LSU Football: Tigers in top 6 for elite in-state safety

2022 five-star safety Jacoby Mathews revealed his top six schools this week and he included LSU football, along with Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and Florida.

Mathews, 6-foot-1/204 lbs from Ponchatoula, LA (Ponchatoula), is ranked in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 2 safety in the country and the No. 32 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class.

The Louisiana native is a versatile player who could play safety or linebacker at the next level.

Mathews is also a standout basketball player for his high school, which shows that he has elite athleticism.

Where does LSU football stand in this recruiting battle?

It’s no surprise that LSU is among Mathews’ top six schools.

The Tigers have made the in-state safety a priority for a while.

Mathews told Rivals this week that he speaks with LSU head coach Ed Orgeron three times a week. He also noted that he has a solid relationship with Tigers wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph (there’s some speculation that Mathews could play some of the offensive side of the ball, too).

One of the main reasons that Mathews likes LSU — aside from being close to home — is because he believes the Tigers can help him reach the NFL.

“I feel I can go there (LSU) and ball out on their defense three years in a row and get to the league,” explained Mathews to 247Sports.

The Tigers should probably be viewed as the favorite here. But Alabama and Florida will also be major factors.

Florida is telling Mathews they want him to be the centerpiece of their 2022 recruiting class. That’s a strong recruiting pitch, but will it be enough for Mathews to leave Louisiana?

We’ll just have to wait and see. Mathews isn’t planning to commit until the All-American Bowl next January, so this recruiting battle is far from over.