LSU rises to No. 12 in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater four-star cornerback Cai Bates made a childhood dream come true Wednesday night when he announced his commitment to LSU. That pledge also edged the Tigers a few steps closer to a top 10 class nationally.

Bates pledge boosted the Tigers to the No. 12 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The class, which also ranks No. 6 in the SEC, rose two spots from No. 14.

The 6-foot-1.5, 175-pound defensive back is the No. 92 overall prospect and No. 12 cornerback in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 12 player in Florida.

“The culture of the program is what separated LSU,” Bates told On3. “It’s a program known for producing defensive backs and I know that players who played there will come back, so it’s really a defensive back brotherhood. Those guys are players I looked up to growing up and watched who will come back during their offseason to help.

…A lot of legends will come back to help out and I can get a player perspective of the game.”

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Bates gives LSU another cornerback pledge in its 2024 class

Bates’ decision to commit to LSU was largely inspired by the Tigers rich history when it comes to producing defensive backs that end up in the NFL. Landing elite cornerback talent has been a priority for Brian Kelly this cycle.

With his commitment, Bates is the fourth cornerback to commit to the Tigers so far this cycle. LSU’s other cornerback commits are Nashville (Tenn.) CPA four-star Ondre Evans, Lafayette (La.) Lafayette Christian Academy four-star Ju’Juan Johnson and New Orleans (La.) Warren Easton three-star Wallace Foster. They also hold a pledge from Saint Francisville (La.) West Feliciana four-star safety Joel Rogers.

Bates’ pledge is also a bit of an anomaly for the Tigers this cycle. Of their 20 commitments so far, only five are from out-of-state prospects. Keeping the state’s top players home has been key for Kelly. LSU currently holds commitments from eight the state’s top 10 prospects.