LSU Recruiting Getting Back Into Swing With 2023 Visits This Weekend

Tigers hosting a number of 2023 prospects, important new staff starts carving out those relationships

The recruiting dead period is over and LSU is set to host a number of key local and national recruits from the 2023 class over the weekend.  

With just one commit in the 2023 class in Omarion Miller, who will be among the recruits on campus this weekend, this is an important weekend for the new staff under Brian Kelly to start building those relationships and pitch their visions with how each player will be utilized.  

Some of the top local talent in the country will be in attendance, including Westgate safety Derek Williams and running back Trey Holly out of Farmerville, Louisiana. Williams is next in line of elite defensive backs out of Louisiana and was former teammates with Tigers current star receiver Kayshon Boutte. 

Other in state players high on LSU's radar are receiver Shelton Sampson, cornerback Jordan Matthews and linebackers Tackett Curtis and Jaiden Ausberry, though it's not known when those players will be in Baton Rouge for a visit. Among the elite out of state players who will be visiting the Tigers this weekend are Georgia cornerback Michael Daugherty, Missouri cornerback Christian Gray, Michigan offensive lineman Cole Dellinger and Texas wide receiver Braylon James

Dellinger's older brother Garrett is currently heading into his sophomore season with the Tigers while Gray also has ties to cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples, who he played for at De Smet High School. This is a critical weekend for the Tigers coaching staff to find out more about these players and their personalities and goals as well.

There are multiple positions this team needs young depth to start rebuilding, something recruiting coordinator Brian Polian recognizes as a focus for the next few recruiting cycles, including 2023.

"Really my job is to ensure coach Kelly's vision of recruiting," Polian said. "My experience as a head coach and special teams coordinator helps because I see the big picture. I'm not focused on one side of the ball, I'm constantly looking at the big picture to not only see where we're at now but where we need to be in the future."

Tours of the practice facilities, stadium and campus are all a part of the weekend experience for these prospects but the real value will be the relationship building component. A number of the prospects were in attendance for the LSU-Alabama basketball game on Saturday as a part of their recruiting visits.

Building a foundation this weekend and over the next several weeks as more and more recruits come to town helps lay the bricks for further down the line.