Why LSU football, Brian Kelly are expected to have a quiet National Signing Day
BATON ROUGE - LSU football has been busy this offseason. But don't expect too many fireworks from the Tigers on National Signing Day.
The Tigers signed 25 high school players when the early signing period opened up on Dec. 21, also adding 11 players from the transfer portal. After losing 17 players to the portal and a good chunk of its starting defense, the mini-overhaul by coach Brian Kelly and his staff was needed.
LSU does have some additional scholarships it can use before reaching the 85-man limit so its offseason isn't over, especially with the second transfer portal window opening on May 1.
But in terms of high school recruits, it's safe to say LSU has mostly moved on to wooing Class of 2024 prospects.
LSU has already signed most of its 2023 class
LSU filled a variety of future needs during the early signing window, including cornerback, safety, offensive line and edge rusher. Most notably, the Tigers added offensive tackle Zalance Heard and edge rusher Da'Shawn Womack, both five-star recruits according to 247Sports Composite.
The haul ended with LSU holding the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation heading into Wednesday, an impressive result given that the Tigers' staff only had less time to recruit the class.
Which player LSU football still could sign
Nyckoles Harbor, one of two uncommitted five-star recruits, had interest in LSU throughout the fall, even detailing his relationship with defensive line coach Jamar Cain in November.
"Definitely, that connection that me and coach Cain built over the whole year, it’s been amazing," Harbor told On3 Sports. "It’s been really amazing, truly amazing. Just (knowing) him since Oklahoma to following him to USC and then LSU, it’s been a tremendous journey with him. He’s probably been, I’d say, my best relation with a coach that I’ve had in college football."
But Harbor's interest in LSU has faded since the early signing period. The Tigers cracked his top seven schools, but he never ended up making a visit to Baton Rouge, according to On3. Instead, Maryland, South Carolina, Michigan and Oregon have garnered official visits from Harbor.
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Besides Harbor, the other uncommitted five-star recruit – tight end Duce Robinson – has shown little interest in LSU. Four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada had LSU among his final schools before committing to Miami but hasn't shown interest in the Tigers since decommitting from Miami and backing out of his National Letter of Intent with Florida.
The only recruit LSU appears to be in the mix for on National Signing Day is three-star defensive lineman Jamel Howard. The Chicago prospect visited Baton Rouge on Jan. 20 despite receiving a late offer from the Tigers on Dec. 6, according to 247Sports.
Cain is also leading the way in his recruitment but LSU faces stiff competition for his services. Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Miami are also involved, per On3.
Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Brian Kelly, LSU football expect quiet National Signing Day. Here's why
