One of the main reasons that the LSU Tigers have been able to have such sustained success is the talent pool of players that come from the state of Louisiana.
Lane Kiffin quickly learned how important it is to lock down the best players in the state as he had to close deals with Lamar Brown, Richard Anderson, Deuce Geralds and Brysten Martinez this cycle.
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That is four top-100 players in the nation from in-state, and who many would consider the best in the country in Brown, who will become Tigers.
New Orleans Saints defensive passing game coordinator and former LSU grad assistant, Terry Joseph, recently spoke about the talent from the state of Louisiana and why the Tigers’ program is so important when asked about it at the East-West Shrine Bowl:
“I mean, it’s ‘The Boot.’ They have a lot of great players there, and I think the biggest thing about Louisiana players is that they’re hungry. A lot of those schools don’t have the resources that a lot of other high schools have in different state. So when those guys get to places like LSU, they’re going to continue to grow and get better.”
Joseph is the defensive coordinator at this year’s Shrine Bowl, a New Orleans native and has been coaching football since 1999. He started at Archbishop Shaw and then went to Destrehan before making it to college. He then spent years recruiting in the area. Few people are more qualified to talk about Louisiana high school football.
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At the East-West Shrine Bowl this season, along with Joseph, are: West Weeks, Harold Perkins Jr., Patrick Payton, Bauer Sharp, Chris Hilton and Zavion Thomas.
Several of those players are from within the state, as well as other participants like Southeastern Lions defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor.
Recruiting in-state at LSU is a must. Kiffin did a good job of it in his first class, but most of the hard work was already done. Relationships were already built. Getting rid of a guy like Frank Wilson, while ultimately an understandable move, hurts the cause a bit.
It seems like the staff that Kiffin has put together is full of rockstar recruiters. They will have to prove that they can do it in Louisiana, though, and build quick relationships at key schools.
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The 2027 class has the top quarterback in the country, out of Baton Rouge, but he has already ruled the Tigers out as an option.
Ahmad Hudson, a top-10 nationwide player and star tight end, will be his first real test. There are 10 players from the country’s top 150 players in next year’s class.
