When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] first took the job at LSU, people questioned his ability to recruit Louisiana. I didn’t think it was fair.
Kelly brought talent from all over the country to Notre Dame and was a proven winner. He was going to be fine at LSU — a place that recruits itself. Kelly doesn’t have to be a genius to bring talent to campus. He knows that, too, and it’s a large piece of why he took the job.
His first real recruiting cycle demonstrated competency. He put together a good staff and landed a top-10 class. It’s well-rounded and balanced. It’s got top talent from Louisiana and from around the country.
It’s a really good class and on par with what we’ve come to expect from LSU. It’s hard to lodge any complaints, especially with what LSU could be set to do in the portal.
However, it’s still a step away from being elite.
LSU lost ground with some priority targets late in the cycle. [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag] and [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], both once committed to LSU, ended up at Ohio State and Auburn.
[autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], a five-star corner who once looked Baton Rouge bound, threw on an Alabama hat. At quarterback, LSU swung and missed at some of the cycles best players.
Again, that’s nitpicking. Despite missing on Mickens and Reed, LSU brought in a couple of blue-chip edge rushers. Despite missing on Ricks, LSU landed five-star [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag] and plucked [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] from the portal.
What Kelly and staff did is better than good enough, but it’s not elite. LSU is still a notch below fellow SEC programs like Alabama and Georgia. Nick Saban just signed what could be his most talented class yet, and Georgia continued to do its thing.
Classes like that year in and year out are why Alabama and Georgia are always in the playoff discussion. They’ve built titans.
Now, winning a championship doesn’t require a top-two class every year. LSU beat Alabama this year with a far less talented team. LSU’s 2019 title was built with recruiting classes similar to LSU’s 2023 class. Clemson’s won titles without winning recruiting classes too.
TCU and Michigan are in the playoff, and neither of those programs out-recruited Saban and Kirby. But being at the top every year requires a class to the level of Alabama and Georgia.
LSU wasn’t able to replace what it lost after 2019 and the last two years have shown us what Clemson looks like without a top QB prospect. When you don’t land a top-three class, you’re banking on too much to go right.
You’re hoping that three stars will turn into [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag]. You’re hoping that your quarterback plays to the level of [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] or [autotag]Trevor Lawrence[/autotag]. It’s foolish to rely on those things.
Celebrate it when it happens, but it’s not a sustainable strategy for programs that want to build dynasties of their own. LSU’s 2024 class is already in a great spot, though its hard to gather any takeaways this early in the cycle.
I didn’t expect LSU to have a top-three class this year. This isn’t a disappointment or a critique. I’m not even saying a top two or three class should be the expectation or the standard.
LSU doesn’t need to be in the playoff discussion every year for fans to be satisfied. The standard at LSU should be competing for a title every few years and competing for an NY6 appearance in the years between.
LSU can do that with recruiting classes such as the one it just signed, but if LSU wants to be on the same level as Alabama and Georgia, it needs to take that one last step.
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