Nathaniel Wiggins had a secret for the past two weeks., but decided to wait until his 18th birthday late Friday evening to finally share it.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Wiggins, a four-star prospect and nation’s sixth-ranked cornerback prospect by 247Sports from Atlanta-Westlake, capped his special day by blowing out the candles on his recruiting process with a commitment to LSU.
The nation’s No. 68 overall prospect according to 247Sports picked the defending national champion Tigers over Alabama, Florida, Oregon and Georgia.
“I think they can help more with my game,” Wiggins said in a video posted on his Twitter page. “I like their style of play. I love the coaches.”
LSU’s recruiting Class of 2021, which jumped to third nationally in the 247Sports rankings, now has 17 commitments with its first pledge from a cornerback. Wiggins, a transfer from Grady High to Westlake, also became the third member of the Tigers’ class from Atlanta, joining safety Khari Gee and outside linebacker Zavier Carter.
The recruiting process for Wiggins shifted in recent months from more of a West Coast battle to a full-fledged pursuit among some of the nation’s top programs.
“What set LSU apart from the the other schools was (LSU defensive backs) Coach (Corey) Raymond and how he can develop me at cornerback, our conversations and what he can do for me as a player,” Wiggins told Rivals.com. “Since the quarantine, I have talked to Coach Raymond almost every day and he really knows what he’s doing. We have gone over film. He has helped me with workouts and his reputation of developing players really played a role, too.”
Nearly four months ago it appeared the decision for Wiggins would boil down to either USC, which led for his services, or Oregon until LSU began to make up ground even during the coronavirus pandemic where on-campus visits haven’t been permitted.
“I did the virtual tour with LSU because I was not able to visit there,” said Wiggins, who accepted an invitation to play in the U.S. All-American Bowl. “They showed me the facilities, the weight room, the stadium. They really showed me everything. I liked what I saw with all the stuff they had to show me.
“I am happy to be done with recruiting and have my decision. I am really excited about playing in front of the LSU fans. They are crazy there. I can’t wait to get there.”
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