Under-the-radar freshman could surprise for LSU football in 2020

LSU football’s 2020 signing class was one of the best in the nation.

LSU football‘s 2020 signing class, which was ranked No. 4 in the nation (247Sports composite), was loaded with plenty of talent that could contribute in a big way this upcoming season.

One of the reasons the Tigers’ class was ranked so high was five-star tight end Arik Gilbert, who was rated as the No. 5 overall recruit in the nation.

Gilbert is a freakish athlete who could immediately make an impact as a true freshman. He’s built like a tight end, but he can play like a wide receiver. He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.

Because of the presence of Gilbert, there’s one of LSU’s 2020 signees who’s being overlooked.

Three-star tight end Kole Taylor.

Taylor, a Colorado native, was one of the Tigers’ lower-rated signees in the 2020 class. He was rated above only three players that LSU signed during the last recruiting cycle.

But don’t let the rating fool you — he’s a talented kid. And Ed Orgeron brought him to Baton Rouge for a reason.

Flying under the radar isn’t a bad thing for LSU football freshman

Taylor isn’t as athletic as Gilbert, but he’s still incredibly athletic for his size (6-foot-7). The former three-star recruit reportedly has a 32 inch vertical.

Not only is Taylor athletic, but he has good hands. He also has good body control, which is essential for tight ends.

A tight end can end up being a safety valve for a quarterback, which means they could often be on the receiving end of a bad throw (due to defensive pressure). That’s why body control is such an important attribute for a tight end.

I could see Taylor being used at the same time as Gilbert, which would create a matchup hell for opposing teams. Gilbert probably won’t be a decoy very often. But if LSU wants to put both tight ends on the field in a red zone or third down situation, they could probably steal an easy touchdown or first down with Taylor because of the presence of Gilbert.

247Sports reported this week that folks around LSU’s program expect Taylor to surprise this year. They also reported that Taylor “has a legit frame that he’s now bulking up”.

With Gilbert receiving all the attention, it should be easy for Taylor to keep his head down on focus on becoming a better player.

I don’t expect Taylor to be an All-SEC freshman team type player, but he could easily become a big part of the Tigers’ offense in 2020.