JD PicKell: Recruiting, additional tools will make Brian Kelly successful at LSU

It’s hard to upgrade from Notre Dame Football. But On3’s JD PicKell believes the resources available to new LSU coach Brian Kelly will give him the leg up he didn’t have in South Bend. Over on the On3 YouTube channel, PicKell explained in detail just how much the Tigers’ program offers.

He believes Kelly will win even more than he did with Notre Dame. You can watch him explain why in the video or read below for his full comments.

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JD PicKell on Kelly potential at LSU

“In the long term, I think they will be successful. Because you have so much talent in the state of Louisiana,” PicKell laid out flatly. He thinks such a rich region of natural talent surrounding the school is the major advantage LSU presents over Notre Dame for Brian Kelly.

“And Brian Kelly, to his credit, did a lot of great things at Notre Dame, and feels like there weren’t enough resources. Feels like there wasn’t enough in his favor. Enough ammunition, if you will, for him to get done what he wanted to get done at Notre Dame. Kelly has all of that at LSU. He showed he can win. He showed he knows how to win.

PicKell also notes that virtually every recent LSU coach has had major success — championship-level, in fact.

“Also, it’s ben proven that LSU is a, more often than not, turn-key operation. Like you don’t have to get everything right at LSU. You just got to get a couple things right — because there’s so much talent that you can win games. You can win a lot of games right away.

The last three head coaches at LSU have all won national titles. I would argue Brian Kelly is a similar caliber of coach as the ones that had previously won national titles. And that’s not so much relevant to Nick Saban. But in terms of Les Miles and Ed Orgeron, I think brian Kelly is just as good a coach as those guys.”

To PicKell’s point, though, that level of talent is generally available to the Tigers. Finally, he asks:

“Tell me Brian Kelly can’t get it done at LSU? He’s not a better coach than those guys? I have a hard time believing that.”

Let’s note that the greatest collegiate coach of all time won one of those titles. Another was sort of a fluke, given that LSU made the title game in 2007 with two losses — meanwhile, since moving to the four-team playoff format, zero two-loss teams have made that. And the most recent title featured an offense with Joe Burrow and arguably two of the best five receivers currently in the NFL — Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson — who aren’t more than two years into their careers.