LSU moved up two spots to No. 3 in the On3 Industry Recruiting Rankings on Wednesday with the commitment from five-star plus defensive back DJ Pickett .
The Zephyrhills (Fla.) High blue-chipper is the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 6 prospect overall.
In my opinion coming out of the spring LSU was the favorite to land Pickett but summer official visits saw Oregon emerge. In fact, when Pickett pushed up his commitment date from October to July 17, the Ducks had moved into pole position. The family indicated to On3 that Miami was No. 2 and LSU was No. 3. But that decision date came out two weeks prior to the reveal and that’s a long time on the trail. Corey Raymond and the Tigers staff were foot on gas from that point on and by the 48-hour mark had taken the lead again to ultimately land the touted Pickett’s pledge. They held on from there.
With Pickett in the fold, LSU now has the On3 Industry’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class when looking at average ranking per commit . The mark of 92.49 moved them ahead of Ohio State’s 92.39 and Oregon’s 92.35.
And head coach Brian Kelly and his staff plan to keep the pedal to metal for the rest of the summer.
Receiver is the big need moving forward
LSU’s class is highlighted by On3’s No. 1 prospect in the country in five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood . The No. 1 running back in the land is also in the fold in in-state recruit Harlem Berry .
Seems like it’s only a matter of time before receivers coach Cortez Hankton and the Tigers start adding more playmakers on the perimeter.
LSU already holds a commitment from New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr receiver TaRon Francis , a sub 11.0 second 100m guy who will walk on campus physically ready to go. The four-star is the No. 6 prospect in the state and a nice start to what they’re hoping is a special group of pass catchers.
In-state tight end JD LaFleur out of Sulphur High is approaching 6-foot-7 with a ton of upside physically. A nimble-footed basketball player, LaFleur can play attached, be flexed, block at the point of attack and make things happen as a pass catcher. As a junior he turned 44 receptions into 566 yards and five scores.
Derek Meadows soon to decide
Things could could really get rolling this weekend when Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman On300 receiver Derek Meadows announces his college plans. The On3 Industry’s No. 7 ranked receiver and No. 41 prospect overall has a final five of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Notre Dame. The Tigers were the leader heading into the week. They’re working to hold off the the likes of the Irish, Tide and Wolverines over the last few days.
“Wide receiver coach played in the league,” Meadows father DeShawn said. “They throw the ball. The food is awesome. And we have a lot of ties with people in that organization. Just through the head coach Brian Kelly coached against me when I played football in college when he was at Grand Valley State. Their head of education for the football department he’s close to one of Derek’s best friends who is also one of my oldest son’s best friends. We have a lot of connections to that school.”
The thought of playing with Underwood is very relevant.
“Bryce Underwood is definitely a factor,” Meadows said. “He comes from my old state of Michigan. Got a chance to meet him at the Nike the Next Ones. He’s a nice young man and he has a rocket for an arm. It definitely helps.”
On3 talked to a source regarding Meadows and LSU on Thursday morning
“I think they’re going to be hard to beat. We’ll see Saturday.”
Beginning Wednesday, Meadows was planning to go radio-silent on his finalists leading into the weekend.
Five-star WR Kaliq Lockett committing August 7
Sachse (Texas) High On3 Industry five-star receiver Kaliq Lockett will announce his decision in a few weeks. While a lot of the buzz as of late has been around Texas and Alabama, there was a time where the Tigers looked like they were in pole position. Perhaps they can bring it back around with Texas A&M and Florida State also battling.
“The history of putting receivers in the league, their known for receivers thriving in the NFL,” Lockett has said of what stands out about LSU.”
Cortez Hankton and the LSU staff is in regular touch and talked to the Lockett camp on Wednesday.
“The program itself,” Lockett’s father Kobi said. “The success they have as far as the amount of guys they put in the league is No. 1. Coach Kelly and Coach Hankton, the whole coaching staff is great.”
Five-star WR Jaime Ffrench committing August 30
Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin On3 Industry five-star receiver Jaime Ffrench still has some time before he steps to the mic. A source Thursday morning said they still liked Texas, but LSU is in the final three with Miami and they’ve hung in, in this recruitment.
“LSU is very high on my list,” Ffrench said on Thursday morning. “This is one of the two schools I’m looking to get back to the last weekend of July.”
Ffrench added he’s leaning towards visiting LSU next Friday over Miami but nothing is locked in just yet. He was also on campus for a five-star recruiting weekend in June.
“I loved it. Just the brotherhood, the tradition, the culture itself and the people in the building for sure.”
Ffrench is friendly with LSU backup quarterback Colin Hurley .
Other WR notes
LSU loves legacy recruit CJ Wiley and the Tigers felt good going into his announcement on June 25 when he picked Florida State. The Tigers will remain in touch and see what happens.
West Jordan (Utah) Corner Canyon On300 receiver Jerome Myles tells On3 he plans to visit Baton Rouge in the fall. Utah and Texas A&M have the edge right now but the Tigers, Michigan and Penn State are still in the hunt.
LSU defensive line recruiting taking shape
The Tigers have 17 commits including a recent run of defensive lineman and edge players highlighted by Damien Shanklin who on July 5 chose the Tigers over Ohio State and Alabama among others. They also scored four-star defensive lineman Zion Williams and flipped four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown from Texas over the same 48-hour span.
Tampa (Fla.) Robinson On300 edge Jesse Harrold started the run with his commitment at the end of June. Shanklin and Harrold are real traitsy guys with high ceilings as future pass rushers.
Next one in the fold looks like it will be Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Baptist defensive tackle Walter Mathis Jr. He is a very disruptive player in the trenches racking up 18.5 tackles for loss as a junior and 19.5 as a sophomore. He has 15.5 career sacks and 54 hurries as a three-year varsity starter.
Not done in the secondary
Depending on who you ask, LSU is in the top two or three for Galveston (Texas) Ball five-star and the On3 Industry’s No. 1 safety Jonah Williams . His father Billy tells On3 they’re still looking into potential visits next week.
New Iberia (La.) Westgate On300 cornerback Jaboree Antoine will commit this weekend. Momentum has picked up for Miami since he backed off verbal to LSU in June, but nobody is discounting the Tigers this weekend and certainly not beyond if it does go another way. Florida State also got an official visit.
Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy four-star safety CJ Jimcoily will commit in the next week or two. LSU and Stanford are the final two. There is confidence around the Tigers program.
Auburn has been trending for Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson On300 safety Anquon Fegans since the spring. LSU is also near the top of the list and will get a chance to make a final pitch next Friday ahead of his July 29 commitment date. An Auburn return is locked in for the day after the LSU visit.
Offensive line class is special
Year in and year out Brian Kelly led programs recruit some of the best offensive line classes in the country and that’s been no different since the moment he’s arrived in Baton Rouge.
That position as much as any, Kelly has a formula for what he looks for up front. Position coach Brad Davis is as elite a recruiter as there is in the country. Put it all together and that’s a terrific formula.
On3 Industry Top100 commits Tyler Miller and Carius Curne are freaky players on the offensive front and both are in five-star territory when it comes to the On3 rankings. Devin Harper was another terrific offensive line win and Brett Bordelon rounds out the foursome. Much is made about Alabama’s offensive line class and it should be, but LSU’s offensive line haul is very much championship caliber as well and one of the top three or four hauls you’re going to see at the position in 2025.
Don’t be surprised if LSU aims to add one more by the Early Signing Period. I think they’ll try and circle back the nation’s No. 1 interior offensive lineman Solomon Thomas who is a Florida State commit that has kept LSU warm at times during his process. Thomas loves Emery Jones Jr. has developed under Smith and the staff. Not just as a player but as a leader.
Latest on five-star 2026 prospect Jahkeem Stewart
New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine On3 Industry five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart is still a potential reclassify candidate to 2025. While a lot of the spring and summer buzz has been around places like Oregon, Ohio State and USC, we know when it comes time to make a decision, LSU is going to be right there. Stewart returned for camp this summer and we know he’ll attend a game in Death Valley.
Bo Davis being hired at LSU makes the Tigers even more exciting.
“Coach Bo Davis does a great job. He coaches very aggressive and I love it. He’s a country boy, I’m a country boy. So that country boy connection is great. LSU is the hometown school and I love it.”
The post LSU closing in on more elite talents after landing five-star DJ Pickett appeared first on On3 .
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