The LSU Tigers may be coming off a down season since their College Football Playoff win against Clemson, but their recruiting classes haven't taken any hits. They even attracted a player who was committed to playing elsewhere despite hailing from the Bayou State.
Safety Matthew Langlois headed to Baton Rouge to play for coach Ed Orgeron after he initially agreed to play for Kansas State.
Langlois is now playing for his dream school in his home state. The Louisiana native attended Catholic of Pointe Coupee in New Roads, Louisiana and has been a Tigers fan his whole life, modeling his game after Tyrann Mathieu.
Matthew Langlois LSU
Hold That Tiger
Another Boot Boy is officially a Tiger! Welcome home, @LangloisMatthew#GeauxTigers | https://t.co/2gIBrOGSr4 pic.twitter.com/jhJzrWyNHU
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 16, 2020
100% Committed🐯 pic.twitter.com/coD6xq1HgS
— Matthew Langlois (@LangloisMatthew) October 26, 2020
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In addition to KSU and LSU, Langlois received offers from Arizona, Arkansas State, Boston College, Colorado, Houston, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, South Alabama, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
Langlois, a three-star defensive back, posted on social media about his love for LSU football, and while it may sting for Kansas State fans, the offer was too much for the safety to pass up.
"I chose LSU because they've always been my favorite team growing up in Baton Rouge and I believe I can accomplish anything at LSU," he told 247Sports.
The offers continued to roll in during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of them, including the one made by the Tigers, came after an impressive performance by Langlois in a showcase in New Orleans.
He signed his letter of intent in December 2020 and enrolled in May 2021. Langlois has big expectations for himself in Baton Rouge.
"I plan on playing pretty early, eventually becoming an All-American, winning the Jim Thorpe award, and getting drafted early," he told 247Sports.
Langlois totaled 68 tackles and four sacks on the season in 2019. Despite his defensive prowess, he does not play on that side of the ball exclusively; he also plays running back and tallied 1,343 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in 2019. His heroics led the CPC Hornets to a state title appearance.
Matthew Langlois Highlights
Langlois boasts a 6-foot, 197-pound frame. His speed helped him play on both sides of the ball and will help him get acclimated to the college level quickly, but his ability as a tackler can't be ignored. He hits just as hard as a linebacker and plays a very physical game.
To get an idea of his lightning-fast abilities, he reportedly ran a 4.4 40-yard dash in high school and ran the 100-meter dash in 10.97 seconds.
While the expectation is it may take some time to get acclimated to the defensive back position in college, LSU believes that Langlois is up to the task and could be a starter for their next championship-winning roster filled with NFL-level talent.
This post was originally published on November 5, 2020 but has been updated.