Brian Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame to become the head coach at LSU rocked the college football world. Kelly left Notre Dame with an 11-1 record and a chance to make the College Football Playoff after making it the previous year. Kelly led Notre Dame to a 54-9 record from 2017 to the end of his tenure.
The primary reason for Kelly’s resignation from Notre Dame and move to the SEC was recruiting. Not only does Notre Dame have to meet strong academic criteria, but the Southeast and Louisiana are recruitment hotbeds for talent, particularly when compared to Indiana.
Brian Kelly’s success on the recruiting trail has shown that his decision was correct. His first recruiting class, which included Will Campbell, Harold Perkins, Emery Jones, and Mason Taylor, as well as transfers Jayden Daniels, Kyren Lacy, and Mekhi Wingo, built a solid foundation for what LSU has become. Notre Dame finished higher in the team recruiting rankings, but Kelly only signed 15 recruits compared to Notre Dame’s 22.
Brian Kelly signed the fifth-ranked recruiting class of 2023, while Notre Dame finished tenth. Kelly signed some of the pieces that will determine LSU’s success in 2024, including Kaleb Jackson, Shelton Sampson, Javien Toviano, and Dashawn Womack.
LSU’s 2024 signing class placed eighth, beating Notre Dame, who finished 11th. During this time, Marcus Freeman has not recruited a five-star recruit, whereas Kelly has signed four, according to On3’s Industry recruiting rankings.
We then move on to the 2025 recruiting class, where Brian Kelly is at the pinnacle of his recruiting abilities. The LSU football team now has the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class, while Notre Dame’s is ranked eleventh. Kelly has commitments from the nation’s top quarterbacks, running backs, and defensive players, with seven commits ranking in the top 10 at their positions.
While Kelly has a clear pledge from the nation’s top quarterback, Notre Dame is struggling to retain their quarterback commit, with recruiting gurus projecting Deuce Knight would switch to Auburn.
Brian Kelly has been proven right on the recruiting trail
At this point, Notre Dame fans who thought Kelly couldn’t top his recruiting success at LSU were dead wrong. Louisiana has shown to be a superior site to recruit, as he continues to produce strong signing classes. Aside from Harold Perkins, every five-star recruit recruited by Brian Kelly at LSU has come from Louisiana, indicating that Louisiana is the place to be. We’re all waiting for Kelly’s first playoff participation at LSU, but it’s impossible not to be enthusiastic given his efforts on the recruiting road.
