensus five-star pledges, things cooled off a bit for LSU in May and June, when it lost a pair of top commitments.

But that momentum has returned in July with LSU landing several of its top targets, headlined by No. 1 cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], five-star receiver [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag] and top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

The Tigers’ class already ranked highly before those pickups, but after recent additions, LSU’s 2025 group has moved up from No. 5 to No. 3, according to ESPN’s team recruiting rankings.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about the 2025 group, which is headlined by No. 1 overall prospect [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

Few programs protect their home turf like the Tigers, and they’re taking advantage of Louisiana’s strong talent in 2025. LSU landed commitments from several of the state’s top prospects, including the top-rated offensive player. Running back Harlem Berry, the No. 1 player in Louisiana, has quick feet and home run speed and can be a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Fellow in-state ESPN 300 RB J.T. Lindsey adds more talent to the position and brings a nice blend of speed and power and rushed for over 1,700 yards as a junior.

The Tigers went out of state as well to land Underwood. A rangy five-star quarterback, Underwood has good mobility and natural arm strength while being a poised, decisive passer. He threw for over 3,100 yards with 40 touchdowns to only two interceptions as a junior. When you land one of the premier passers in the class, you also need to make sure you can protect him, and LSU has added several OL prospects to help do that, including ESPN 300 big men Carius Curne, Devin Harper and Tyler Miller. They also are adding some potential future big-play targets, including Derek Meadows. A player bursting with potential, he is a lengthy target at 6-foot-6 with excellent body control. The Tigers won a big battle on the recruiting trail, edging out Oregon and in-state Miami to land five-star athlete Pickett, a rangy and smooth player that could play on either side of the ball but projects to the secondary.

LSU is still trying to close things out with a few of its top targets, and if it could land a player like No. 1 safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] or five-star receiver [autotag]Jaime Ffrench[/autotag], both of which visited over the weekend, it could find itself ranked even higher in the next update.

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LSU’s 2025 recruiting class has the nation’s highest average player rating per On3

After things slowed down for a few months, LSU has recaptured the momentum on the recruiting trail.

The Tigers came out of the gate red-hot in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

They quickly gained commitments from the top receiver, running back and receiver in the cycle while jumping out to a No. 1 ranking, but things cooled off a bit during the summer.

Five-star receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] decommitted and later flipped to Oregon, and four-star cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag] left the class as well and will now decide between LSU and Miami on Saturday.

But the last few weeks saw the Tigers get some momentum back. After landing top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag] and several other defensive commits during the first week of July, LSU added five-star [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] — the nation’s top cornerback — to the class on Wednesday.

Pickett’s addition moved the Tigers’ class up to No. 3 nationally per On3, but when it comes to average player rating, LSU leads the nation at 92.49, just barely edging out Oregon and Ohio State.

There’s a lot of time between now and signing day, and LSU still needs to close things out with this class. But if it continues at this pace, it will bring in one of the program’s top signing classes in recent memory.

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Four-star LSU commit shuts down recruitment, affirms pledge

LSU commit Damien Shanklin officially shut down his recruitment this week.

LSU is as hot as anyone in the country on the recruiting trail right now. It’s been a strong couple of months for the Tigers. A key addition during the stretch was the commitment of four-star pass rusher [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

Shanklin, out of Indiana, committed to LSU on July 5. According to 247Sports, he’s the No. 5 ranked edge in his class. On3’s industry rankings have Shanklin as a top-100 overall prospect, one of seven top 100 players in LSU’s class.

More good news came for LSU earlier this week when Shanklin officially shutting down his recruitment.

“I will be closing my recruiting I’m 1000% committed,” Shanklin wrote in a social media post.

Shanklin wasn’t the only blue-chip edge LSU added in recent weeks. Shanklin joined [autotag]LaJesse Harrold[/autotag], who ranks top 10 at the position per On3 and 247Sports.

The 247Sports scouting report writes that Shanklin projects as a multiyear starter with NFL potential.

“Plays with strong hands at the point of attack and can disengage quickly to chase down ball carriers,” Hudson Standish of 247Sports wrote.

According to On3, LSU’s class is No. 3 nationally. The Tigers are gearing up to make a push at the top class with more blue-chips potentially on the way soon.

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Recent LSU commit Damien Shanklin explains why Baton Rouge feels like ‘home’

Damien Shanklin explained why he “fell in love” with LSU’s program during the recruiting process.

LSU added a major piece to their 2025 recruiting class during the Fourth of July weekend as four-star, top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Tigers.

The Indianapolis blue-chipper was highly sought after with Notre Dame considered the favorite to land him for a while. Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and staff ultimately won the sweepstakes, however, and it will go a long way toward a potential top-five finish.

Shanklin recently spoke with On3’s Phillip Dukes, and he explained why he “fell in love” with an LSU program that makes him feel at home.

“Honestly, when I went down there I felt like I was at home,” Shanklin said per On3. “On top of that, the bond that I have with the coaches, the amount of coaches on the staff. Not only that, just being able to hang around the players like Da’Shawn Womack and (Bradyn) Swinson as well. Just being around them, I just automatically fell in love with the program and stuff like that, I could see myself being there.”

Shanklin, who is the No. 86 player nationally, immediately became one of the top commits in LSU’s class, which ranks sixth in the nation per 247Sports and fifth per On3.

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Recent LSU DL commit Zion Williams sees big boost in On3’s recruiting rankings

Zion Williams previously ranked outside the top 300, but he surged all the way up to No. 86 nationally in On3’s recent update.

It was a busy holiday week on the recruiting trail for LSU, which added a trio of commitments in [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] (who flipped from Texas) and [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

Williams was previously the lowest-rated player in that group, but he’s seen a big boost in On3’s latest rankings update. Previously considered a three-star prospect who sat outside the top 300 nationally, Williams is now a four-star who ranks No. 86 in America.

With that rapid rise, he has now climbed to No. 237 in the On3 industry rankings. On3’s own rankings, however, are the highest on the 2025 Lufkin, Texas, prospect of any service.

LSU’s class previously ranked as high as No. 1 but has taken some recent hits. It’s rising back up with these latest additions, however, and now ranks No. 6 in the cycle per 247Sports and No. 5 per On3.

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LSU rising in recruiting rankings after landing several commitments this week

LSU’s class took a tumble after some recent decommits, but it’s now on its way back up after a big week on the trail.

LSU’s 2025 class took a hit in the ratings with a couple of key recent decommitments, namely five-star receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] and four-star cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag].

It will take some time before the Tigers are pushing for the top class in the country as they were previously, but after landing a trio of commitments this week, they’re back on track.

On Thursday, they landed four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag], and on Friday, they flipped four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] from Texas while also securing a commitment from four-star, top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

With those recent additions, LSU’s 15-man 2025 class is climbing back up in the rankings. It now sits at No. 4 in On3’s industry rankings and ranks No. 6 in 247Sports rankings.

The Tigers are still in the mix for a few big-time players that could boost their spot in the rankings. Five-star receiver [autotag]Jaime Ffrench[/autotag] is yet to make a decision, while five-star safety [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] will make his decision later this month.

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Top 100 EDGE Damien Shanklin commits to LSU

The Tigers capped off a big recruiting weekend by landing Damien Shanklin, the No. 86 player in the nation.

LSU has seen its standing in the 2025 recruiting rankings fall a bit in recent weeks, but it’s picked up quite a bit of momentum to start the July 4 weekend.

The Tigers landed a trio of commitments capped off by the addition of four-star EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag], who committed to the Tigers on Friday. Shanklin, an Indianapolis prospect, is the No. 86 player in the nation according to On3.

Notre Dame was trending for Shanklin for a while, but LSU was the favorite down the stretch aided by a successful June official visit. He joins recently committed defensive linemen [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag], the latter of which also committed on Friday after flipping from new SEC foe Texas.

Shanklin gives LSU its 15th commit in the 2025 recruiting class, which ranked as high as No. 2 earlier this month but has fallen down with some recent decommitments, notably from five-star receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] and four-star cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag].

But with Shanklin and the other recent commitments now on board, that class ranks sixth nationally according to 247Sports and fourth per On3.

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LSU flip target Brandon Brown to shut down recruitment on Friday

Brandon Brown is committed to Texas, but he’s received several recent predictions to flip to LSU.

LSU has been laying the groundwork for a potential flip from new SEC rival Texas, and it will find out if its efforts were successful on Friday.

[autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag], a four-star 2025 defensive lineman from Melbourne, Florida, who is committed to the Longhorns, announced that he will shut down his recruitment and make a final decision at 2 p.m. CT. Brown is set to choose between an all-SEC final four of Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The No. 324 overall player in the 2025 class, Brown holds no crystal ball projections but has recently received multiple predictions from On3 to flip to the Tigers.

Brown is one of two defensive players near the top of LSU’s board who are committing on Friday as he will be joined later in the day by top-100 Indianapolis EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

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LSU trending to flip 4-star Texas defensive line commit

LSU could be poised to swipe a blue-chipper from its newly minted SEC foe.

The Tigers could add to their 2025 defensive line class quite a bit in the coming days with four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag] and EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag] committing on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

LSU is the favorite for both and has received several predictions for them in recent days, but coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and the staff may not be done there.

The Tigers have also been pushing for [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag], a four-star defensive line prospect from Melbourne, Florida, who is committed to Texas. Brown, the No. 331 player in the nation per On3’s industry rankings, pledged to the Longhorns in December.

But after he officially visited LSU on May 31, he received a prediction to flip from On3’s Billy Embody. Now, On3’s Shea Dixon also concurs, logging a prediction for the Tigers to flip the blue-chipper.

According to LSU Country’s Zack Nagy, Brown is expected to make a final decision — presumably between Texas and LSU, though he also officially visited Tennessee, USC and Oklahoma — in the next two days.

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