Ed Orgeron is putting together quite the recruiting class in Baton Rouge, signing three five-stars and some of the most electric players in the nation. What grade does this class receive when compared to their SEC counterparts?
The LSU Tigers started 2018 5-0 before losing in Gainesville to No. 22 Florida and later on getting blanked 29-0 by No. 1 Alabama. They finished the regular season by dropping a seven-overtime thriller to No.22 Texas A&M in the highest scoring college football game in the modern era. Fortunately, they were able to recover and finally put the brakes on No. 8 UCF’s impressive win streak in the Fiesta Bowl.
LSU is continuing their reputation as “DBU” (hotly contested with Miami, FL and Ohio State) by signing the third-ranked recruit, Derek Stingley (Baton Rouge, LA). The hometown phenom chose to join a defensive backfield that has seen the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson, LaRon Landry, and Eric Reid in recent years.
Stingley shows great vision and blazing 4.30 speed. Pair that with great hands and insane athleticism, and you get one of the most gifted players in the country. With Greedy Williams, one of the nation’s best defensive backs, moving on to the NFL, Stingley will get a great shot to see the field and make an impact in 2019.
Also leaving for the draft is Devin White, leaving a large gap open at the linebacker position. Expected to challenge for that spot is four-star Donte Starks (Marrero, LA). LSU also landed five-star outside linebacker Marcel Brooks to help solidify their front seven.
Also signing onto the Tigers’ 2019 class is five-star running back John Emery Jr. (Destrehan, LA). Emery Jr. looks like a video game on the field, carrying droves of defenders sometimes over 20 yards. He shows great ball carrier vision and ridiculous speed. However, quarterbacks at LSU will love this kid, as he shows an uncommon ability to protect the quarterback in pass blocking.
LSU was already in contention, with just a couple of close games removing them from Playoff talks. In 2019, the Tigers will look to build upon this success and have crafted an outstanding class to do so.
Grade: A