It might feel like it was just yesterday when Brian Kelly first greeted the people of Baton Rouge with a humorous, Benoit Blanc-like accent after being named the head coach of the LSU football team, but in reality, nearly three years have passed since that memorable moment. In just two seasons leading the Tigers, Kelly has already achieved what LSU hoped for—keeping the program competitive and relevant in the NIL/Transfer Portal era of college football.
Kelly has led LSU to a 20-7 record with two bowl victories in his two seasons as head coach, while also reestablishing LSU as a top destination for players aiming to compete for championships and eventually make it to the NFL. This success has attracted recruits like 2025 four-star cornerback Kade Phillips.
“BREAKING: Four-Star CB Kade Phillips has Flipped his Commitment from Texas to LSU,” tweeted Hayes Fawcett of On3. “The 6’1, 180-pound CB from Missouri City, TX, had been committed to the Longhorns since July. Ranked as a Top 65 Recruit in ‘25 (No. 7 CB) per On3.”
Phillips, a standout football player at Fort Bend Hightower High School and a state-level track and field athlete in Texas, will need to demonstrate more than just his speed when he arrives in Baton Rouge. According to Hudson Standish of 247 Sports, Phillips is a “sound open field tackler,” a skill that will be immediately tested against the SEC’s most dynamic wide receivers.
Currently, LSU’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked second only to Ohio State’s, according to 247 Sports. Other SEC powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, and Texas A&M are also in the top ten. The Tigers have signed 24 players so far, matching the number of Ohio State’s recruits, with 20 of those being either five-star or four-star prospects. Wilson Alexander of NOLA News noted on Twitter that LSU has now signed four defensive backs in the 2025 class, all of whom bring significant length to the secondary.
“LSU has four DBs in the 2025 class. One trait they all share: length,” tweeted Alexander after Phillips’ commitment. “DJ Pickett: 6-4, Kade Phillips: 6-1, Jhase Thomas: 6-1, CJ Jimcoily: 6-3.”
Can Brian Kelly lead LSU to College Football Playoff in 2024?
Brian Kelly and the Tigers could potentially secure one of the top two or three recruiting classes in the nation for 2025, but their 2024 class is also impressive. According to 247 Sports, LSU boasts the 7th-ranked recruiting class in the country for 2024 and returns thirteen starters from a team that finished 10-3 last season. Despite losing Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and 1,000-yard receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. to the NFL, the Bayou Bengals still have enough talent to remain in the College Football Playoff conversation come November.
Navigating the SEC is never easy, and LSU’s schedule is particularly challenging. They face home games against Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma, along with road trips to Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Florida, plus a tough neutral-site opener against USC. Even with two or three potential losses, the Tigers could find themselves on the cusp of a College Football Playoff berth when Selection Sunday arrives.
One noteworthy detail as the season approaches: Brian Kelly has achieved at least ten wins in each of the past seven seasons.