LSU Recruiting Notebook: Tigers Surging Following Successful Weekend

Brian Kelly and the Tigers are heating up on the recruiting trail, land two commitments in 12 hours.

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are surging on the recruiting trail after an impressive weekend in Baton Rouge. The Bayou Bengals hosted several of the nation’s top prospects with this program making a statement in the recruiting scene.

After knocking off Auburn in dominant fashion, top prospects took notice of both the culture in Baton Rouge and the electric atmosphere Tiger Stadium has to offer.

Now, the dust has settled after a monster 24 hour stretch with LSU beginning to make its presence felt in both the 2024 and 2025 classes.

The latest on the recruiting scene:

The Commitments: CJ Jackson (2024) and TaRon Francis (2025)

It’s been a busy last 24 hours for the LSU program. Shortly after the Tigers defeated Auburn, coveted wide receiver target TaRon Francis shut down his recruitment process and revealed his pledge to LSU.

Francis, a New Orleans native, was the first to pop after a productive visit to Baton Rouge on Saturday alongside a handful of the top 2025 prospects. The 6-foot, 200-pounder quickly became a priority for the Tigers, and after a productive visit to Baton Rouge, Francis shut down the process instantly.

Just 12 hours later, Kelly and Co. secured another key target after Top 100 prospect CJ Jackson revealed his commitment to LSU Sunday morning. Jackson, a Top 10 EDGE in the 2024 cycle, backed off of his pledge to Georgia Tech last week and wasted no time in joining the purple and gold’s elite class.

Jackson fills a void for LSU. This program has been in search of adding another prized defensive lineman to its 2024 class, and with the Georgia native now on board, the Tigers filled a position of need moving forward.

The No. 1 Visitor: Bryce Underwood

The No. 1 overall player in the 2025 cycle made his way to Baton Rouge… again. Underwood, the top signal-caller in America, returned to Death Valley for a visit to LSU once again with his family also in attendance.

Those familiar with the situation feel the visit went well as Underwood continues working through the recruitment process. The Michigan native has a commitment date locked in for January with LSU, Michigan and Colorado surging to the top of his list.

After another productive trip down South, Underwood remains the No. 1 target for the Tigers in the 2025 class with a decision coming in the next few months.

The No. 1 prospect in America, Bryce Underwood, visits LSU on Oct. 14 / Zack Nagy: LSU Country

The Texas A&M Trio Hits Baton Rouge

Kelly and his recruiting staff made a splash this weekend after bringing in a trio of Texas A&M commitments to town. LSU hosted five-star ATH Terry Bussey, four-star wide receiver Dre’lon Miller and four-star defensive lineman Gabriel Reliford for visits.

Bussey returned to Baton Rouge once again after taking an official to LSU when the Tigers faced off against Arkansas in September. Shortly after his visit, he revealed his commitment to Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M. Now, it’s clear there’s mutual interest between LSU and Bussey after a return trip, but he remains locked in with the Aggies.

For Miller, he made his way to town as well. The Aggie pledge remains a player LSU is heavily interested in and this recruiting staff has prioritized him in a big way. Miller met with the coaching staff this weekend with the Tigers turning up the heat.

Lastly, Louisiana native Gabriel Reliford made the trip down to Baton Rouge. Reliford has been pledged to A&M for a while but it hasn’t stopped Kelly and Co. from pushing for his services. He’s visited campus on several occasions as this staff continues a full-court press to flip the current Aggie pledge.

Top Target Ready To Decide?

Baton Rouge native Keylan Moses appears ready to make a decision in the coming weeks after a recent post on social media. The four-star linebacker was in town on Saturday when LSU knocked off Auburn in Tiger Stadium.

Moses, one of the top prospects in the 2025 cycle, remains at the top of the Tigers’ “wish list” and stays in constant contact with the LSU staff. 

He’s been well traveled over the last few months. With a visit to Oregon in the books and a return trip to Florida set for Nov. 4, LSU will battle down the stretch for the Louisiana native as this program pushes to get him in the purple and gold.

I will be committing real soon…⏰

— 𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗹𝗮𝗻 "𝗞𝗲𝘆" 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀✞ (@_Keylan1k) October 15, 2023

New Flip Targets?: PJ Woodland (2024) and Micah Debose (2025)

Woodland was in town on Saturday alongside America’s finest as LSU looks to pry him away from Mississippi State. On Sunday, the three-star cornerback backed off of his pledge to the Bulldogs with a pair of SEC programs surging for his services.

LSU remains in contact with him, but Ole Miss is also a program to monitor in the coming weeks. The 6-foot, 165-pounder out of Mississippi is a guy to keep tabs on as the Tigers’ interest level shifts.

Kelly and Co. hosted 2025 four-star offensive lineman Micah DeBose for a visit over the weekend as well. It was a star-studded visitors list and the current Georgia commit made sure to get in on the action.

Debose is pledged to Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, but it’s a long way out until the Alabama native puts pen to paper. Until then, LSU and others will make their push. Saturday’s visit could go a long way after a successful trip to town.