LSU Football: Tigers ranked as No. 1 contender for 5-star DB
By Zach Ragan
One of LSU football‘s top targets in the 2022 recruiting class is five-star defensive back Jacoby Mathews.
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. 27 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class.
Suffice it to say, Mathews is a must-land player for the Tigers (LSU can’t afford to miss on one of the top-rated in-state players, especially with the program’s reputation as “DBU”).
Mathews, however, won’t be an easy player to land. He’s open to leaving the state, which will mean the Tigers will have to recruit him just like they’d recruit an out-of-state player.
Where does LSU football rank among the contenders for Jacoby Mathews?
Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney “ranked the contenders” this week for Mathews.
And despite the talk that Mathews could leave the state, Gorney still has LSU as the No. 1 contender for the elite safety.
“Mathews has been open about considering leaving and wanting a change of scenery,” wrote Gorney. “That’s why others are still pursuing so heavily but the Tigers have such an excellent track record with in-state players and Mathews is so talented on the back end that LSU could be the spot.”
While Gorney has LSU as the No. 1 contender for Mathews, he has Florida as “1B”.
“If LSU is 1A then Florida is 1B and the Gators have a very real shot in Mathews’ recruitment,” says Gorney.
Clemson, Texas, Arizona State, and USC, in that order, round out Gorney’s rankings for Mathews.
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There’s still a long way to go in this battle. And it’s clear the Tigers have some legitimate competition for the dynamic in-state recruit. But I’d be surprised if LSU isn’t able to secure a commitment from Mathews when it’s all said and done.