LSU Football: Top Class of 2020 Newcomers to Watch for the Tigers
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Before the satisfaction of being national champs wears off, LSU is already looking ahead to the 2020 season bringing in a new crop of talents ready to claim their own gridiron glory. The Tigers suffered heavy losses across the board with nine early NFL entrants from their championship winning team putting a greater emphasis on true freshmen to step up in key roles. Can the 2020 class, ranked No. 4 in the nation, keep the Tigers among the elite in the SEC with a shot to repeat this fall?
The Tigers signed 24 total commits in the 2020 class, a mix of three five-stars, 14 four-stars, and seven rated as three-star prospects for the fourth overall haul in the nation, third in the SEC behind No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama. Knowing what LSU lost, here’s a look at the key players with the potential to make their mark once the ball is teed up against Texas-San Antonio in September.
Top 2020 LSU Newcomers
5-Star CB Elias Ricks (6-2, 192) – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
The loss of senior corner Kristian Fulton stings far less with the arrival of five-star Elias Ricks already in Baton Rouge. Ricks is no stranger to playing against elite talent winning back-to-back MaxPreps high school championships with Mater Dei (2017-18) before transferring to Florida powerhouse IMG Academy for his senior season. The Ascenders ended their 2019 season ranked seventh nationally with Ricks locking down his side of the field. At 6-2, 192-pounds, Ricks is the real deal. Paired with All-SEC and Freshman All-American corner Derek Stingley, the Tigers secondary will be elite for years to come. Expect Ricks to earn a starting spot from the go.
5-Star TE Arik Gilbert (6-5, 253) – Marietta HS (Marietta, GA)
In LSU’s new passing offense, the tight end is an integral part of the scheme. Once the 2019 season was over, Thaddeus Moss, son of NFL legend Randy Moss, declared for the draft. Moss was the second-leading receiver from the tight end position in the SEC hauling in 47 passes for 570 yards with four touchdowns. If Gilbert can live up to the five-star hype as the No. 5 player in the nation overall coming out of Marietta High School there is role for him to succeed within the offense. Aiding in Gilbert’s ability to help in Week 1, he was an early enrollee.
4-Star FS Jordan Toles (6-1.5, 190) – St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)
Losing a two-time consensus All-American early to the NFL hurts, but four-star Maryland talent Jordan Toles has the talent to help the Tigers move forward. Toles roamed the secondary for St. Frances Academy helping his squad to an 11-1 record with the lone loss coming on the road to Mater Dei. Toles will battle Mo Hampton and Kary Vincent Jr. for the role opposite returning second team All-SEC safety Jacoby Stevens.
3-Star DE Ali Gaye (6-6, 270) – Garden City C.C. (Garden City, KS)
The most glaring need on LSU’s defense last season was a dominating edge rusher who could also play the run… can Garden City (KS) junior college transfer Ali Gaye be that guy? The LSU coaching staff knows their needs and who can fill it. Gaye’s experience and size presents an opportunity for him to be a counted upon addition to the success of the team. The former Washington Huskies signee (2018) hit his stride during his sophomore season with Garden City tallying 44 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and a pass breakup while blocking two kicks.
4-Star LB Phillip Webb (6-3.5, 224) – Lanier High School (Buford, GA)
LSU lost three starting linebackers off their 2019 squad (K’Lavon Chaisson, Patrick Queen, and Jacob Phillips), positions are open to all newcomers who handle it. With the attrition of an SEC schedule, incoming four-star true freshmen Phillip Webb and Antoine Sampah will be needed. Webb tore it up for Lanier High School producing 91 stops in 11 games with 24 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, and 29 quarterback hurries.
4-Star LB Antoine Sampah (6-2.5, 220) – Woodbridge High School (VA)
Sampah, an Under Armour All-American, has all the tools to be an elite player in the box for the Tigers. Both will have a lot of ground to make up over the summer months to be ready for the SEC grind in 2020.
Recruiting Update
As of this post, only two of the Tigers 24 signees have not enrolled at LSU, four-star Lancaster High School (TX) cornerback Lorando Johnson (5-11, 181) and three-star Haynesville (LA) defensive tackle CamRon Jackson (6-5.5, 271). More immediate help has been added to the roster through the transfer portal landing Harvard offensive tackle Liam Shanahan and North Dakota State linebacker Jabril Cox.
Photo credit: RNG; Elias Ricks 2018 season with Mater Dei