LSU, Brian Kelly Using Bye Week to Focus on Recruitment

Kelly staying in Baton Rouge to make calls, rest of staff hitting the recruitment trail for visits.

Brian Kelly and his staff have certainly been putting in work on the recruitment trail, but using the open date to their advantage is of the utmost importance. This LSU staff will hit the road this week to get in front of a few of their key 2023 and 2024 commits/targets.

Hosting a myriad of top prospects to Baton Rouge over the last few months, this week gives this coaching staff a chance to get out on the road for one-on-one meetings, which Kelly feels is key in the recruiting space.

But this staff has put an emphasis on this 2023 cycle. With this class being their first true class of the Kelly era, it means much more. Yes, the 2022 class will be labeled as Kelly’s after reeling in a few big fish of his own, but the entire 2023 class will have his footprints on it and he understands that.

READ MORE: LSU Commit Tayvion Galloways Bought Into Brian Kelly's Process 

The Path To The Boot

— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) October 26, 2022

“There’s a lot of work to be done. Recruiting for us has just started. This freshman class is the first class we’ve gotten in the doors here and we only had a few months to recruit it,” Kelly said. “Our first true freshman class is coming up. Building your program is through recruiting. It’s going to take a while before we get to that point where everybody is feeling we’ve got the program where it’s got to be.”

The Tigers secured 3-star linebacker Christian Brathwaite to their 2023 class Wednesday morning, but this staff has their focus on other prospects as well. 

Hosting 5-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor for a visit in the coming weeks while also prioritizing 4-star OL DJ Chester and 4-star defensive back Javien Toviano, this class isn’t finished just yet.

Look for Kelly and this staff to keep their foot on the gas with this 2023 cycle as Early National Signing Day inches closer in December.

READ MORE: 4-Star Safety Ryan Yaites Shuts Down Recruitment, Locked in With LSU

Brian Kelly sounds off the LSU field storming. It was a soft storm, and it took Kelly by surprise, but he's here for it. pic.twitter.com/FQEa9tfuaN

— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) October 25, 2022

But this coaching staff is looking at the bigger picture too as they hit the 2024 class with force. Already landing 4-star tight end Tayvion Galloway and safety Maurice Williams, LSU is developing relationships early with that class, and will use the bye week to conduct a few more in-home visits.

One thing in this 2024 class is their ability to use social media to their benefit. That being, we’ve seen commits like Galloway reach out to other prospects through Twitter and other channels to connect with other prospects. Something so small goes a long way this day in age.

“The reason I feel I’m so vocal with helping to recruit guys [to LSU] is because when I get to LSU I’m trying to compete for a national championship,” Galloway said. “I want to be able to bring a lot of other great athletes with me. Great people. Not just athletes. I’m just trying to help out the BK Effect.”

As the season winds down, the Tigers will host a few more elite prospects to Death Valley for game days, specifically next weekend when the Alabama Crimson Tide head to town. The work has just begun for this recruiting staff, but as the months go on, we’ve seen a positive trajectory with this staff on the recruitment trail.