Last week, I hosted a two-hour LSU recruiting special inside the Mercedez-Benz of Baton Rouge studios on 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge with Billy Embody of Geaux247 and Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com. While the focus of the show was LSU’s 2018 class, we did dive into the 2019 haul of quarterbacks and in-state talent, both of which are trending in the right direction for the Tigers.
LSU RECRUITING: QUARTERBACKS
Some of the quarterback names include Michael Johnson, Jr., a four-star dual threat from Eugene, Ore; Bo Nix, a four-star dual-threat from Pinson, Ala.; and Grant Gunnell, the top-ranked pro-style passer in the 2019 class and a current Texas A&M commit.
“It’s going to be a tough flip for me,” Embody said of Gunnell, “especially now that Jimbo Fisher is at A&M. He was really high on Jimbo Fisher at FSU.”
Because LSU has yet to sign a 2018 quarterback – though discussion of a potential addition in James Foster does come up – the Tigers could be after multiple guys in 2019.
“I would see, kind of how they did with 2017, bringing two guys in,” Lopez said. “If they can.”
The player LSU gets may not yet be on the public radar.
“You see it every year,” added Embody, “where quarterbacks come out of nowhere. Myles Brennan did that. LSU offered, and he committed…There’s still a ton to shake out with quarterback recruiting.”
LSU RECRUITING: 2019 IN-STATE PLAYERS
What’s certain is that Louisiana is loaded for 2019. Lopez noted 14 in-state players are currently four-stars in the 247Composite, compared to just nine from the 2018 class. He noted players like LSU commits Thomas Perry and Joseph Evans, U-High athlete Makiya Tongue, and Embody noted that Derek Stingley has a chance to be a five-star before it’s all said and done.
One of the gems of the class is five-star guard Kardell Thomas, the No. 22 overall player in the country in the 247Composite. He’s an LSU commit currently who will help Ed Orgeron in his quest to continue building up LSU’s trenches.
“He’s Mr. Pancake for a reason,” Lopez said. “He just dominates the competition. This is a loaded class.”
Thomas went viral earlier this year while running the anchor in a 4×100 meter relay – at 6-foot-5 and 356 pounds.
“This is the stuff of nightmares,” I said. “If I was a high school football player, I would have literal nightmares at night thinking about playing against him.”
He’s not even the highest-ranked Louisana prospect for next season. That honor goes to defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher, who Lopez likened to Leonard Fournette and Cam Robinson as Louisiana players with a chance to be considered among the nation’s best in their class.
“He’s up there in that class to be maybe when it’s all said and done, he’s in the conversation to be the top player in the country next year,” Lopez said.
Check out the video below for the full chat.
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