Tag: Zion Ferguson

Where ESPN ranks LSU’s 2024 recruiting class at start of July

The Tigers added four commits in June, but they also lost three.

At the start of the month of July, LSU is in a pretty good spot as far as recruiting for the 2024 class.

The Tigers have 18 players committed after adding four pledges in the month of June. Two of them, cornerback [autotag]Ondre Evans[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Ethan Calloway[/autotag], are the third and fourth-highest-rated prospects in the class by 247Sports.

It hasn’t all been good news for LSU on the trail, though. It suffered its first three decommitments of the cycle this month in [autotag]Tayvion Galloway[/autotag], [autotag]Maurice Williams Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag].

With these changes, LSU’s class now ranks 10th nationally in ESPN’s rankings, dropping three spots since the last update.

ESPN 300 commits: 9 | Previous ranking: 7

SEC rank: 3 of 14
Top offensive commit: TE Trey’Dez Green (No. 99)
Top defensive commit: S Dashawn McBryde (No. 124)

Coach Brian Kelly’s first full class at the helm was among the best in the country. He has the Tigers recruiting at a high level again for 2024, securing his QB last fall in Colin Hurley, a passer with a strong arm who can create on the move and make off-platform throws. Several key pickups are from the important in-state recruiting pool. TE Trey’Dez Green is a big receiving target with elite length, fluidity and a frame to further develop as a red zone threat. Dashawn McBryde has the tools to be one of the Tigers’ next impact defensive backs, as he can be a versatile defender. He has the speed and agility to be a factor in coverage and can also support the run with an aggressive downhill style. LB Kolaj Cobbins and safety Joel Rogers are also among the top five prospects in Louisiana.

The Tigers currently only have two prospects that rank in the top 200 of the 247Sports Composite, though they remain in the mix for a few big-time targets and could improve the class despite it sitting at 18 commits.

For now, however, there’s some work to be done if this team wants to get back closer to the top five in the current cycle.

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4-star cornerback Zion Ferguson flips from LSU to North Carolina

Zion Ferguson becomes the third player in the cycle to back off his commitment to LSU.

On Sunday, 4-star, 2024 cornerback [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] announced his decommitment from LSU. An hour later, he announced that he was committing to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Ferguson is a 6-foot, 165-pound corner from Gainesville, Georgia, where he plays for the Gainesville Red Elephants. The Red Elephants got a new head coach last year in Josh Niblett, a multiple-time state title winner at Hoover High School in Alabama. He knows a thing or two about coaching up great players.

LSU has two current cornerback commitments for the 2024 recruiting class (four-star [autotag]Ondre Evans[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag]). The class is currently ranked as the No. 8 overall class by 247Sports.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has done a great job in the past two years re-tooling the defense through the transfer portal but that has not stopped him from going after some of the best defensive backs in the country. Ferguson’s recruitment will be one to keep an eye on.

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NEW: 4-star receiver Michael Turner commits to LSU

After picking up an offer last weekend, the New Orleans native wasted little time deciding where he wanted to play college ball.

LSU continues to do a good job of landing top in-state talent under Brian Kelly.

On Saturday night, the Tigers added another in-state commitment in the 2024 class in four-star New Orleans John Curtis receiver [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag]. Ranked as the No. 398 player nationally by On3, Turner is the No. 9 overall prospect in the state of Louisiana.

Adding Turner helps ease the pain of several decommitments this week. The Tigers lost linebacker [autotag]Maurice Williams[/autotag] earlier in the week, and cornerback [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] decommitted on Sunday morning.

Turner received an offer last weekend while attending a camp in Baton Rouge, and it didn’t take long for the New Orleans native to decide where he wanted to play college ball.

Turner is one of three receiver commitments in LSU’s class joining the recently committed [autotag]Kylan Billiot[/autotag] and [autotag]Joseph Stone[/autotag], who shut down his commitment after taking official visits with several other schools earlier this month.

The Tigers’ 17-man recruiting class currently ranks eighth nationally per 247Sports and 13th per On3.

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LSU makes the cut for top 150 cornerback in 2024

The Tigers are the heavy favorite to land Jalyn Crawford, per On3.

Though there’s still a lot of time between now and early signing day in December, LSU seems to be in a good position to land Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview cornerback [autotag]Jalyn Crawford[/autotag].

The Tigers recently made the top 11 for the 6-foot, 180-pound prospect. They’re joined by North Carolina, Florida, Miami, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M, Louisville, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee and Auburn.

Though he hasn’t trimmed his list down much, there’s reason to believe the Tigers are emerging as a frontrunner. They hold a Crystal Ball projection from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong — though it was placed nearly a year ago — and they have a wide lead per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine at 77.6%.

Auburn also seems to be a top contender for Crawford, who ranks as the No. 16 cornerback and No. 135 overall player nationally according to On3’s industry rankings.

LSU’s consensus top-10 2024 class currently features 14 players and two cornerbacks, [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag]. The Tigers will hope to soon add Crawford’s name to that list.

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4-star safety Dashawn McBryde commits to LSU after spring game visit

The Tigers landed their 13th commitment in the 2024 class on Saturday.

It was quite a busy recruiting weekend for LSU with a number of high-profile targets on campus to watch the team’s spring game, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has already landed a commitment from one of the players who was in attendance.

Four-star Denham Springs (La.) safety [autotag]Dashawn McBryde[/autotag] pledged to LSU on Saturday during his visit. The 2024 prospect ranks just outside the national top 200 in the On3 industry rankings, currently sitting at No. 209.

LSU has long been considered the heavy favorite to land McBryde, though he had other SEC offers from Florida and Tennessee. He also took a visit to Florida State back in January.

McBryde gives LSU its 13th commitment in a recruiting class that currently ranks fourth nationally, per the 247Sports Composite. He’s the only safety currently among that group, but he’s the third defensive back as he joins corners [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag].

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LSU set to host 5-star cornerback this weekend

LSU is hosting one of the best prospects in the 2024 recruiting class this weekend in Baton Rouge.

LSU is hosting one of the best prospects in the 2024 recruiting class this weekend in Baton Rouge as it tries to persuade him to become a Tiger.

[autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound, five-star cornerback from Waco, Texas, where he plays for Connally High School. The Connally Cadets finished the 2022 season 9-3 with a loss to Hamshire-Fannett in the second round of the 4A D2 playoffs.

LSU’s 2024 recruiting class currently is ranked as the No. 4 overall class by 247Sports and has 12 commits currently. Two of those are cornerbacks, four-star [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag].

Black is ranked as the No. 15 overall recruit in his class and the No. 2 cornerback. Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas and Baylor are all vying for his talents.

There are currently no crystal ball projections at this time for Black but Oklahoma State is a 28% favorite to land him per On3. Hopefully, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his staff can convince him to spend his years in college at LSU.

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LSU hosting one of its top 2024 targets on campus this weekend

LSU is looking to close the deal with four-star Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview cornerback Jalyn Crawford.

The Tigers already have 11 commitments in their 2024 class, and they will hope to make progress toward another this weekend as they host four-star cornerback [autotag]Jalyn Crawford[/autotag], one of their top uncommitted targets, on campus for a visit.

The Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview prospect ranks as the No. 122 player nationally and No. 14 cornerback according to the On3 Industry Rankings. This will be his fourth total unofficial visit to campus but his first since last April.

The Tigers have a lot of momentum here. They’re the heavy favorite to land him according to the On3 Prediction Machine at 82.9%, and they hold a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong.

However, Auburn did receive a Crystal Ball projection earlier this month.

LSU currently has the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in 2024, and coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] already has two cornerbacks committed in [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag]. However, Crawford would become the top-ranked defensive back and second-ranked player overall in the Tigers’ class.

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4-star cornerback, potential LSU target decommits from USC

After nearly a year pledge to the Trojans, Aaron Butler has re-opened his recruitment. LSU is one of several schools now in the mix.

The Tigers could be one of several teams who plan to throw their hat in the ring for [autotag]Aaron Butler[/autotag].

The four-star cornerback from Calabasas, California, spent nearly a year committed to the USC Trojans after pledging last January, but he reopened his recruitment on Wednesday. Butler told On3 that USC had a successful season but he needed to take a step back and re-evaluate his future.

With Butler — who is rated as the No. 65 player in the country in 2024 on the 247Sports Composite and cracks the top 100 on the On3 Consensus Rankings — reopening his recruitment, he told On3 that the Tigers could be a team to watch.

“Schools like Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee are up there,” he added. “These schools are doing a great job with me and making me feel like a priority. LSU is another one, and Oregon has picked it up, too. They are on me hard. Notre Dame, Michigan State and Texas A&M are three more showing me a lot of interest. … When I committed to USC early on, I didn’t have the knowledge about everything that I have now. I am looking at this decision differently.”

LSU’s staff offered Butler back in March while he was still committed to the Trojans. The Tigers hope to get one of his official visits this summer. Butler told On3 he plans to wrap up his visit schedule in June and announce a commitment on his birthday, July 22.

The 2024 recruiting cycle is off to a good start for LSU, whose class currently ranks No. 2 nationally with eight commits already. The Tigers already have two four-star cornerbacks committed in [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Wallace Foster[/autotag].

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BREAKING: LSU lands commitment from four-star cornerback

Jaylen Bell gives coach Brian Kelly his first commit in the 2025 class.

This Saturday has already gotten off to a great start as the LSU Tigers have landed [autotag]Jaylen Bell[/autotag], a 5-foot-10, 150-pound, four-star cornerback from Loganville, Georgia, where he plays for Grayson High School.

Brian Kelly’s pipeline to Grayson continues as this is the third commit from the Rams program. The other two commits from Grayson are 2023 four-star safety [autotag]Michael Daugherty[/autotag] and 2024 four-star cornerback [autotag]Zion Ferguson[/autotag].

As you can expect, the Grayson Rams are loaded with talent. Unfortunately, their season ended last night with a 35-12 loss to Milton in the third round of the GHSA playoffs. Bell is the first commitment for the 2025 recruiting class. LSU looks to keep their college football playoff hopes alive tonight in College Station as the Tigers take on Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Next week, LSU will take on Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. It’s a great time to be a Tiger fan.

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Looking at LSU football’s commits so far in No. 1-ranked 2024 class

A running tracker of the Tigers’ 2024 commitments.

It’s never too early to look at recruits that are two years away, right? These kids are going into their junior year of high school this fall, but they already have big dreams and aspirations of playing in Death Valley and donning the purple and gold.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is getting out ahead of his competition and earning commitments from the best players in the class of 2024. So far, the Tigers have eight commits for this class — ranking No. 1 nationally, per On3 — and that list is growing by the day. So, let’s take a look at all of the athletes that have committed to playing for LSU in 2024.

Disclaimer: Even though these kids are currently committed to LSU until they put pen to paper and sign their names on the dotted line, they can change their minds and play elsewhere. This list will be updated as more players commit.