Three 2021 LSU Football Commits Land on Inaugural SI99 List
It's a day that's been in the works for months and now our colleagues over at SI All-American have finally released the inaugural SI99, highlighting the top-100 prospects in the 2021 recruiting class. LSU is off to a phenomenal start to its class, with elite prospects up and down the board.
Three LSU commits landed on the inaugural SI99 including linebacker Raesjon Davis, receiver JoJo Earle and defensive end Landon Jackson. Davis came in at No. 26, Earle at No. 82 and Jackson at No. 89. We reached out to Davis, Earle and Jackson to get their reactions to being named to the SI99 rankings.
“That’s huge for me! As a young kid you always dream of making the top list and being one of the best players in the country,” Davis said. “It’s really a blessing being able to play my senior year and get another shot at a national title. I just want to thank everyone that has helped build me up to this moment.”
“I’m very excited about being named to the SI99 top prospects,” Earle said. “There’s so many kids out in the world playing the sport just like me and I managed to separate myself and get my name noticed. It’s an achievement that I wouldn’t take lightly.”
“Extremely glad that I got to go through this whole process. It’s been a great one, and three of us all going to the same school is really going to help bring LSU another national championship,” Jackson said. “Can’t wait to get on the field with my boys.
All three bring unique skill sets to the LSU program as key additions to the 2021 class. Davis was one of the first to join the class back in January and has played a big role in helping attract others to the class as well.
When LSUCountry caught up with Davis in July, he mentioned that the 2021 recruits are part of a group chat and have spent the last few months getting to know one another.
"We all text every day and we talk to each other, we're trying to build the bond up so by the time we get there, it's like clockwork and we're ready to win championships," Davis said. "We're super close and we just tell each other the targets we're shooting for."
Here's the SI All-American bottom line on Davis:
Davis is a three-down linebacker ready to make big plays against today’s offenses. He can command extra attention as a pass-rusher and hold his own against a secondary wide receiver, tight end or running back in coverage. As he adds mass and gains experience inside, especially on early downs, he could blossom into the type of defensive signal-caller you can’t take off the football field.
Earle is a unique prospect as he has the physical tools to gravitate towards wide receiver or running back according to the SI All-American crew. He was named as one of the top most versatile prospects in the country a few weeks back because of his electrifying speed.
The speedster out of Aledo, Texas has been clocked in the 40-yard dash in the 4.3 range, making him one of the fastest players in the class and instantly one of the fastest players on LSU's roster. He could carve out an instant role on special teams and possibly in the offensive arsenal, though it might be prudent that he adds a little more weight before getting to campus.
"They constantly put people in the league and I want to be one of those people," Earle said after committing in April. "It's just crazy, when I was younger I used to like LSU a lot. I told my mom one time, she was like 'what college do you want to go to?' I was like 'LSU' and she brought that up the other day and it surprised me."
Jackson was the first defensive end to commit to the class, a list that has added Naquan Brown, Saivion Jones and Keanu Koht in recent weeks. The Texarkana, Texas product walks into a familiar style of defense with the 4-3 under new defensive coordinator Bo Pelini.
It's the defense that helped him win state championships during his freshman and junior seasons at Pleasant Grove High School. With Ed Orgeron also being a defensive line minded coach, Jackson likes the idea of getting more one on one attention.
"I really like that because it means my head coach will be around my group and I feel like I'd have a lot closer relationship with my head coach if I had a coach like that," Jackson said back in February.
There is plenty still to unpack with the SI99 rankings, including a number of highly touted targets who are heavily considering the purple and gold. Check back on Tuesday to see where some of the top prospects the Tigers are in pursuit of land.
