by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
On Sunday, LSU's recruiting coordinator Sherman Wilson posted about their staff "getting out a message. Be on the lookout."
That message was a hashtag, "#SheltonStays", taking full aim at 5 star WR Shelton Sampson Jr, with LSU's army of fans or influencers following suit on social media, pumping out the headline across the online world....to the point even national recruiting talking heads were forced into taking notice of LSU's intense climb over the past week and a half.
Brian Kelly's Tigers are now the hottest ticket in recruiting, with a streak blazing across July; while Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson, Georgia and even Arkansas lie ahead of LSU on the 2023 recruiting rankings list for 24/7 Sports, the Tigers are the school nabbing the most elite & in-demand players as of late, not just one class pillar and some random guys....but one strong, future Tiger supersmash after another....headlined, of course, by 5 star WR Jalen Brown and (should be 5 stars) Jaxon Howard, De'Shawn Womack, Josh Mickens & Darron Reed.
And now, Kelly's LSU are in a firm lead for major stars within the 2023 & 2024 classes, set for commitments this next week, 5 star 2024 targets WR/ATH JoJo Stone & CB Desmond Ricks, Ricks being the #1 overall player of 2024, while high priority target & near 5 star TE Tayvion Galloway will announce his commitment on July 23rd, likely headed for LSU, as well.
Now, I'm also hearing Liberty Magnet running back Kaleb Jackson is committing this Tuesday, and as confirmed to me by a staffer, LSU are in a surprising pole position for him.
Plus, a WR we've mentioned multiple times, St James' Khae Prean, is now also open to staying home.
It could be an absolutely historic recruiting month for these LSU Tigers....and social media has played a key role: making sure every recruit & their parents understood the full breadth of the LSU vision & experience at all times.
Before the momentum of one commitment after another, there was a message from Sherman Wilson's Twitter account: "There is a storm coming..."
Outside of Wilson & recruiting coordinator Corey Phillips or Jordan Arcement, assistant Coaches Joe Sloan, Robert Steeples, JR Belton, Jamar Cain and Cortez Hankton Jr were the most visible among the staff before the July 1st commitment of Jaxon Howard;
Once LSU's "July storm" began to take hold, it seemed everyone from John Jancek to Brian Kelly himself became a social media powerhouse.
This firestorm is sweeping to every corner and furthest reaches of America, from Nevada to Indiana, Minnesota down to Georgia, Baltimore to Long Beach, based all back home in Louisiana, began to culminate on Sunday's social media takeover: "#SampsonStays".
LSU's current players & every single 2023 commit began spreading the "#SheltonStays" hashtag, echoing the "July Storm Is Coming" messages from LSU's coaching staff.
You could feel something coordinated, organized and brilliant was at hand....all geared towards securing the Tigers' second 5 star WR in less than a week.......it was unlike anything many in the recruiting world had ever seen....an entire fanbase, a recruiting staff, coaching staff, future commits and current players all headed in the same direction at the same time....such is their belief & excitement towards Brian Kelly's LSU.
As LSUOdyssey reported in the last few weeks and in a recent profile, Kelly's Tigers are trending positively for Sampson Jr...to the point it's a matter of when not if, at this point.....but will this overwhelming attack of the senses work?
It seems to have been incredibly successful thus far in building a buzz amongst recruits, offering a rare opportunity to communicate messages to prospects legally under NCAA rules during dead periods; Social media also allows coaches to show personality, good humor, and hopefully good taste in music or GIFs.....
The Result? Right now, there isn't a single coaching / recruiting staff or fanbase operating at the optimum online level of LSU.
Their online presence grew a quantum leap during Joe Burrow's 2019 saga of dreams, but ever since, even despite losing seasons & nationally-tainted scandals, LSU's footprint only expanded and deepened due to a few factors:
The success of LSU's stars in the NFL (both recent & in the past), the program's annual NFL Draft impact (highlighted by 2021's 10 Drafted players during a losing season, only second to National Champions UGA), LSU's reputation as the second best 21st century college football program behind Saban's Alabama dynasty, and now....the tantalizing arrival of Notre Dame's all-time winningest Head Coach Brian Kelly starting something new down South...
I believe all are major factors.....points which Kelly's staff are hitting via social media...and they're making sure the kids are seeing it, all angles of the LSU brand, from the local Louisiana high school level to the national NFL status of many former LSU Tigers, LSU's staff are using a few avenues of support to devastating effect.
I think it's working😁.
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2022 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
#SheltonStays I’m in.