LSU moves up the On3 Industry Recruiting Rankings

With a commitment from Florida four-star cornerback Cai Bates, LSU has moved even closer to a Top 10 class on the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings for the 2024 cycle.

The Tigers have commitments in from 20 prospects, and Bates is the second addition from the state of Florida.

Bates is ranked as a Top 100 prospect, giving the Tigers one of the top recruits in America for the 2024 class.

LSU moves closer to a Top 10 class

LSU entered Wednesday with 19 commitments and the No. 14 class on the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings for the 2024 class.

With the addition of Bates, LSU moved up to 20 commitments and the No. 12 class in the country.

LSU jumped Florida State and Oregon in the program’s move up the recruiting rankings.

Bates is LSU’s sixth commitment from a non-Louisiana native this cycle. He joins Tennessee cornerback Ondre Evans, North Carolina offensive tackle Ethan Calloway, Florida quarterback Colin Hurley, Georgia wide receiver Joseph Stone and Texas linebacker Davhon Keys.

When it comes to recruiting in Louisiana, LSU has added 14 Louisiana natives, which includes nine players on defense, four on offense and one on special teams.

Linebacker Tylen Singleton is the second highest-ranked defensive prospect of the nine-man haul, checking in as a Top 150 overall prospect. Denham Springs safety Dashawn McBryde is the lone commitment on defense ranked higher than Singleton, with McBryde entering his senior season as a Top 100 prospect nationally. Destrehan linebacker/EDGE rusher Kolaj Cobbins, Lafayette Christian Academy cornerback Ju’Juan Johnson, West Feliciana safety Joel Rogers, Westgate defensive lineman De’Myrion Johnson, Ruston defensive lineman Ahmad Breaux and Warren Easton defensive back Wallace Foster are the other Louisiana commitments in on defense. Louisiana native Xavier Atkins remains committed to the Tigers at linebacker, though he moved to Texas this offseason to play his senior season in the Houston area.

On offense, the highest-ranked commitment from the Bayou State is four-star Trey’Dez Green, who is ranked as the No. 72 overall prospect in the class. Terrebonne wide receiver Kylan Billiot, John Curtis wide receiver Michael Turner and John Ehret offensive lineman Khayree Lee are the other commitments on offense.

There’s also a special teams pledge on board – and it’s from the nation’s No. 1 kicker prospect in Parkway’s Aeron Burrell.

Bates gives the Tigers a key piece at cornerback

With the addition of Cai Bates, LSU cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples has made a huge splash in the 2024 cycle.

The Tigers now have commitments in from a pair of out-of-state four-star cornerbacks in Bates and Ondre Evans. Both are ranked as Top 150 prospects on the On3 Industry Rankings.

LSU also has commitments in from a pair of in-state cornerbacks in Ju’Juan Johnson and Wallace Foster. Johnson has the versatility to play multiple spots, while Foster is being recruited as a nickel prospect.

With four commitments in, where do the Tigers turn from here?

The biggest target left on the board is Louisiana’s Wardell Mack, though Mack is also being courted by the Tigers as a potential safety who could wind up playing either position at the college level. Mack, who visits LSU on Friday, wants to have a decision made before his senior season at John Ehret.

LSU will host five-star cornerback Kobe Black for an official visit in September, though the main competition for the Waco native are in-state teams like Texas and Texas A&M.

There could be other cornerbacks emerge, but for now, the LSU staff will look to add Mack to the defensive backs haul, then swing away for Black when he makes his official visit to Baton Rouge.