Standouts from LSU elite camp

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU hosted its first elite skills camp of the Brian Kelly era late last week. Dozens of top prospects made their way to campus to work out for the Tiger staff. On3 was on location for both days of action, with several prospects catching our eye over the course of camp.

While we were able to get a good look at most top prospects, this does not cover everyone in attendance for brevity’s sake. With that said, let’s get into some notable showings from LSU’s camp.

Overall standouts at LSU

Cornerback Jermaine Mathews made a strong case for the most impressive showing on either day. The Cincinnati Winton Woods defensive back worked out on Thursday morning and was outstanding overall. Mathews measured at over 5-foot-11 and around 175 pounds with plus-length for the position. He tested well, turning in a few 40-yard dashes in the 4.4 second range. Mathews was an obvious standout in drill work, 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7. His physical traits transferred over to those live situations. He was fluid and controlled in coverage, effortlessly flipping his hips and effectively using his length. We saw Mathews give up very few completions, while making numerous plays on the ball. Simply put, he looked like a national cornerback prospect.

Mathews earned an offer from the LSU staff at camp. He took an official visit to Ohio State over the weekend and the Buckeye’s hold the lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Offensive tackle Zalance Heard was On3’s top-ranked 2023 prospect to work out for the LSU staff. The 6-foot-5.5 305-pounder made his way down to Baton Rouge from Monroe and worked out for offensive line coach Brad Davis on Friday. Heard’s unique dimensions were on display from the jump. He has elite length, with arms that measure over 36 inches is a lean 300-plus pounds. Heard’s upside was evident throughout the session. He’s a nimble mover in addition to the dimensions and plays with some strength and attitude. It’s easy to forget that Heard is entering his second year playing offensive line. We saw him line up at left tackle – where he’s projected to play this season after working as a right tackle as a junior. There are still some areas for improvement. Heard will need to hone his pass set technique and continue adding mass and strength to his base. But the high-end talent was easy to see in this setting. Heard ranks as the No. 16 overall prospect in the On300. LSU holds the lead in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The nation’s top-ranked junior college linebacker, Justin Jefferson, worked out on Thursday morning. The Pearl River C.C. standout is smaller than initially listed – checking in around 6-foot, 205 pounds but has plus length for the position and is as advertised athletically. Jefferson ran in the 4.5’s and moved like it on the field. The Memphis native is highly explosive and covers ground in a hurry. It remains to be seen where Jefferson will top-out at size-wise, but he looks like a talented sub-package linebacker at the minimum.

If Jermaine Mathews was the top corner on Thursday, 2024 prospect Kaleb Beasley was a close second. Beasley was silky smooth in coverage and locked down opposing receivers all day. The 6-foot-0.5, 180-pounder is technically advanced for a rising junior. He did a great job of staying in-phase with receivers and made numerous plays on the ball in 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7 including a one-handed interception. Notre Dame holds the edge in the 2024 On300 prospect’s On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Linebacker Daymion Sanford has been on a tear this camp season, racking up offers from Texas, Texas A&M and Alabama in June prior to heading to Baton Rouge. The offers are in large part due to the athleticism that Sanford has shown in the camp setting this month. That was also the case on Friday at LSU, with Sanford putting up some very impressive testing numbers, including a 4.5 second 40-yard dash at around 6-foot-2, 205 pounds. We saw the Houston area defender move well in field work, as well. Sanford was smooth in his drops and made a play in coverage in 7-on-7. LSU joined the growing offer list following his camp showing.

LSU cornerback commit Daylen Austin worked out for a portion of Friday’s morning session and looked the part of an On300 prospect. The 6-foot, 175-pounder was fluid and coordinated in drills and stayed in-phase in coverage in his limited 1-on-1 reps.

Stock up prospects

Ashton Stamps looked like one of the top defensive backs on hand and walked away with an offer after his showing over the course of both days. The Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel product worked at corner and safety and looked natural at both spots. Stamps brings a nice combination of athleticism, length, functional movement and technical cover skills. LSU is the big leader in his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

We came away thinking Harvey Broussard showed the strongest hands at the catch point of any receiver on either day.Broussard is a spindly 6-foot-3, 170-pounds and is still developing as a route-runner, but he showed off natural ball skills and the ability to win in contested situations.

Southern Miss commit Jonathan Bax worked at both linebacker and EDGE on Thursday. The 6-foot-1.5, 225-pounder looked like a natural fit at linebacker, in our opinion. He has an ideal build with length and a developed lower body. Bax is primarily used as a pass rusher at New Orleans Edna Karr and brings added versatility to the table.

2025 running back Harlem Berry made waves on Friday, cracking the sub-4.4 second mark in the 40-yard dash, before impressing in field drills. The rising sophomore looked like a natural pass-catcher out of the backfield. He received special attention from head coach Brian Kelly. Berry already shows some promising signs as a high school athlete, rushing for over 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in addition winning the 100-meter state title as a freshman.

Ju’Juan Johnson is one of the hotter 2024 prospects on the camp circuit, adding offers from the likes of LSU and Alabama, among others. Johnson is a quarterback at Lafayette Christian Academy, but you wouldn’t know it watching him work out as a cornerback. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder is highly coordinated and smooth in his movements.

Wide receiver Kylan Billiot is a name to file away for the 2024 cycle in Louisiana. A basketball player who is new to the gridiron, Billiot immediately jumps out from a physical perspective. He’s a well-built, twitchy athlete. Billiot worked out alongside Omarion Miller on Thursday afternoon and held his own. The Houma (La.) Terrebonne product is still in the developmental stages when it comes to receivers skills but the physical upside was apparent at LSU.

Top arms throw at LSU

Several talented quarterbacks threw for the Tiger staff on Thursday and Friday including a number of touted underclassmen.

2024 top 100 signal caller Jake Merklinger threw on Friday morning and got better as the day went on. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder was at his best in live situations and connected on some nice throws in 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7 work. Merklinger looked to process the increased play speed as well or better than most of his peers over the two days.

Isaac Wilson was another touted 2024 passer who looked at his best in the live setting. The younger brother of New York Jets starting quarteback Zach Wilson is still developing physically – he looks to be a shade under 6-foot- and around 175 to 180 pounds. Wilson is accurate and gets the ball out quickly. He’ll need to continue getting stronger.

Colin Hurley made a case as the top quarterback on Thrusday, regardless of class. The 2025 prospect has a quick release and showed the ability to drive the ball with velocity to all levels. Hurley is very polished and developed for a rising sophomore. He as a compact build at around 6-foot-0.5, 210 pounds. This was our second time seeing Hurley live in as many weeks. The ball certainly pops out of his hand.

2024 four-star quarterback Josh Flowers threw during the afternoon session on Thursday. Flowers was one of the more physically impressive quarterbacks to throw on either day, checking in at a well-built 6-foot-2.5, 205 pounds. Flowers showed off his big arm on downfield throws and had some nice passes on the day. He has an over-the-top throwing motion and release and will need to continue working on his ball placement on a throw-to-throw basis.

Walker White was among the top group on Thursday and walked away with an offer. The Arkansas native has a prototypical, developed build at close to 6-foot-4 and around 215 pounds. White thew the ball well in drills, showing off a nice arm. His play dipped a bit in the live situations, but the physical tools were apparent.

Czavian Teasett made the cross-town trip to LSU and was the top 2023 quarterback to throw on either day. We thought Teasett consistently threw the best ball of the quarterbacks on day two. The lefty is a toolsy passer with some developmental upside.

Additional notes

+ One-time LSU commit Omarion Miller worked out for the staff on Thursday afternoon. Miller is at his best when tracking the ball over his shoulder. He has solid change of direction in his routes, but is still developing as a complete receiver, particularly in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

+ Cole Dellinger worked at center and looks to be a good fit at the position long-term. The On3 three-star prospect checked in at around 6-foot-3, 295 pounds and was at his best when he was able to establish a base and play with leverage.

+ 2024 four-star defensive back Travaris Banks worked out on Thursday. The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Northridge product has a big frame at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with outstanding length. He looks like a safety or perhaps even a box defender long-term based on his size and movement skills.

+ Defensive lineman Jared Smith and wide receiver Jamie Ffrench are two more 2025 prospects who caught our eye. Both worked out on Thursday. Smith has unique dimensions for such a young prospect at around 6-foot-6, 225 pounds. Ffrench was among the better receivers on hand and won his fair share of reps in 1-on-1’s.