Ed Orgeron-Lane Kiffin pairing already paying dividends for LSU Tigers during pivotal recruiting weekend

I tried to warn you guys, I really did.

About a week and a half ago, when LSU added former head coach Ed Orgeron to new coach Lane Kiffin’s staff, I mentioned that the Bayou Bengals addressed the one weakness that plagued their former regime and that the addition of Coach O would pay dividends down the road on the recruiting trail.

I fully believed that to be true, but even I couldn’t have anticipated how quickly Orgeron would hit the ground running in Baton Rouge.

Head coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers celebrates after defeating the Clemson Tigers 42-25 in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 13, 2020. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Almost immediately after joining the LSU payroll, Orgeron was able to secure both an in-person visit and official visit from the nation’s No. 1 recruit, five-star defensive tackle Jalen Brewster.

The battle for Brewster was shaping up to be a two-horse race between in-state Texas Tech, the program he is currently committed to, and the Florida Gators.

It took less than two weeks, and Orgeron has not only already gotten the Tigers’ foot in the door for Brewster, but may have actually helped to push them to the forefront of his recruitment as the leaders in the clubhouse.

Some videos are emerging from his official visit this weekend in Louisiana, and if you’re a Red Raiders fan, you may want to avert your eyes, because it looks like Brewster and Ed O are having a blast getting to know each other better.

It’s like seeing a video of your girlfriend on a girl’s trip to Miami dancing with some amateur bodybuilder (not that I’m speaking from experience or anything).

But Texas Tech isn’t the only program from the Lone Star State whose commit list LSU is plundering.

I mentioned this name in my article last week, but five-star wideout and current Texas commit Easton Royal is also in town for an official visit this weekend.

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It’s worth noting that Royal is from nearby New Orleans and was already seen as a flight risk for the Longhorns, with the hometown Tigers being the most likely landing spot, but having Orgeron in tow only adds to the chances he flips

Two of the best players in the country in town during the same recruiting weekend is a coup for any program, and if the Tigers pull this off, they will have an elite group of 2027 commits.

Head coach Ed Orgeron of the LSU Tigers celebrates a win over the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Nov. 27, 2021. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

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They only have five commits in the fold right now, but all five are blue-chip prospects, with two being five-stars in their own right.

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Adding Brewster and Royal to that cocktail would allow Kiffin and his staff to fill out the rest of their class however they like and still be a mortal lock to land in the top five of every recruiting site worth a damn.

This is what every SEC fan feared when Kiffin signed on the dotted line to be LSU’s next coach, and it’s what I envisioned after he pulled the coup of adding Orgeron to the mix.

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LSU head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images (Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images)

People called me crazy when I said the Orgeron hire made LSU the most dangerous team in the country when it came to talent acquisition.

I’m starting to look like a prophet already, though this is one of the few times I wish I was wrong.