igerRag.com’s Audibles podcast – December 6, 2024 | Brian Kelly spoke about LSU’s NIL challenges at his signing day press conference. Financial Support Needed Despite landing a top 10 recruiting class, the Tigers lost top prospects to teams offering bigger paychecks. Kelly emphasized the need for more financial support. He stated that LSU faces a choice: Constant fundraising Last-minute spending to stay competitive He pointed out the difficulty of keeping up with richer programs. He mentioned Tennessee’s “talent fee” as a possible solution. Kelly warned that LSU needs more funding to remain competitive, as recruiting now depends on the highest offers. 2025 Season Signing Class LSU added 23 players to its football roster for the 2025 season on Wednesday, signing one of the nation’s top recruiting classes. The Tigers’ signing class was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally by Rivals.com, while On3, ESPN, and 247Sports ranked it at No. 8. Kelly’s Statement “I think this is the finest class I’ve signed,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly. “It’s a testament to the work our entire staff has done over the past 18 months to put together an outstanding class. Despite what happened last week, all these guys wanted to be at LSU, representing LSU and wanting to be part of a championship.” “This is an outstanding class. They all wanted to be part of LSU because they saw something, they felt something that was clear to them – that this is going to be a championship program and they want to be part of it. We’ve put together elite classes in back-to-back years.” Top Talent in the Class Kelly’s fourth signing class at LSU featured 10 of the top 20 rated players in Louisiana, including: No. 1 ranked player: Running back Harlem Berry No. 1 rated players: OL Carius Curne from Arkansas CB DJ Pickett from Florida EDGE Damien Shanklin from Indiana Pickett, from Zephyrhills High School in Florida, is widely considered the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the Class of 2025 and is ranked as the 10th-best overall prospect nationally. Berry, from St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, is the nation’s top-rated running back, while Solomon Thomas is rated as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman nationally. All three players earned 5-stars in the On3 composite rankings. In-State Signees Of the 10 in-state signees for the Tigers: Five were rated among the top 10 in the state Eight were among the top 15 players in Louisiana The class includes 14 players on the defensive side, made up of: Four defensive tackles Four linebackers It also includes nine players on offense, with: Four offensive linemen, including: 5-star tackle Thomas 4-stars Curne and Tyler Miller Legacy Players and Family Connections The Tigers also added a pair of legacy players: Offensive lineman Brett Bordelon Tight end JD LaFleur Bordelon joins his brother Bo on the Tiger roster and is the son of Ben Bordelon, who started 31 games for the Tigers in the 1990s. LaFleur is the son of David LaFleur, an All-America at LSU in 1996 and a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys. Another member of the Weeks family joined the LSU roster as well – Zach Weeks, the younger brother of West and Whit, will play for the Tigers in 2025. This is the first time since 1995 that LSU’s roster will feature three brothers. That year, the Hills – Chris, Greg, and Melvin – all played for the Tigers.
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