Tag: Jalen Brown

247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong offers high praise for LSU signees at All-American Bowl

The four Tigers who attended the week’s festivities in San Antonio impressed, according to Wiltfong.

The All-American Bowl was played on Saturday in San Antonio, and the quartet of LSU players on hand made some buzz.

All of them received superlatives from the week, per multiple publications, and now there’s even more excitement surrounding a 2023 recruiting class for the Tigers that already ranked squarely in the national top 10.

LSU had receiver [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag], offensive tackle [autotag]DJ Chester[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] on hand this week, and 247Sports national director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong offered high praise for all four.

Here’s what Wiltfong said about the group after the conclusion of the week.

I love how potent LSU’s offense could be with guys like receiver Jalen Brown and tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton. If Brown has daylight, he’s a blur that can light up the scoreboard on any touch and could also be a fun return guy. Pimpton is going to stretch the field and create mismatches. Offensive lineman DJ Chester could play anywhere across the front for the Tigers as well. Future LSU linebacker Whit Weeks validated his stock as much as anyone. An every-down player that was around the football a lot during practice and in the game.

After a successful Year 1 under [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] that saw the team win 10 games and reach the SEC Championship, expectations will be understandably high in 2023 after landing such a strong signing class with potential immediate impact players like these.

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Trio of LSU signees receive superlatives from impressive performances at All-American Bowl

The Tigers’ representation put on a good show.

A wild week in San Antonio is now in the books after the All-American Bowl took place on Saturday at the Alamodome.

These events are primarily for recognizing some of the top high school talent in the country rather than for scouting purposes since most of them have already signed. Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to be learned about watching these players go head-to-head against high-level talent.

LSU had four players — all signees — participating this week, three of which were recognized by On3 with superlatives from the week. Here’s a rundown of each, according to On3’s Sam Spiegelman.

LSU signee listed as a top performer during All-American bowl practice

Whit Weeks is garnering some attention in San Antonio.

[autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound linebacker from Watkinsville, Georgia, where he played for Oconee County High School. The four-star linebacker signed to play at LSU next fall after a great senior season.

Right now, he is working on putting the finishing touches on his high school career in San Antonio, Texas, as he prepares for the All-American Bowl. He’s not the only Tiger there, as he is joined by fellow signees [autotag]Michael Daugherty[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag], [autotag]DJ Chester[/autotag], and [autotag]Ka’Morreun Pimpton[/autotag].

After each practice, On3 has been naming their standouts from the day. After Day 2, Weeks made the cut for their daily top 10.

Whit Weeks continues to look like the most comfortable operator in space among linebackers at the All-American Bowl. The LSU signee backed up his strong first day with another stellar showing in coverage on Wednesday. Weeks won the majority of his 1-on-1 reps during the afternoon, showing fluidity and feel while covering running backs. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is controlled and quickly reacts and closes on routes. We’ve also liked what Weeks has shown in 9-on-7 drills, flashing the ability to diagnose plays quickly. Weeks ranks as the No. 233 overall prospect in the On300.

The All-American Bowl will kick off this Saturday at noon CT on NBC.

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Where Kayshon Boutte’s departure leaves LSU’s receiver group in 2023

The Tigers should be alright at receiver next fall, even without Boutte.

Wednesday was a strange day on the [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] front for LSU.

After his surprise decision on Dec. 5 to forgo the opportunity to go pro and return to the Tigers in 2023, Boutte reversed course and declared for the NFL draft. Earlier in the day, LSU announced that Boutte would not play in the Citrus Bowl vs. Purdue on Jan. 2 but was still enrolled in spring classes.

Boutte returning to LSU in 2023 always felt a bit too good to be true. The junior was considered one of the top receiver prospects in college football entering the season after a monster campaign in 2021 that was cut short due to injury after six games.

He never developed a strong connection with [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] this fall and his production dropped, though he still had 538 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches.

Getting Boutte back in an already talented receiver room would have given the Tigers one of the top corps in college football, but the outlook is far from bleak, even without him.

Though the team loses role players [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] (transfer portal) and [autotag]Jaray Jenkins[/autotag] (NFL draft), the Tigers will return leading receiver [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], who had a breakout campaign as a true sophomore. He finished with 63 catches for 854 yards and two touchdowns, and he should be Daniels’ favorite target once more.

LSU also brings back [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who only had 330 yards on 27 catches but found the end zone four times, and [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], a Louisiana transfer who saw an increased role down the stretch. [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] should also return to the group after missing much of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury.

That doesn’t even take the new additions into account. LSU landed one of the top receivers in the transfer portal in [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who was once committed to the Tigers. Anderson made a minimal impact as a true freshman at Alabama in 2022, and the New Orleans native has returned to his home state.

We also can’t forget the pair of recently signed top-100 prospects in [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag], who could each make an impact as true freshmen in 2023.

There’s no way to sugarcoat Boutte’s loss. He’s one of the game’s most talented receivers at this level, and his departure will hurt. But this is a receiving corps that certainly has the talent and depth to handle that loss.

Daniels should have no shortage of targets in the passing game next fall.

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LSU’s 2023 class features 15 early enrollees

LSU will welcome a significant portion of its class early.

Speaking on early signing day, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said LSU’s 2023 class will feature 15 early enrollees. However, the group won’t participate in bowl prep.

It’s significantly more than last year, when LSU welcomed just five prospects early. This years early enrollees include but are not limited to WR [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag], TE [autotag]Mac Markway[/autotag], and DE [autotag]DaShawn Womack[/autotag].

Getting Womack on campus early is huge as LSU will need time to develop pass rushers following the departure of [autotag]B.J. Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag].

The early enrollees won’t be the only newcomers on campus come spring ball. Kelly said he expects LSU to sign 8-10 transfers as well. Kelly mentioned that the contributions of LSU’s true freshmen in 2022 gave him confidence in playing more true freshmen going forward.

LSU is set to return a lot in 2023. Getting to campus early will give these younger guys a chance to compete with that veteran talent. LSU needed to rely on true freshmen this fall, but Kelly and his staff have done a good job building this roster to where that won’t be necessary in 2023.

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Five takeaways from LSU’s early signing day

Here’s what we learned from the first day of the early signing period.

Despite the term “early signing day,” make no mistake about it — this is where the bulk of the work is done.

Classes aren’t final and transfers will still come and go, but the majority of major high school prospects sign in December. Unless a school is going through a coaching transition, it should have a pretty good idea about how its class is shaping up by now.

Schools will receive letters of intent and commitments become official.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU have to like where they sit. It’s a top 10 class at worst and top five at best. It’s a well-rounded group, with players from Louisiana and around the country, filling multiple needs for the Tigers.

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s early signing day.

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LSU makes the top 8 for 4-star 2024 receiver

LSU made the cut for one of 2024’s top wide receivers in JJ Harrell.

While schools make their final pushes for 2023 prospects, the 2024 recruitments are beginning to heat up.

According to 247 Sports, LSU’s 2024 class is currently the country’s best and LSU is positioned well with plenty of its top targets too. One of those targets is four-star wide receiver [autotag]J.J. Harrell[/autotag]. He recently dropped his top eight, and LSU made the cut.

247 Sports has yet to enter any Crystal Ball predictions for Harrell, but On3’s prediction machine currently has Ole Miss and Mississippi State leading for the Mississippi native. LSU’s 2024 class already has two pass catchers with receiver [autotag]Joseph Stone[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Tayvion Galloway[/autotag].

 

LSU also remains in a good spot with Louisiana tight end [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag].

There isn’t a flurry of Louisiana pass catchers in the 2024 class, so Brian Kelly and staff will have to look elsewhere. LSU has a solid group of receivers in its 2023 class, headlined by hometown kid [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag].

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Sophomore LSU receiver enters transfer portal

Jack Bech entered the portal after a quiet sophomore season to follow up an impressive true freshman campaign.

With the big news on Monday that [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] would be returning to Baton Rouge for his senior season in 2023, it was expected that LSU may see some attrition in the receiver room.

That came on Tuesday afternoon as sophomore wideout [autotag]Jack Bech[/autotag] announced his decision to enter the transfer portal. In two years, Bech appeared in 25 games with the Tigers, starting 11, and notching 689 yards and four touchdowns on 59 catches.

“I would like to thank LSU for the opportunity to play the sport I love at the university I’ve loved since I could hold a football. I want to thank everyone who believed in me and supported me throughout my journey here,” Bech said in his announcement on Twitter. “This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and a lot of thought and prayer has gone into my decision. With that being said, I’m entering my name into the transfer portal.”

It was a quieter year for Bech than many expected after a breakout true freshman campaign. He caught just 16 balls for 200 yards and a touchdown, and though he saw some action at punt returner, he was eventually moved from that spot after a couple of gaffes.

The Lafayette native enters the portal with two remaining years of eligibility and a redshirt year still available. Despite a disappointing season, he should see plenty of interest.

Meanwhile, LSU should be alright at the position as it returns Boutte, alongside [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag], as things currently stand. The Tigers will also add a pair of blue-chip prospects in the 2023 recruiting class in [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag].

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Four-star defensive back names LSU a finalist, sets commitment date

The Tigers made the final five for the top-100 prospect from Tampa.

LSU already has five players committed in its 2024 recruiting class — which currently ranks third in the nation — and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is making progress with an elite prospect from the Sunshine State.

[autotag]Tavoy Feagin[/autotag], a four-star defensive back from Carrollwood Day High School in Tampa, announced a top five that included the Tigers, in addition to Florida State, Clemson, Alabama and Miami. He also announced a commitment date of Nov. 20.

Feagin is the No. 73 overall recruit in the country and No. 6 safety, per the 247Sports Composite. He also possesses the ability to play at cornerback.

“For years people called LSU DBU, so I feel like I can continue that tradition and push what DBU stands for,” Feagin said of the Tigers, per On3. “When it comes to LSU most definitely has one of the best atmospheres in college football.”

Clemson is considered the favorite here. The Tigers hold two Crystal Ball predictions from 247Sports (including recruiting director Steve Wiltfong, who is currently 19 of 19 on predictions in the 2024 cycle). Clemson also leads the way on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine at 25.3%. LSU is given a 5.6% chance to land Feagin.

Kelly has a top-100 player from Florida committed in the 2023 cycle in Miami receiver [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag]. He will hope to add one in the 2024 cycle next month.

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LSU passing game coordinator Cortez Hankton earns high praise from Sports Illustrated

Hankton is already making a major impact since he joined the Tigers’ staff under Brian Kelly.

Richard Johnson of Sports Illustrated released his list of black football coaches that should be on the radar of the sport’s decision-makers. LSU wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Cortez Hankton appeared on the list.

“Hankton has experience developing wide receivers, which paid off at his previous stop at Georgia, where the depth of the position was severely tested,” Johnson wrote

Johnson points to Hankton’s broad resume, which includes the Ivy League and places such as UGA and LSU. Hankton was a big addition to Brian Kelly’s staff in January. LSU needed someone to replace [autotag]Mickey Joseph[/autotag], who had plenty of connections in New Orleans and around the state of Louisiana.

As a New Orleans native, Hankton was a guy that could bring his own ties to the state. He was also coming off a national title at UGA, where he helped the Bulldogs craft one of the most efficient offenses in college football.

He took over a room at LSU stacked with talent and his group should be a strength of the Tigers this fall. He’s already made strides in recruiting, landing commitments from blue-chip recruits [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Brown[/autotag].

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