LSU Football: Do the Tigers have a slight advantage for 2022 5-star DL?

Five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen is one of the top-ranked 2022 recruits in the nation and he has LSU football in his top 10.

Nolen, 6-foot-4/300 lbs from Cordova, TN (St. Benedict at Auburndale), included the Tigers in his top 10 on Friday, along with Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, and USC .

The nation’s No. 2 overall 2022 recruit told Rivals that he had a great time when he visited LSU.

“It (LSU) just felt like one of the places I might be able to call home one day,” said Nolen.

LSU football has a small advantage in the battle for Nolen

Nolen is obviously going to one of the most sought-after recruits in the 2022 class. This recruiting battle won’t be decided anytime soon.

Visits will eventually be allowed to resume (the dead period currently runs through April), though it’s unclear when.

There will be a lot of things that factor into Nolen’s decision.

And one of those factors is something that could benefit LSU.

Nolen has played at several different high schools. Before ending up in Cordova, TN, Nolen played at Olive Branch in Mississippi.

While at Olive Branch, Nolen became close friends with Xavier Hill, an offensive lineman who signed with the Tigers during the 2020 recruiting period.

Is this connection enough to sway Nolen to Baton Rouge?

That might be a stretch. But it certainly gives LSU a bit of an advantage over some of the other programs. There’s no doubt that Nolen would enjoy playing with Hill in college, but the presence of Hill isn’t what will determine Nolen’s’ final decision.

However, it definitely doesn’t hurt.

When it comes to recruiting, a small detail like this could have a major impact.