LSU Loses 4th Commitment In Less Than 3 Weeks As CB Kade Phillips Flips To Texas

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

It’s a good thing LSU won its last two games to finish 8-4, or it might be losing more commitments for its Class of 2025.

The Tigers just lost their fourth commitment since losing their fourth game of the season at Florida on Nov. 16.

No. 7-ranked cornerback Kade Phillips, a four-star prospect from Hightower High in Missouri City, Texas, who committed to the Tigers last June, flipped to Texas on Tuesday. The No. 3 Longhorns (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) play No. 7 Georgia (10-2, 6-2 SEC) in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday (3 p.m., ABC). LSU (8-4, 5-3 SEC), which was No. 8 in the country before losing three straight in October and November, will learn its second-tier bowl destination on Sunday.

Phillips (6-0, 175) is the No. 54 overall prospect by 247Sports.com and the No. 13 player in Texas.

The flip came just four days after No. 18 edge rusher LaJesse Harrold of Gaither High in Tampa, Florida, de-committed from the Tigers on Friday. Harrold (6-5, 215) visited Florida State (2-10, 1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) over the weekend. The Seminoles need Harrold badly. They have only 12 commitments, and their class is ranked No. 53 in the nation by 247Sports.com.

LSU remains at No. 6 in the 247Sports.com rankings heading into the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday with 24 commitments, but it is expected to fall unless coach Brian Kelly and his staff flip some commitments soon.

Last Thursday, LSU lost its five-star commitment from Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1-ranked quarterback from the Detroit area when he flipped to Michigan. The exodus began shortly after LSU’s loss at Florida when No. 5-ranked interior offensive lineman Devin Harper (6-4, 305) of Calvary Baptist High in Shreveport flipped from LSU to Ole Miss. He is the No. 83 prospect in the country and No. 3 player in Louisiana.

LSU has one 5-star prospect in its list of commitments – cornerback D.J. Pickett of Zephyrhills High in Zephyrhills, Florida, near Tampa. Pickett (6-4, 178) is the No. 3 cornerback in the nation, No. 12 prospect in the country and No. 1 player in Florida.

COLOR TRANSFER PORTAL PURPLE AND GOLD?

In addition trying to keep his ’25 class together, Kelly plans on diving deeper into the NCAA Transfer Portal than in years past. The next portal window for transfer signings begins on Monday.

“We’ll be very aggressive,” Kelly said when asked about tapping more into the portal last week after losing Underwood. “We’ve really put ourselves in a position now, and I’ll use this term loosely, to stay well under the cap. And we will be very aggressive in that area.”