LSU a winner on the recruiting trail in the month of July

As the calendar turns to August and LSU prepares to begin fall camp ahead of the 2024 season, it has quite a bit of momentum on the recruiting trail.

After a slow start to the summer that saw the Tigers lose a couple of top-100 commitments, it was a big July as coach Brian Kelly and staff landed a handful of top targets headlined by five-star cornerback DJ Pickett, five-star receiver Derek Meadows and top-100 EDGE Damien Shanklin.

It also ended the month with a flip on Wednesday, landing former South Carolina linebacker commit Jaiden Braker.

On3 broke down its recruiting winners from the month of July, and it should be no surprise that LSU found itself on the list.

Brian Kelly and his staff again proved their recruiting chops, beating out the longtime perceived favorites for a number of key additions. None were bigger than Five-Star Plus+ cornerback DJ Pickett — thought to be headed to Oregon until the 11th hour. A top-five prospect nationally, Pickett is a monstrous addition for the Tigers’ secondary group going forward.

Three days after that, the Bayou Bengals beat out Notre Dame for elite wide receiver Derek Meadows, adding a huge piece for Five-Star Plus+ QB Bryce Underwood on offense. Those two were the headliners, but Kelly and Co. rounded things out with top-100 EDGE, Damien Shanklin, On3 top-100 defensive lineman Zion Williams, four-star DL Brandon Brown, On300 safety Jhase Thomas, and three-star linebacker Jaiden Braker.

LSU’s class currently ranks third nationally, and it could push for an even higher spot as it’s still in the mix for some top prospects such as five-star safety Jonah Williams, who it is currently trending for.

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