When the early signing period closed in December, LSU’s top two targets were still on the board.
Dominick McKinley and Terry Bussey were still available, providing the Tigers the opportunity to address needs and strengthen their 2024 class if they could entice the five-star athletes away from Texas A&M commitments.
McKinley flipped on New Year’s Eve, becoming the fourth one-time Texas A&M recruit this cycle to choose LSU. He’ll sign Wednesday morning. In what has become the final major recruiting battle for the 2024 class, Bussey may do the same.
Bussey’s recruitment has come down to national signing day, with Texas A&M, LSU, and Georgia competing for the top undecided prospect in the nation. Bussey, a five-star prospect from Timpson, Texas, is ranked 11th overall in the 2024 class by the 247Sports composite. He plans to reveal his decision at 9 a.m.
Bussey remains committed to Texas A&M as National Signing Day approaches. After visiting Georgia and LSU, he returned there for his final official visit. Although Bussey has yet to announce his decision, it is commonly assumed that LSU and Texas A&M will compete.
The only other unsigned athlete ranked higher than Bussey is wide receiver Ryan Williams, who recently recommitted to Alabama. There are no other undecideds in the top 100 of the 247Sports rankings. Only four other players have not signed: Williams, McKinley, wide receiver Gatlin Bair (Oregon), and edge rusher Noah Carter (Alabama), but they have already made their decisions.
Few schools had the opportunity to expand their 2024 recruiting class as LSU did during the previous month. The Tigers, like most programs, signed all of their previously committed players in December, but there was still work to be done because McKinely and Bussey were still available.
McKinley and Bussey committed to Texas A&M in September. They made no hint that they would transfer, but the Aggies sacked coach Jimbo Fisher near the end of a 7-6 season. McKinley and Bussey waited as the squad changed coaches. They wanted to reconsider their choices before signing.
Few recruiters wait until February these days, and LSU now has the opportunity to sign two top-15 overall players on Wednesday. After finishing the first day of the early signing period with the nation’s No. 11 class, LSU may move into the top five by adding Bussey, its second five-star recruit. Following McKinley’s commitment, the Tigers rose to seventh place.
McKinley was anticipated to continue his recruitment into January, but he switched to LSU nine days after the early signing period, committing even though the Tigers had yet to revamp their defensive staff. McKinley has exhibited no symptoms of weakness since then. He later paid an official visit to LSU and welcomed defensive coordinator Blake Baker and defensive line coach Bo Davis for an in-home visit.
Before McKinley joined the group, LSU had already signed three former Texas A&M recruits: four-star offensive tackle Weston Davis, four-star offensive lineman Coen Echols, and four-star defensive end Gabriel Reliford. Bussey would be number five.
Landing McKinley, who attends Acadiana High in Lafayette, was a huge victory for LSU. According to the 247Sports composite, he is Louisiana’s top player and the 14th best prospect in the US. With McKinley, LSU has 12 of the state’s top 14 players this season. He also addressed a vital position on the LSU squad, defensive tackle, which is perhaps the thinnest.
Bussey would fill another requirement. Despite being listed as an athlete at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he has been recruited to play defensive back. LSU has to upgrade its secondary, and Bussey could play various places.
Bussey may continue with his commitment to Texas A&M. He is from the state, and he has not yet withdrawn his vow. But LSU has pushed for Bussey, focusing on him in the last month after signing McKinley.
If the Tigers can convince him to change his mind on national signing day, they will have won the cycle’s final significant recruiting battle.
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