Unpacking LSU football’s 2023 recruiting class: Why Thursday is the Tigers' big day

BATON ROUGE — LSU football was able to stick to its script on Wednesday, more or less.

The Tigers signed 25 players to their 2023 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period, 10 more recruits than they had signed during the entire 2022 cycle. They finished the day with the No. 6 class in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

There were some setbacks. Four-star cornerback Daylen Austin, who had been committed to the Tigers since May, flipped his commitment to Oregon. Four-star safety Isaac Smith chose Mississippi State instead of LSU.

But the Tigers flipped four-star tight end Ka'Morreun Pimpton's commitment from Vanderbilt, adding a third tight end to their class.

"The other skills that (Pimpton) brings, you just can't teach," LSU coach Brian Kelly said Wednesday. "As you mentioned, his catch radius, his ability to win one on one matchups are going to be excited to be able to develop."

It was a productive day for the Tigers, but not their most important. Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks, the No. 2 cornerback and No. 23 player in the nation, announces his commitment on Thursday and LSU is the favorite, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports and Chad Simmons of On3 Sports.

Especially given LSU's situation at cornerback, landing Ricks will determine the success of the early signing period for the Tigers.

Desmond Ricks' importance

LSU is expected to lose most of its key contributors at cornerback, as Mekhi Garner has already declared for the NFL Draft. Sophomore nickelback Sage Ryan is expected to return, but he may be it.

The Tigers do have freshman and former four-star recruit Laterrance Welch, but he played sparingly this season. Former three-star recruit Jaelyn Davis-Robinson is in the transfer portal despite impressing LSU's coaching staff during preseason practices.

Kelly has also said that LSU expects its cornerbacks room to be heavily influenced by freshmen next season, adding that the Tigers would only bring in a cornerback from the transfer portal if he had at least two years of eligibility remaining.

To put it simply: LSU needs cornerbacks and needs them now.

That's why Ricks is so important. This is not just for the long-term future, but for the immediate future as well. This is especially true after Austin's decision.

Without Ricks, the Tigers have four-star signee and top-60 prospect Javien Toviano and three-star signees Jeremiah Hughes and Ashton Stamps. They also have signatures from three safeties who could help out at cornerback, including four-star signee Ryan Yaites, who Kelly noted can play cornerback.

But for this room to have enough talent to succeed next season, LSU will have to land Ricks.

LSU FOOTBALL'S 2023 RECRUITING CLASSLSU football recruiting class 2023: Meet the Tigers' early signees for Brian Kelly

DAYLEN AUSTIN FLIPS COMMITMENT4-star CB Daylen Austin flips commitment from LSU football to Oregon

KA'MORREUN PIMPTON TO LSU4-star TE Ka'Morreun Pimpton flips commitment from Vanderbilt to LSU football

A suddenly deep tight end unit

After struggling to piece together an SEC-caliber tight ends unit this season, LSU went to work fixing the problem.

The Tigers signed three tight ends on the opening day of the early signing period, adding four-star recruit Mac Markway, three-star prospect Jackson McGohan and Pimpton.

Freshman and former three-star signee Mason Taylor was a pleasant surprise as the Tigers' lead tight end last season. But with Kole Taylor in the transfer portal and few options after him, adding McGohan, Markway and Pimpton was critical.

LSU's receiver corps is even more talented

After signing four-star wideouts Shelton Sampson Jr., Jalen Brown, Khai Prean and Kyle Parker, LSU's receiving corps heads into the next season as deep as it's been in recent memory.

LSU is bringing back star wideout Kayshon Boutte and Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Chris Hilton and Kyren Lacy are all expected to return. Additionally, the Tigers have also brought in former four-star prospect and top-35 recruit Aaron Anderson from the transfer portal. Anderson, a Louisiana native, spent his freshman campaign at Alabama.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football recruiting 2023 on signing day big. Is Desmond Ricks next?