The LSU Tigers are still doing okay in their recruiting for the 2027 class, but missing out on Albert Simien hurts.
The LSU Tigers lost out on five-star interior offensive lineman Albert Simien earlier this week when the 6’4, 315-pound recruit committed to Notre Dame.
Simien, the No. 10 recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the country, picked the Fighting Irish over LSU, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Alabama. The loss stings for LSU, which needs offensive line help and had a homegrown blue-chip prospect slip away. Simien hails from Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, Louisiana, making him the No. 2 player in the state.
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According to Rivals, Simien carries a 96.53 Industry Composite rating. Notre Dame landed a massive get, and LSU is left searching for answers along the offensive line.
Visit totals tell the story
When you look at the visit breakdown, LSU’s position in this recruitment becomes clear. Simien visited Nebraska five times, Alabama three times, and Notre Dame three times. He visited LSU just twice, the same number as Texas A&M and Ole Miss. That gap in visits suggests LSU was fighting from behind throughout the process, and it showed in the final decision.
Two visits is not zero, and LSU was certainly in the mix. But falling a visit behind Notre Dame and well behind Nebraska made it difficult for the Tigers to build the kind of momentum needed to flip a top-10 recruit. In a way, this one felt like it was slipping away before the commitment ever came.
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Where LSU’s 2027 class stands now
LSU still holds the No. 11 ranked class in the country and the No. 5 class in the SEC. The Tigers have one five-star and nine four-stars committed. That is a strong foundation, but the offensive line remains a clear area of need.
LSU already has interior offensive lineman Terrance Smith committed, a four-star ranked 115th in the country who stands 6’7, 290 pounds. They also have offensive tackle Amaziah Siale, who is 6’6 and ranked as a top-600 prospect nationally. Both are solid additions, but adding Simien would have given LSU another blue-chip talent on the interior, where depth and quality matter in the SEC.
Options remain, but the path is unclear
LSU still has offers out across the country at numerous positions, including interior offensive line. Names like Ismael Camara and Nate Carson remain possibilities on paper, but as things stand, LSU does not appear to be in the running for either of those prospects. Recruiting can change quickly, so nothing is completely off the table.
The Tigers are in the mix for Caleb Unger, though Mississippi State appears to be the frontrunner for the three-star prospect. Landing Unger would help address the need, but he would not replace the kind of impact a player like Simien brings to a recruiting class.
This was a significant miss for LSU. Losing a top-10 national recruit from your own state to an out-of-conference program is never ideal. The Tigers will continue to recruit aggressively across the board, but the Simien commitment to Notre Dame leaves a gap that will be tough to fill at the position where LSU needed him most.
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This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: LSU Tigers lose out on a big-time five-star recruit that plays the exact position Lane Kiffin needs on his offense
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