On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: LSU heavily favored with key targets
All it took was one full recruiting cycle for Brian Kelly to prove he can indeed recruit at LSU. After closing with a couple of key pickups to end the 2022 class, Kelly and his staff assembled a top-five class in 2023 and look to be on that pace again in the 2024 cycle.
Last year’s class featured several elite EDGEs, wide receivers and tight ends. And while those positions are still targets in ’24, the Tigers have their eyes set on the defensive line and secondary, among other places. LSU already has nearly a dozen commitments on the board by early April, and they’re trending heavily with a few other major targets, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).
National recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman helps break down where LSU stands with a number of big names.
Top targets LSU is leading with
4-star TE Trey’Dez Green
School: Jackson (La.) East Feliciana
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 56
On3 RPM: LSU 97.6%, Ole Miss 1.3%
Spiegelman’s Take: “Dual-sport standout Trey’Dez Green has quietly been to LSU more than any other school in his recruitment. He’s the top in-state pass-catcher on the board, and Brian Kelly and Co. have certainly put themselves in pole position for the elite tight end. Former Alabama DC Pete Golding has sparked Green’s interest in Ole Miss along with fitting into Lane Kiffin’s offense, and Tennessee has been a team generating buzz around Green for a good chunk of the spring.”
5-star DL Dominick McKinley
School: Lafayette (La.) Acadiana
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 19
On3 RPM: LSU 93.2%, Texas A&M 1.5
Spiegelman’s Take: “McKinley sits atop of Brian Kelly’s wish list in 2024 and has already been a very visible coach involved in the 6-foot-6, 285-pounder’s recruitment. McKinley has already visited LSU twice this spring along with Alabama and Texas A&M, as well as Oklahoma and Texas. Ole Miss, Ohio State and Michigan are also in pursuit of McKinley, who will be a massive target for several teams to pluck from The Boot.”
4-star DL Charleston Collins
School: Pine Bluff (Ark.) Wilbur D. Mills
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 260
On3 RPM: LSU 95.0%, Ole Miss 1.9%, Arkansas 1.6%
Spiegelman’s Take: “Collins has shot toward the top of teams’ boards after a strong junior season, and that includes LSU, which has been the favorite on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine since working out for the coaching staff last summer in Baton Rouge. The Tigers just got Collins back on campus in March and face stiff competition from Texas, TCU, Oregon, Ole Miss and also Arkansas, which behind new DC Travis Williams has asserted itself into the race with Collins.”
4-star CB Wardell Mack
School: Marrero (La.) John Ehret
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 73
On3 RPM: LSU 98.5%
Spiegelman’s Take: “Mack was back at LSU in the spring and has made a string of visits nearby to Baton Rouge over the past year-plus. He is a top priority for LSU at a position of need and among the in-state crop. Mack is coming off his first visit to Florida State, where New Orleans-based assistants Pat Surtain and David Johnson made a huge splash with the four-star DB. Mack is set to get to Florida and Texas for the first time in April as well. These visits loom especially large for Mack, who is hopeful to make official visits and move toward a decision over the summer.”
4-star DB Tylen Singleton
School: Many (La.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 137
On3 RPM: LSU 87.2%, Arkansas 4.0%, Texas A&M 2.3%
Spiegelman’s Take: “Singleton has been actively visiting schools both new and familiar this spring with stops at TCU and Tennessee already checked off. Arkansas and Texas A&M are two more contenders in the SEC. LSU will get Singleton back on campus for the spring game, a massive opportunity for the Tigers to get one of the state’s best defenders. LSU, Texas A&M, TCU and Arkansas are all trending for official visits for Singleton, who is aiming to find the right fit on and away from the field.”