It was assumed No. 13 LSU was no longer in the running for five-star Brandenton (Fla.) linebacker Rahshaun Smith, when he announced he was cancelling his visit to LSU (1-0, 1-0 SEC) but that's no longer the case, according to Nola.com's James Smith.
Not only is the 6-foot-3, 220-pound linebacker expected to be in attendance for LSU's game against Florida on Oct. 17, the Tigers have, according to Smith, made "a strong push" for Smith in recent weeks:
Over the past few weeks, Smith has found himself on the phone with LSU coaches quite often, and is being recruited to LSU by high school teammates Saivion Smith, a LSU cornerback commitment, and five-star defensive lineman Shavar Manuel. You read that right; uncommitted defensive lineman Shavar Manuel has been sharing his positive sentiments about LSU with his teammate.
After receiving that information I took to the phones. Not only did I confirm what I was told, a source close to the star linebacker stated that "LSU has moved up to the very top of the list" and "LSU may get all these IMG boys."
A commitment from Saivion (five-star), Manuel (five-star) and Rahshaun to LSU would be an incredible achievement for defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, who's recruiting efforts in Florida have been well-documented, Smith writes. The trio of five-star recruits could have a ripple effect on LSU's recruiting for years to come and could vault the program to another level.
