LSU Football: Ed Orgeron’s brilliant recruiting ploy

LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron is staying a step ahead in the recruiting game.

LSU football head coach Ed Orgeron is one of the best recruiters in college football.

And it’s not because he’s stagnant.

Coach O, despite the reputation he held early in his career, is constantly evolving. He’s always looking for an edge, a way to get better.

We saw that in 2019 with his decision to hire a relatively unknown offensive analyst from the New Orleans Saints named Joe Brady.

Hiring Brady helped revolutionize LSU’s offense. The Tigers would’ve been a good team without Brady, but Orgeron’s decision to stay ahead of the curve meant LSU went from being good to great.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Coach O takes the same approach when it comes to recruiting.

This week, The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman wrote a story about Hayes Fawcett, a Louisiana native who happens to be a gifted graphic artist that makes edits for high level recruits.

Fawcett has made graphics for players like Trevor Lawrence, Chase Young and Derek Stingley Jr.

He knows his way around the recruiting circuit. And he’s built a lot of solid relationships with highly touted players.

Fawcett told Wasserman that recruits trust him, partly because he refuses to divulge information to reporters.

Recently, Coach O made the wise decision to bring Fawcett to Baton Rouge to work in LSU’s recruiting department.

Fawcett, who is also a gifted athlete but didn’t receive any offers from FBS programs (he was going to walk on at Northwestern State, where he had an academic scholarship), accepted Orgeron’s offer to work for the Tigers.

This is another shrewd move by Orgeron — something that’s becoming quite common for him these days.

Who knows how this move will pay off. But brining in a 19 year old who has built strong relationships with recruits all over the country is absolutely brilliant.

And this is a move that comes with zero risk. According to The Athletic, LSU’s compliance department is working with the NCAA to make sure everything with the hire is approved.

Orgeron somehow always finds an edge. He’s always looking at the little details and how he can make LSU better.

That’s why the Tigers steamrolled their way to a national championship last season.

And it’s why they’ll be a threat to repeat as national champs in 2020.