How we got here
Brody Miller, LSU beat writer: It’s been a wild week. Ryan has been considered a heavy LSU lean for months, a seemingly sure thing living just 55 miles away from Tiger Stadium in Lafayette. Then, early this week, Ryan surprised many by announcing a Saturday commitment date, and he absolutely made the decision with the plan to commit to Alabama. LSU since went full throttle, and it somehow turned this around in days to land a priority prospect and keep him from its rival.
What this means for LSU’s 2021 class
Miller: The fan base was on the verge of melting down this week as all indications were Ryan was headed to Alabama. It would have been a major loss, letting a top-30 national prospect with LSU ties leave the state for your biggest rival right as the program gets off to a troubling 2020 start. The focus in this class has been landing those top four Louisiana prospects (Ryan, No. 20 Maason Smith, No. 63 Brian Thomas, No. 68 Chris Hilton). Now it has commitments from Ryan and Hilton and leads with Smith and Thomas. LSU’s class is No. 4 in the nation.
How does Ryan fit with LSU?
Miller: Ed Orgeron even made a thinly veiled plea to Ryan on his weekly radio show Wednesday, saying LSU needs to recruit safeties. But he’s not entirely wrong. While LSU has consistently landed top-tier safeties, Ryan enters a program that will have had just lost Grant Delpit and JaCoby Stevens in consecutive years by next fall. He can be the safety of the future, along with Jordan Toles and Maurice Hampton already there. But more important than anything, Ryan represents a five-star talent staying in state. That’s a priority for Orgeron.
(Photo: John David Mercer / USA Today)
