Top 2021 LSU Football Tight End Target Michael Trigg Narrows Focus to Three Schools
Michael Trigg is a special athlete. As one of the nation's top tight end recruits in the 2021 class, Trigg is also being pursued by schools for his basketball skills.
On Thursday, the Tampa, Florida native narrowed his offer list of 49 schools down to three. Trigg will be choosing between LSU, South Carolina and USC.
It wasn't until recently that Trigg started receiving offers in both basketball and football. Because basketball overlaps with part of the football season, whichever program Trigg chooses, there will need to be some maneuvering ahead of time.
Trigg told LSUCountry in June that he wasn't sure how it was all going to be planned out but that he had spoken with the LSU football and basketball staffs about playing both sports.
"We've talked about it a little bit," Trigg said. "Some basketball coaches say right after football season you can come into basketball season but I think it's more difficult than that. I haven't spoken to anyone in depth about it yet."
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Carrollwood Day High School product figures to be a combo guard for the basketball team should he wind up choosing LSU.
"I'm kind of more like a combo guard and he liked how athletic I was and how I was able to get up and down the floor at my size," Trigg said. "I'm big and I can move and I feel like that's a strength for me in basketball. I can dribble and I think being a big, physical guard helps me on defense and gives me an advantage on offense."
As for his football skills, catching radius and route running are the strengths Trigg highlighted.
"I've always had good hands but I've been working a lot on my speed this offseason and I also want to get stronger," Trigg said. "Training for basketball helps with your wind because you're running up and down the court without stopping. So they really complement each other."
Here's Trigg's SI All-American player profile and scouting report:
Frame: Long with great wingspan. Fairly lean build with room to develop, especially in the upper body.
Athleticism: Legitimate basketball prospect with great body control, ball skills, and coordination. Runs well. Can play ‘above the rim’ game with relative ease in football. Hasn’t faced great competition but flashed dominance as a junior in scoring 16 touchdowns. Solid after the catch.
Instincts: Natural fluidity relative to size. Attacking style when the football is in the air with the length to pluck passes away from the body. Confident before and after the catch with the ability to make the first defender miss in space.
Polish: Can execute basics of the route tree, especially on one-cut routes. Finishes with toughness and extremely strong hands. Comfortable flexed out wide. Willing to make the tough catch over the middle. Efficient blocker with some edge upon arrival.
Bottom Line: Trigg is the new-age mismatch nightmare at tight end that college programs and NFL organizations covet. He is too big for defensive backs and too swift for linebackers and it should combine for an immediate impact at the next level.