Will Rosenblatt
June 9, 2024 11:15 am CT
LSU needs to add talent at defensive tackle. Brian Kelly and Bo Davis made it a point in the transfer portal this year, but Kelly has been adamant about the core of this team being built through the high school ranks.
The Tigers did a good job of that last cycle with signings like Dominick McKinley and De’Myrion Johnson. But in the SEC, you need more than a couple of blue-chips on the interior defensive line. The best rosters have several guys capable of making top-end contributions at that spot. We saw the work Davis did at Texas last year, where he coached two of the top defensive tackles in the country.
This year, LSU returns just one scholarship defensive tackle that saw significant time last year in Jacobian Guillory. Davis has his work cut out for him with the rest of the group.
LSU’s chasing some big-name defensive tackles in the 2025 class. With Bo Davis in town, there’s an expectation LSU will land a few. Today, we’ll take a look at five difference makers that can be key players in LSU’s future defensive line room.
Four-star Reginald Vaughn
Super impressed with Reginald Vaughn 6’,3” 252 DE, Flowood, Hartfield academy, MS. Shows a great get off excellent play recognition and closing speed. Bless you with super long arms combined with quick hands and feet. also plays FW in basketball. 3.2 GPA. 4*+ rating, big-time. pic.twitter.com/MP1SMKfOWH
— Tom Lemming (@LemmingReport) November 1, 2023
At four-stars, Vaughn is a top 400 overall recruit with Rivals ranking him as the 19th best defensive tackle in the class.
Vaughn is from Mississippi, but after a couple of visits to LSU in recent months, the Tigers are in contention here. Ole Miss owns the lead in On3’s Prediction Machine at 37.9%, but LSU is next up at 26.7%.
Vaughn holds offers across the SEC footprint. Along with the Mississippi schools and LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Auburn have gotten involved.
It could take some work for Bo Davis to pry Vaughn out of Mississippi, but this is one to watch.
Four-star Jourdin Crawford
Parker HS 2025 DL Jourdin Crawford has the tools needed to help continue Birmingham’s production of great defensive lineman.
He holds offers from Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, Texas and others. https://t.co/TWshe2w8Vs pic.twitter.com/A42udIg1vF
— Touchdown Alabama Recruiting (@TDARecruiting) January 20, 2023
Crawford is committed to Auburn and that pledge looks firm, but its too early to count LSU out here. Crawford is set to take an official visit to LSU in the near future, meaning this recruitment isn’t shutdown yet.
On3’s Billy Embody wrote last month that it “will take a great experience to begin talking about a flip here.”
According to 247Sports and ESPN, Crawford is a top 15 defensive tackle in the class. He’d be one of the best prospects LSU signed at this position in the last few years. Crawford has the exact blend of size and speed you want at this position and if there’s even a chance of a flip here, LSU should continue to recruit hard.
Four-star Brandon Brown
LSU insider @BillyEmbody has logged an expert prediction for the Tigers to flip Texas 4-star DL commit Brandon Brown👀🐯
Intel: https://t.co/kPNieKqRgU pic.twitter.com/4vLoqqD7j5
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 3, 2024
Now we’ll talk about a flip that looks more likely. Four-star Brandon Brown is committed to Texas, but the On3 Prediction Machine is calling for a flip with LSU’s chance at 92%.
Brown is an On3 outlier, meaning the site’s a lot higher on him than the other three major recruiting services. On3 ranks Brown as a top 300 recruit and the No. 20 ranked defensive tackle in the class.
The flip makes sense, given Brown committed to Bo Davis when Davis was at Texas. After the move to LSU, Davis continued the recruitment. Recruiting against Texas and USC isn’t easy, but LSU is in a good spot here.
Zion Williams
📣 Commitment announcement coming July 4th 📣 pic.twitter.com/L237dXozPj
— Zion Williams (@ZionWilliams06) June 3, 2024
According to ESPN, Williams is the 15th ranked defensive tackle in the class. This is another recruit where LSU is dipping into Texas, but the Tigers are in a good position.
The On3 Prediction Machine gives LSU a 95.4% chance at sealing the recruitment. Williams is set to announce on July 4, which could make him the first domino to fall in LSU’s 2025 defensive tackle class.
Like Brown, Williams was on Bo Davis’ radar at Texas and that’s paid off with Davis now at LSU. At 6-4, 315-pounds, Williams possesses the size to be a real difference maker in the SEC and could shoot up the recruiting rankings with a strong senior campaign.
Other names to know
“Best in the Sip stay in the Sip. I don’t have to leave to do anything”
Hattiesburg (Miss.) DL Kevin Oatis talks about the opportunities at home, elsewhere as he details his potential finalists and plans for the summer. A decision is expected in August https://t.co/AyDokRK04H pic.twitter.com/YNCDvIciJW
— Zach Berry (@Zach_Berry) April 16, 2024
There are a few other names to monitor as the 2025 cycle hits its final stretch
Xavier Ukponu
Momentum has built for LSU to land Ukponu after a recent visit and Tiger fans should feel good about this one.
Dilan Battle
The three-star took an official visit to LSU, but SMU is the leader for the Dallas native.
Kevin Oatis
Oatis is one of the top defensive tackles in the class and LSU remains involved, but it could be tough to pull him out of Mississippi.
