Jay Ward is going to wait until February to sign his letter of intent. He just wrapped up his official visit to LSU, and there’s a strong sense that the Tigers are still the team to beat for his commitment.
However, LSU is sitting tight with three defensive backs committed. In an ideal world, Derek Stingley Jr., Maurice Hampton and Cordale Flott all sign on Wednesday. Hampton visited this weekend and could make a decision to sign next week, though he had been planning to do so in February with some of his high school teammates. Flott, too, was aiming to sign on Wednesday, but after visiting Florida, there’s a little more doubt on Flott’s track to Baton Rouge, especially if he holds off on signing until February.
LSU is hearing good feedback from priority CB target Raydarious Jones, and there is still a feeling that LSU is the team to beat a few days away from his upcoming announcement.
Whether Jones picks LSU or another SEC team, or Flott and/or Hampton do not sign on Wednesday as expected, then Jay Ward is the top name to know when February rolls around. Ward is coming off a great official visit weekend, according to sources, and will make a decision in February at the next National Signing Day. That works in LSU’s favor because they can decipher who is in and who still needs to be signed among DBs over the next few weeks.
Ward and Christian Williams, an Alabama verbal, are the primary recruits to monitor. Williams will be in Baton Rouge on Jan. 11 for his first official visit, and the Tigers are quietly in a good spot to possibly flip the 4-star defensive back leading up to Signing Day in February.
A lot will hinge on who will sign LSU on Wednesday, though.
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I exchanged a few texts with Marcel Brooks, who took an official visit to Oklahoma over the weekend. That’s due to his friendship with Trejan Bridges, a Sooners verbal.
Brooks arrived Saturday and left Sunday, I’m told, and it was Brooks who reached out to Oklahoma to schedule the visit.
Having said that, Brooks has been in touch with the LSU staff and told me he will he signing with LSU on wednesday at 11 am. There was smoke, but there does not appear to be any fire here. He wanted to make a visit — but that’s seemingly it
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Cordale Flott made public comments that he was split 50-50 between LSU and Florida after an official visit to The Swamp over the weekend, and that because he was torn, he may consider pushing his signing date back to February.
According to a source familiar with the recruit, Flott is expected to sign - with LSU - on Wednesday. In other words, he wanted to squeeze a little added drama into his signing day ceremony a few days in advance
Raydarious Jones continues to give LSU a thumbs up, and Mo Hampton is resolute on waiting to sign in February, meaning the Tigers should sign 3 DBs at the early Signing period
—Derek Stingley, 5-star CB
—Ray Jones, 3-star ATH
—Cordale Flott, 3-star CB
I expect Hampton to sign later on, which pushes that number of DB to 4, and LSU to take some
Combination of Ward (Feb signee) and/or Christian Williams (Alabama commit, Feb signee).
Six DBs is a stretch, but LSU needs an insurance policy if Hampton is drafted in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft. LSU is also anxious for a safety, and both Hampton and Williams fit that bill. Ward is another corner who gave LSU rave reviews of his visit and there’s a lot of confidence with the Georgia native
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