The LSU Bayou Splash Tidbits: Version 4.0

The LSU Bayou Splash recruiting event was a success for the Tigers, and one commitment from the weekend is already in with the addition of Texas offensive lineman Ory Williams.

What’s the buzz coming out from the weekend now that the dust is settling on Friday’s event in Baton Rouge?

Here’s the latest I’m hearing on a number of different prospects.

LSU makes a splash with some top Louisiana targets

*** There were a ton of the commitments in town, and it’s worth noting that 13 of the staff’s 21 commitments for the 2024 class are Louisiana prospects. From talking with the commitments, the bond with the group is growing a lot stronger the more they are able to spend time together at LSU. Events like these go a long way towards them also building on their rapport with remaining targets for the 2024 class as well as in-state recruits the Tigers are in on for the future. LSU is making a very concerted effort to lock up Louisiana, and this weekend was a win on that front.

*** Acadiana five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley was on campus, as was his younger brother Darryus McKinley, who is a rising sophomore defensive lineman at Acadiana. LSU extended an offer to him while he was on campus, so now both McKinley brothers have a verbal scholarship from the staff. When speaking with a source, from the staff’s perspective, this weekend was McKinley’s best visit to LSU yet. He had extended talks with a number of coaches, and I’m told LSU’s Frank Wilson had a lengthy chat with McKinley about their plans for him, why he’s valued so highly by the staff and more. After McKinley made official visits to four out-of-state schools in June, getting him back to campus for Friday’s Bayou Splash has the Tigers firmly in the mix here. And the good news is LSU still has an official visit to come, not to mention game visits and in-home visits with the staff.

*** The more times running backs Harlem Berry and James Simon are on campus, the more confident I get the Tigers are going to pull off getting both in the 2025 class. Frank Wilson is dialed in here with the pair, and their skillset would complement each other well. With Berry, who is ranked as the No. 1 running back in the country, I am really gaining more confidence in LSU’s chances. I’m not far from entering my On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) pick for the Tigers.

*** If there’s a Louisiana target I think could pop soon from the weekend, I’m circling Sulphur tight end JD LaFleur. I’m hearing things went really, really well here. He’s an LSU legacy (son of former LSU TE David LaFleur), he picked up an offer during June’s camp, and he seems like he’s not into dragging his recruiting process once he gets to that point of feeling comfortable about a decision. I put my On3 RPM pick in for LSU over the weekend.

*** Westgate 2025 defensive back Jaboree Antoine was at LSU on Friday, which was key given some out-of-state schools have grabbed his attention early on. Antoine told The Bengal Tiger that the Bayou Splash, and the conversations he had with LSU’s staff and commitments, has “definitely got me more intent to keeping the best in the Boot!”

*** A quick note on one of Louisiana’s best 2026 prospects. U-High’s Lamar Brown was back at football ops again as one of the small handful of visitors from the 2026 class. He’s someone the staff is super high on as a prospect who could play offensive line or defensive line, and he worked out at both during LSU’s camps in June. He’s not going to announce a decision soon given he hasn’t even started his sophomore year of high school, but I feel great about LSU’s chances when he’s ready to make a college choice.

The buzz from outside the state

*** Caden Durham was on campus from Thursday until Sunday, and he didn’t travel to Texas A&M after being on the list of potential visitors in College Station on Saturday. On Sunday, he named a final three of LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. But the bigger news was Durham announced he was moving up his commitment date and would no longer wait until August 25. Reading his actions are telling. He gave LSU his final visit in June, and he changed it to an unofficial visit so he could save his official visit for later in his recruiting process. He then was back on LSU’s campus for a four-day stay during the seven days in between two NCAA Dead Periods. He didn’t drop into Oklahoma this past week (that we know of). And after spending four days in Baton Rouge, Durham revealed he was pushing up his commitment date. That, coupled with what I’ve heard from sources, has me just about ready to put in my On3 RPM pick for LSU. The work done by Frank Wilson and a number of others on staff has the Tigers in a great spot.

*** Colin Simmons and his family were in Baton Rouge for the weekend, and he was one of the headliners of the Bayou Splash as the highest-ranked 2024 recruit in attendance. I think this comes down to LSU and Texas. I also think it’s a very tight race where both teams are swinging back and forth in the bout for a five-star. That’s my opinion. To get him on campus again was obviously huge, and he was there with a number of his teammates while also getting to spend time around the LSU staff and other recruits on campus. Now, I’m watching to see if Simmons reveals a decision date ahead of his senior season, or does he wait it out? There’s buzz growing that it could happen ahead of his senior year, but the ball is in Simmons’ court there.

*** The big surprise visitor was five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, who is ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country for the 2025 class. He returned to Baton Rouge for a third time in the past four months, which is a really big sign of his interest in the Tigers. LSU quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan has done a great job here, and his efforts are paying off with these offseason visits with his family. Underwood dropped into Michigan on Sunday with his father for a visit. From speaking with multiple sources, this feels like a 50-50 battle between the Tigers and Wolverines with a decision date circled for January. Given it’s less than a hour’s drive from his home to Michigan’s campus, LSU couldn’t ask for a better spot to be in as Underwood gears up for his junior season. The Tigers have a very real chance to land the nation’s top prospect for next year’s class.

*** Remember the name Devin Smith. LSU defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Matt House is a huge fan of Smith, and he was back on campus for the Bayou Splash. He’s also got an offer in hand. With LSU linebacker commitment Xavier Atkins expected to move his commitment from the Tigers to Texas A&M, Smith is the name to watch. At this stage, we feel good about LSU’s chances of landing the Georgia linebacker.

*** The commitment from the weekend that already went public was Ory Williams. This is a huge win for LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis in Texas, because the Tigers feel Williams has some of the biggest upside of offensive tackles they went after in the 2024 class. That’s three offensive line commits, but the Tigers aren’t done yet there. The next name I expect in is Louisiana’s Joseph Cryer, which would give LSU four offensive line commits. And they might add more from there.

*** Blake Ivy‘s recruitment is getting interesting… I’ve always felt he was a lock to end up at Texas A&M, but now even a couple sources on the Texas A&M side said the Tigers are giving the Aggies a real fight down the stretch. Ivy visited LSU on Friday and Texas A&M on Saturday, and he gave both schools official visits in June. I thought by this stage he would be committed to the Aggies, but he’s not – and he’s still giving LSU visits. Depending on who you ask, there’s some growing optimism around LSU circles that they might have a real shot to pull this one off.

*** Eljyah Thurmon is the lone 2024 prospect who landed an offer this weekend, so add another offensive lineman to the board. LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis is going to take a big class, and he’s making sure the Tigers are set up with plenty of options depending on how the dominos fall. Thurmon’s one to keep an eye on as the offensive line dominos drop.

*** I’m still digging on more intel on Jelani Watkins before I can get a true feel for how the weekend went at both LSU and then Texas A&M. The Aggies have made a big push for him, and sources have hinted that his mom might like him closer to home in Texas. That said, he’s a Louisiana native who grew up in the New Orleans area, and he’s always called LSU a dream school. Now he has the chance to play football and run track for the Tigers. Watkins is quiet and keeps things close to the vest, but I’ve got my ear to the ground and will pass along more. Until I hear differently, I’m still sticking with LSU.

*** A final note, how’s this for a 2025 group of wide receiver visitors: Dakorien Moore, Andrew Marsh, Jacorey Watson, Taz Williams and Naeshaun Montgomery. That’s a group that includes the No. 2, No. 5, No. 12 and No. 14 wide receivers on the On3 Industry Rankings. They all got to spend time around quarterbacks like 2024 four-star commitment Colin Hurley and 2025 five-star target Bryce Underwood, which was a positive. It’s a great start when it comes to catching the attention of some of the top national receivers in next year’s class. As for a final note, the guy I would feel best about right now is the highest-ranked one of the group in Moore, a five-star out of Duncanville.

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CLICK HERE FOR THE BAYOU SPLASH TIDBITS: VERSION 1.0

CLICK HERE FOR THE BAYOU SPLASH TIDBITS: VERSION 2.0

CLICK HERE FOR THE BAYOU SPLASH TIDBITS: VERSION 3.0

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