Oof, the Kelly hire is not starting off well. Number 3 class last year, number 4 the year before, now sitting at 18 with only 11 LOI. Everyone comes from the state except for the kicker. Two 5 stars, three four stars, and the rest 3 stars.

Kelly is fake and high schoolers see right through it

The timing of the hire makes this difficult. It will be interesting to see how they close for the Spring signing period.

Jimbo was able to get a decent class and had similar timing

On top of that we are taking two of their players through the transfer portal and and they are losing a top recruit.

I think Kelly is a putz but recruiting with a lame duck coach all year and having only a week or two to recruit should have extremely low expectations. Now losing the starting QB is more indicative of Kelly being a doofus than the upcoming class.

Tough. The next class will be where we know what they have.

P.U.T.U said:

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Jimbo was able to get a decent class and had similar timing

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Things looked a little dicey after ESD though. I remember Jimbo saying the goal was just to get guys not to sign LOIs, and then sell 'em for the next two months.

We finished that class 17th, with no 5*s, and 13 4*s. Only 2 top-100 guys. #75 Leon O'Neil was our highest rated signee.

Mordred said:

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P.U.T.U said:

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Jimbo was able to get a decent class and had similar timing

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Things looked a little dicey after ESD though. I remember Jimbo saying the goal was just to get guys not to sign LOIs, and then sell 'em for the next two months.

We finished that class 17th, with no 5*s, and 13 4*s. Only 2 top-100 guys. #75 Leon O'Neil was our highest rated signee.

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So Kelly knocked it out of the park by comparison.

Kelly's going to take a lot of transfers is my guess.

He's a pretty good developer of talent. LSU will likely be good under him. Need to keep them from being great.

nbaker2022 said:

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Kelly is fake and high schoolers see right through it

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BK is a straight up dork

I give him 3 years. Four years tops. Not that he can't coach, I believe he can do a really good job coaching. I think the cultural non-fit is going to eat him alive.

Farmer @ Johnsongrass, TX said:

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I give him 3 years. Four years tops. Not that he can't coach, I believe he can do a really good job coaching. I think the cultural non-fit is going to eat him alive.

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The SEC has been the most competitive conference for quite some time, but let's be honest and say that with the new coaches in the league, this is a different place than when Les Miles won it all and it's changed an awful lot in the two short seasons since Orgeron won it all. Playing against Jimbo, Pittman, Leach, Kiffin, and now having to fight for recruits with Jimbo and Napier both having great programs - Kelly's NOT locking down Louisiana ay more.

Kelly's a really good hire, but those people expecting him to walk in and win a natty just because it's LSU are sorely mistaken. It ain't like that anymore.

Agree.

I love that we're taking great talent out of Louisiana. Not only does it make us better, but it handicaps LSU and forces them to play defense for a change.

Their class plus whatever they can fill in would have been an excellent class for us a few years ago

They will continue to be a challenge but at least we will have a gun at the gun fight. Hopefully a better gun than they have.

Kelly may be socially awkward but he's a good football coach.

Enjoy it for now. They will be back next year with a full year of recruiting. Make no mistake, the home state is built in and it's not hard to get going. Despite how much a BD he appears to be, let's be honest...if he could recruit at Notre Dame he damn sure can at LSU.

That dude is scum. He is right up there with Urban.

His old coached apparently didn't like his approach and expect to bring in better talent than BK was getting.

Are they naive? I think so. Freeman is not going to have a personal relationship with 30-35 recruits each year and then maintain them during their tenure and then also be engaged in their personal development and coaching.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32877447/new-coach-marcus-freeman-restructure-notre-dame-recruiting-become-fighting-irish-lead-recruiter

P.U.T.U said:

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Jimbo was able to get a decent class and had similar timing

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That's because he didn't fake is accent once he arrived.

I have a feeling they will put a lot of hope in the portal. The problem is everyone outside the top10 will too. (And even those in the top10 wont ignore it.)

What's a little surprising is Kelly left Notre Dame but Notre Dame finished with the #7 class after the first ESD.

Freeman was Kelly's brand new rising star. He kept the staff mostly intact. Makes sense imo.

Captain Awesome said:

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That dude is scum. He is right up there with Urban.

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Without the rings