Why LSU Football is on the verge of completely dominating recruiting

LSU football hasn’t hit its peak yet as a program.

If you thought 2019 was the peak for LSU football, you’re probably wrong.

While the Tigers may never replicate their offensive success from 2019, that doesn’t mean the program can’t improve in certain areas.

One of those areas is recruiting, which is the lifeblood of college football.

The programs competing for national championships are the programs that are consistently landing top recruiting classes.

Sure, there are some hidden gems from time to time, but for the most part, the recruiting services get it right.

LSU is already one of the top recruiting programs in the nation. But there’s room for improvement.

LSU football can get better in recruiting

While LSU routinely lands some of the top recruits in the nation, the Tigers’ recruiting classes usually finish ranked around No. 4 or 5 (on average).

Here’s where LSU’s classes have ranked over the last 10 years (via 247Sports composite rankings).

• 2020 – 4
• 2019 – 5
• 2018 – 15
• 2017 – 7
• 2016 – 2
• 2015 – 5
• 2014 – 2
• 2013 – 6
• 2012 – 13
• 2011 – 8
• 2010 – 9

Sometimes the Tigers get close to having the No. 1 ranked class, but usually, they fall a bit short.

That could be changing in the coming years, thanks to the addition of Bo Pelini, who was hired by Ed Orgeron in January to replace Dave Aranda as LSU’s defensive coordinator.

Aranda had a good defensive mind, but he didn’t connect very well with recruits.

Pelini, on the other hand, is able to immediately make a connection with top recruits.

2021 five-star defensive tackle Maason Smith said earlier this year that Pelini is easier to talk to than Aranda.

2021 four-star linebacker Greg Penn echoed those sentiments in a recent interview with Rivals.

“My relationship with Coach Pelini is definitely better than what I had with Coach Aranda. They [are] both different type[s] of people and I just connected more with Coach Pelini,” explained Penn.

LSU already has a reputation for sending players to the NFL. But that reputation alone isn’t enough to land top-rated players. Relationships are key to signing elite talent.

And it’s clear that Pelini is better at building those relationships than Aranda.

LSU has all the ingredients to be the most dominant recruiting force in college football. If that happens, then the rest of the SEC might as well give up.