LSU Football Newcomer Profile: Coveted Louisiana LB Tylen Singleton Making a Statement

The top linebacker in the Bayou State stayed home, making a statement during first offseason.

Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff continue locking down the state of Louisiana on the recruiting trail, and after signing the No. 1 linebacker in "The Boot" last year, it provided the Tigers with a lethal athlete at the second level.

The Bayou Bengals landed Many (La.) star Tylen Singleton in the 2024 cycle with the Louisiana native looking to make a name for himself in Baton Rouge.

The announcement sent shockwaves across the recruiting scene with the Tigers adding the No. 5 player in the state and ultimately a prospect who was at the top of their wish list.

Singleton, one of the top overall linebackers in the country and a player who is as versatile as they come at the high school level, gave the Tigers another in-state recruiting victory. 

Now, Singleton is in Baton Rouge with an opportunity to shine for the Tigers defense.

In 2024, he'll have an opportunity to learn from future first round NFL Draft selection Harold Perkins and savvy veteran Greg Penn III.

From there, the sky is the limit for Singleton as he continues impressing the LSU staff in his first offseason with the Tigers.

What is LSU getting in Singleton? 

A dive into the dynamic linebacker's game and what he can do to make an impact in Baton Rouge:

Versatility

First and foremost Singleton can do it all on the gridiron. He’s played linebacker and safety for Many (La.) High School while even stepping outside and taking snaps at cornerback for his program.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder has some saying he’s built like a safety, but linebacker is his forte and it’s clear from his tape. Singleton may have been the hardest hitting player in Louisiana during high school and is only getting stronger.

When LSU was itching for another linebacker in its 2024 class, Singleton checked the boxes immediately and gave defensive coordinator Blake Baker a monster weapon for the foreseeable future.

A player who moves sideline-to-sideline extremely well, his lateral quickness has him cover the field in the blink of an eye. Once moving in open space, he closes the gap on opponents well in order to slam into others and make play after play.

Explosive, Hard-Hitting Talent

Singleton rose up the rankings as a Top 5 prospect in Louisiana due to his unique playstyle. Harold Perkins has become a player that steals the show and it’s as a result of his rare game on the field. He’s able to move around, line up all over the field and cap it off with speed to make the play.

For Singleton, his game thrives off of the highlight reel hit, but versatility and closing speed steals the show as well. As stated, the heavy hitting ability of Singleton jumps off of the screen when analyzing his film. When the ball is snapped, his jump out of his “block” is noteworthy.

By no means is Singleton a “speedster,” but his quickness and twitchiness has him get from Point A to Point B at an impressive rate. When watching his tape, the explosiveness and hard-hitting ability paired with versatility at different slots has him as one of the more unique prospects in Louisiana in this 2024 class.

Importance of the Signing

It’s no secret LSU rolled out the red carpet for Singleton each time he stepped foot in Baton Rouge last year. prior to his signing He was at the top of the Tigers wish list and was made a priority each time this program spoke to him.

LSU has 9 of Louisiana’s Top 10 players pledged.

The Haul:
No. 1: TE Trey’Dez Green
No. 2: DL Dominick McKinley
No. 4: DL Gabe Reliford
No. 5: S Dashawn McBryde
No. 6 S Joel Rogers
No. 7: LB Tylen Singleton
No.8: CB Ju’Juan Johnson
No.9: CB Bernard Causey
No.10: WR Kylan Billiot pic.twitter.com/DKfluTEf4U

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) January 2, 2024

The signing continued Brian Kelly’s point of locking down Louisiana on the recruiting trail.

LSU landed signings from eight of the state’s top 10 prospects in what has the makings of being an impactful class for the future. 

Another Important Defensive Signing: Five-Star Dominick McKinley

LSU freshman defensive tackle Dominick McKinley arrived in Baton Rouge this summer with lofty expectations after signing with the Tigers as the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana.

McKinley, one of the top defensive tackles in America, revealed his commitment to Brian Kelly and Co. on New Years Eve before putting pen to paper during February's signing period.

The recruitment of McKinley was a rollercoaster ride after remaining firm to his Texas A&M pledge, but with LSU continuing to chip away, the Bayou Bengals got it done down the stretch.

Now, after making his way to campus as a summer enrollee, McKinley is in Death Valley with an opportunity to see the field during year one in the purple and gold.

For Kelly and defensive line coach Bo Davis, the addition of McKinley quickly became a critical move due to lack of depth within the interior defensive line.

The top prospect in the Bayou State has turned heads during his first few weeks with the program and his work in the weight room throughout the spring has paid off.

The freshman phenom hovered around the 275-285 pound range during his senior year of high school with Acadiana (La.), but has bulked up significantly this offseason.

McKinley is now listed at 6-foot-6, 316 pounds heading into his first season with the Bayou Bengals.

It's plain and simple: McKinley is expected to take snaps during his first season in Baton Rouge due to depth issues and the Tigers have been pleased with his development so far.

He hit the weight room with force during the spring on his own and carried his momentum once enrolling at LSU during the summer.

According to a source, McKinley has been impressive this offseason and gelling with his teammates quickly.

The transition to SEC ball is challenging for any position group, but when it comes to the defensive line, it's a significant adjustment.

For McKinley, he'll be expected to take significant snaps down the stretch of the season.

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.