National Signing Day Class of 2020-Recruiting
By: Tony Thomas December 18, 2019
Recruiting is the lifeblood of every college football program. Today was National Signing Day, the day when high school athletes choose which college or university they will take their football talents to.
As the #1 team in the College Football Playoff rankings, LSU yielded a top-five national recruiting class for 2020, and ranking #3 in the SEC. According to 247sports, the Tigers signed 19 recruits on the first day, highlighted by these standouts:
- LB Phillip Webb, 6-3, 224 LBS, ranked #4 nationally at the linebacker position; invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game.
- CB Elias Ricks, 6-2, 192 LBS, ranked #2 nationally at the cornerback position; invited to play in the All-American Bowl.
- TE Arik Gilbert, 6-5, 253 LBS, ranked # 1 nationally at the tight end position; invited to play in the All-American Game. Gilbert ranks in the top ten nationally of overall prospects. He is rated as an impact player with 1st round NFL Draft potential.
- WR Kayshon Boutte, 5-10, 180 LBS, ranked as the #1 prospect in Louisiana and the #6 ranked wide receiver in the country; invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game.
- DT Jaquelin Roy, 6-3, 289 LBS, ranked #5 nationally at the defensive tackle position; invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game.
- LB Antoine Sampah, 6-2, 220 LBS, ranked #4 nationally at the inside linebacker position; invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game.
- SDE Ali Gaye, 6-6, 270 LBS, ranked #2 nationally at the strong-side defensive end position.
- S Jordan Toles, 6-3, 190 LBS, ranked #6 nationally at the safety position; invited to play in the Under Armour All-American Game
Also in this class are quarterbacks Max Johnson, 6-4, 216 LBS from Watkinsville, Georgia, and T.J. Finley, 6-7, 250 from Ponchatoula, Louisiana. They will share the quarterback room and compete with current Tiger QB Myles Brennan for the starting job next season.
The Tigers signed 10 recruits on defense and 9 on offense.
As the day progressed, the Tigers lost two wide receivers to other schools. WR Rakim Jarrett changed his commitment and signed with head coach Mike Locksley and Maryland. And WR Jermaine Burton changed his commitment and signed with Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
LSU still retains a “hard commitment” from Haynesville DT CamRon Jackson, 6-6, 270 LBS. Jackson has yet to sign a letter of intent.
As the sun rose on this National Signing Day, this LSU recruiting class ranked in the top 3. By the end of the day, the class had dropped to #5. The Tigers are ranked behind Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia. Six SEC schools finished in the Top 10.
Two Louisiana prospects decided to leave the state. CB Decameron Richardson, 6-2, 176 LBS of Bossier High, signed with Mississippi State. Richardson was selected all-state at both running back and cornerback. He projects as a cornerback at the college level. As the #38 ranked cornerback in the nation, Richardson also received offers from South Carolina, Houston, Tennessee.
S Eric Reed, 6-1, 197 LBS of Calvary Baptist in Shreveport. As the #16th ranked safety in the country and the #6 safety in Louisiana, he has forced 9 fumbles and has two interceptions. Reed also received scholarship offers from LSU, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Virginia.
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