Tag: dj pickett

LSU considered the new favorite for 2025 cornerback recruit

LSU is the new leader for a three-star cornerback target.

Cornerback is a high-priority position for LSU in its 2025 recruiting class. LSU made that clear when it went all out to land [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], the top corner recruit in the country.

But this is a spot where LSU needs to stockpile depth. Just Pickett isn’t enough and LSU remains in the mix with other top prospects.

One name to watch is [autotag]Aidan Anding[/autotag]. According to On3, LSU is now the leader for the services of the three-star corner from Louisiana. The Tigers made the jump after On3’s Shea Dixon entered an LSU prediction.

On3, 247Sports, and ESPN rank Anding as a top 15 player in the state of Louisiana. The 247Sports Composite rankings slot him as the No. 578 recruit in the country. On3 is the highest, ranking Anding as the No. 31 overall cornerback.

Before LSU made the jump, the On3 Prediction Machine had Texas in the lead.

This class has a more national feel to it than other LSU classes, but the Tigers still have six of the state’s top 10 players locked in. LSU’s turned three-star defensive backs from Louisiana into real difference makers before and Anding will look to join that list should he end up at LSU.

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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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Can LSU add a consensus 5-star receiver to its 2025 class?

LSU is looking to add a five-star receiver to its class with Jaime Ffrench taking another visit to Baton Rouge.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is loaded at the top. According to the On3 industry rankings, LSU has three five-star commits with QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], CB [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and RB [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag] in the fold.

The Tigers lost a five-star earlier this cycle when receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] backed off his pledge and later committed to Oregon. LSU did a fine job recovering, landing four-star [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag], but LSU could take its receiver class to another level with the addition of composite five-star [autotag]Jaime Ffrench[/autotag].

Ffrench is visiting LSU this weekend and the Tigers will hope to make a strong final impression with French’s commitment date approaching next month.

ESPN is the highest on Ffrench, ranking him as the No. 2 receiver in the class. 247Sports and Rivals also consider Ffrench a top-25 overall prospect.

LSU isn’t the favorite by any means. The On3 recruiting prediction machine gives Texas the best shot while the most recent 247Sports crystal ball favors Texas too. Miami is also a factor in the Florida prospect’s recruitment.

At one point, Ohio State’s chances looked pretty good. Earlier this year, three crystal balls were entered for the Buckeyes.

If LSU wants a shot at the No. 1 class in the country, it needs to land Ffrench. The addition would tie LSU with Alabama’s leading mark of four five-stars and increase LSU’s average recruit rating, which leads the country.

Ffrench would also give LSU three blue-chip receivers in 2025, joining Meadows along with Louisiana four-star [autotag]Taron Francis[/autotag].

Texas might be feeling good about this one, but LSU is certainly making a run for Ffrench’s services. He’s scheduled to commit on Aug. 30.

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5-star LSU safety target sets commitment date

LSU is trending for Jonah Williams, who is set to make his decision next month.

One of the top safeties in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] has announced his commitment date. Five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] will announce his commitment on Aug. 24.

Williams will decide between LSU, Texas A&M, USC, Oregon and Texas. At this time, Texas A&M has received three crystal ball projections to land him per 247Sports. According to On3, the Oregon Ducks are a 50% favorite to land him.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked as the No. 4 overall class in the country by 247Sports. The Tigers class currently has three five-star commitments. [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], and [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag] are the three five-star commits right now. Underwood plays quarterback, Pickett is a cornerback, and Meadows is a wide receiver. Williams could join that list and elevate the LSU class even further up the board.

There is currently one safety commit in this class, [autotag]Jhase Thomas[/autotag], a three-star safety from Destrehan, Louisiana. Hopefully, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] can bring another top-10 recruiting class to the Bayou.

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Is LSU the new favorite for 5-star safety Jonah Williams?

LSU is continuing to make waves on the recruiting trail this summer.

LSU landed the nation’s top corner earlier this month, picking up a commitment from [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. Is LSU on its way to adding the top safety too? On Wednesday, On3’s Billy Embody logged a prediction for LSU to land five-star safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag].

In a rare consensus agreement, all four major recruiting sites rank Williams as the No. 1 safety in the 2025 class. Overall, Williams rates highest at 247Sports, where he’s the No. 7 player in the country.

Williams would be the fourth industry five-star to join LSU’s 2025 class and the Tigers’ third top 10 overall recruit, joining Pickett and QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

LSU has stiff competition. Oregon was considered the favorite not too long ago while Texas and Texas A&M are making noise as well. LSU appears to be capitalizing on recent recruiting momentum along with a more organized NIL effort.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is counting on the 2025 class to restock the defense with talent after firing and replacing the entire defensive staff. Among the new but familiar faces are defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and secondary coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. Both are renowned for their ability on the recruiting trail and we’ve seen it pay off this summer.

If LSU manages to land Williams and Pickett, the Tigers have two five-stars that can propel LSU back to DBU status and put an end to the inconsistency LSU’s seen on the backend during the Kelly era.

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4-star LSU receiver target sets August commitment date

One of the top wide receivers in the 2025 recruiting class is nearing his commitment date.

One of the top wide receivers in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is nearing his commitment date. LSU is one of the six schools that are still remaining in the race to land him.

LSU joins Florida, Penn State, Alabama, Florida State and Oregon in the race for four-star wide receiver [autotag]Nae’shaun Montgomery[/autotag] from West Palm Beach, Florida. He plays for Miami Central High School, and at this time the Florida Gators have received crystal ball projections to land him on 247Sports and the Gators are an 87% favorite to land him per On3.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked as the No. 4 class in the country and is headlined by three five-star players. [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], a five-star quarterback. [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], a five-star cornerback, and [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag], a five-star wide receiver.

Kelly has done a great job recruiting so far on the Bayou as he has had back-to-back top-10 classes and it looks like he will do it again this year.

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LSU making a push for 5-star safety Jonah Williams

LSU remains in the mix for five-star Jonah Williams ahead of his visit to LSU.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU have caught fire on the recruiting trail. This summer has brought a flurry of commitments, including five-star corner [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag]. LSU is back in the race for the No. 1 overall class in the country, but LSU is far from finished.

According to Steve Wiltfong of On3, LSU is making a push for [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag], the top safety in the country.

“I think LSU is still one of those programs that you look at and say they’re in the top two or three for the No. 1 ranked safety in the country. He’s loved his visits to Baton Rouge. He’s someone that’s gonna play baseball on the next level. He’s throwing 94 miles per hour this summer. LSU’s track record of baseball is also something that helps them out,” Wiltfong said.

Wiltfong mentioned Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M as well, but said “LSU is right in the middle of it.”

Williams would be another massive get as Kelly and defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] look to reload with talent in the secondary. LSU already has the nation’s top corner on board, but getting the top safety would be the exclamation point on an already elite class.

LSU has a history of landing elite safeties and sending to the NFL. Raymond produced [autotag]Jamal Adams[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Delpit[/autotag] in his previous stint at LSU. The Tigers will hope Williams goes on to join that group.

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LSU’s 2025 class building momentum for elite 2026 class

Louisiana’s 2026 recruiting class gives LSU the chance at another elite group.

LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is shaping up to be the best in Brian Kelly’s career and the best LSU’s had in a long time.

Its led by five-star QB and No. 1 overall recruit [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag]. He’s joined by two more five-stars in CB [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and RB [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag]. Both players are considered the top recruits at their respective positions too.

The 2025 class is far from finished. With just 18 commits, LSU will look to add more. Ensuring the current commits make it past the finish line is critical too.

But it’s never too early to look ahead to 2026 when LSU could assemble a class just as strong. Louisiana is set to have one of its best high school crops ever next year, setting LSU up for another elite haul.

According to On3, 247Sports and Rivals, defensive lineman [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] is the top player in the country. Stewart hails from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, a place that produced the No. 1 overall recruit 10 years ago in [autotag]Leonard Fournette[/autotag].

Stewart gives LSU the chance to land the nation’s top player in back-to-back classes. There’s a long way to go in his recruitment, but the On3 Crystal Ball gives LSU a 90.9% chance of landing Stewart. Underwood and Stewart in consecutive years is the type of core you can build a national title team around.

Stewart isn’t the only Louisiana product in the top 10. Offensive lineman [autotag]Lamar Brown[/autotag] sits at No. 5 overall. Given how strong LSU offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] is at recruiting Louisiana, it would be hard to imagine Brown going anywhere else.

Not further down the list, Baton Rouge safety [autotag]Blaine Bradford[/autotag] is on his way to earning a five-star. He’s out of Catholic High School, where LSU has several previous connections.

LSU has three five-stars committed in 2025 and the Tigers may not even leave the state to reach that total in 2026. With Stewart, Brown and Bradford, LSU can land the strongest core the state’s produced in some time.

There’s also OT [autotag]Brysten Martinez[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Aiden Hall[/autotag], two more top 50 recruits in Louisiana.

What might have LSU fans particularly excited is how good the Louisiana defensive tackle group is in 2026. Stewart’s at the top, but [autotag]Richard Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Berymon[/autotag] and [autotag]Darryus McKinley[/autotag] are three more top 300 prospects that LSU won’t have to go far to get.

Davis was able to turn around LSU’s offensive line after he capitalized on a strong 2022 Louisiana class that included [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones Jr.[/autotag]. The 2026 class can have a similar impact on the defensive side for [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag].

The 2026 cycle has barely begun, but if LSU seizes on the momentum of 2025, it will be another special group. Kelly landed top 10 classes in 2023 and 2024. He came to LSU to work with this caliber of talent.

But there’s a difference between a top-five class and a top-two or three class. Top-five classes keep you in contention, but top-three classes allow you to compete with Georgia. That’s where Kelly and LSU look to be headed.

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DJ Pickett and Derek Meadows commitments put LSU back in race for top 2025 recruiting class

LSU’s recruiting class leads the country in average recruit rating.

LSU might not have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, but when it comes to quality over quantity, the Tigers are in pole position. According to On3, LSU leads the country in average recruit rating. The average LSU commit is rated 92.63, just ahead of Oregon at 92.35.

Alabama, whose class ranks No. 1 overall, is fourth with an average rating of 91.78.

LSU’s figure was boosted by the recent commitments of cornerback [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag]. Both sit top 50 overall, with Pickett being the top-ranked player at his position.

Per the On3 Industry Rankings, LSU’s class ranks No. 3 in the nation. Brian Kelly and staff have received 18 total commits, 16 of which are blue-chip recruits. That gives LSU a blue-chip ratio of 88.89%. which also ranks No. 3 nationally.

It helps to have the No. 1 overall recruit in the country with QB [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag] on board.

With just 18 commits, LSU isn’t done yet. Recent momentum has put LSU back in the race for the top class in the country.

LSU is still pursuing five stars [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamie Ffrench[/autotag]. LSU isn’t considered the favorite in either recruitment, but if recent weeks have shown anything, you can’t count the Tigers out.

Kelly made an effort to hire some of the top recruiters in the country and it’s starting to pay off.

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No. 1 cornerback in Louisiana commits to Miami over LSU

LSU couldn’t bring Jaboree Antoine back into the fold, but it beat Miami out for five-star cornerback DJ Pickett earlier this week.

LSU was hoping it could bring [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag] back into the fold after his recent decommitment, but the No. 1 cornerback in the state of Louisiana pledged to Miami on Saturday over the Tigers.

Antoine ranks as the No. 71 player nationally and No. 2 player in the state, according to the 247Sports composite, and the 6-foot-1, 170-pound New Iberia prospect was committed to the Tigers for nearly six months after pledging in January.

He backed off that decision last month, however, and while LSU remained in the mix and cracked his final two, he was widely projected to commit to the Hurricanes, which he ultimately did.

It’s always tough to miss out on a top Louisiana prospect, but the loss was softened as the Tigers went into the state of Florida to land five-star [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], the top cornerback in the nation, earlier this week. The Hurricanes were also a finalist for Pickett.

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