Is Brian Kelly on a hot seat going into the 2025 season at LSU? Does Brian Kelly have everything that he needs to finally make a national championship title run? Well, the answers to both questions are affirmative. For one, the 3 seasons for which Brian Kelly has been in charge are pretty much mediocre, with a 5-9 record against ranked teams. So yes, pressure is mounting on the HC to deliver. Despite the scrutiny, there’s genuine optimism in Baton Rouge. Must be wondering about the reason for optimism? Recruitment.
Recruiting for Brian Kelly at LSU is one of the things that hasn’t seen a significant drop. Yes, Bryce Underwood’s flip was bitter, but since then, the head coach has gone toe to toe against teams like Michigan. The head coach finished 9th with his 2025 class, which had 5-star DJ Pickett and Harlem Berry and some of the most talented near-5-star talents. Carius Curne’s addition to the offensive line was a coup, who was the second-ranked IOL in the country, then there was the addition of Charles Rodd, being the 8th-ranked linebacker nationally. Cherry on top?
The former Notre Dame head coach has roped in 18 transfer portal players, which again had some of the most illustrious names. In came Ja’Keem Jackson (CB) from Florida, Barion Brown (WR) from Kentucky, and Nic Anderson (WR) from Oklahoma. Add to that Garrett Nussmeier, one of the top 5 Heisman candidates, is returning, who had 4,052 yards last year. You just got a team that is looking to finally make that final leap and bring that natty home. Now, to top it off, 10 of these recruits have finally come to Baton Rouge as LSU’s IG handle shared the update.
LSU Football’s official Instagram shared pictures of 10 2025 prospects who have finally landed in Baton Rouge with their families as they pose for pictures together. The pictures were captioned, “It’s official now. Everyone is home.” The first picture shows 4-star running back freshman JT Lindsey with his family, which includes his little brother, mom, and dad. The player even shared an Instagram story that shows him sitting on the sidelines of the LSU practice ground. The next clip shared is also quite wholesome.
It shows players finally discovering their dorm rooms as they meet and greet each other in a moment that looks like nothing less than festive. In another photo, we see Phillip Wright III, the 4-star WR, with his family posing happily for a family photo with celebratory balloons in LSU colors in the background. All these players are coming to do wonders at LSU, and Brian Kelly will do everything to get them ready as soon as possible.
Bryce Underwood’s decommitment rumors get Brian Kelly alert?
The 5-star generational prodigy quarterback Bryce Underwood initially committed to LSU until Sherrone Moore came and, with his NIL money, stole him away from the program. The move was sensational and momentous in the NIL era. After all, Underwood was getting close to $12 million in NIL money as per reports. However, the money earlier was speculated to have taken a backseat as the news came that Bryce Underwood may decommit from Michigan and come back to LSU.
This happened after Michigan and Sherrone Moore were reported to have their hearing starting from 6th June for their alleged sign-stealing and Moore’s WhatsApp chat scandal. Then there were reports that the program was facing difficulty in paying the promised NIL money to Underwood.“Rumors are circulating that Bryce Underwood is talking to LSU again. One rumor has him and his mother scheduled to visit LSU. Another is the University of Michigan is not making good on NIL, and Bryce is looking elsewhere.” On 14th May, ‘Message Board Geniuses’ posted this message and brewed a storm in college football. However, Bryce Underwood was watching all of this closely.
Bryce Underwood posted a message on his IG story on 16th May and laughed off all the speculation, and ended it once and for all. The QB wrote, “Lol, y’all say anything on social media.”. It might have ended Kelly’s final hope to land the QB. Nevertheless, the HC has done a very good job in terms of recruiting and is looking forward eagerly to the 2025 season.
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