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If you ever wanted two secondary coaches on your staff, I think LSU hit the jackpot. Corey Raymond has worked his magic for years, and now safeties coach Bill Busch has adopted that recruiting ability Raymond has put on display and raided Texas for the second time for 2022. After No. 4 safety Bryce Anderson became the first commit to the class way back in September, LSU went back to the Lone Star State to reel in No. 2 ranked Bryan Allen Jr. Khamuri Rodgers, a top-10 corner, and Decoldest Crawford round out the current state of their class.
What Bryan Allen Jr. Brings
Coming out of Aledo High School, a perennial powerhouse in Texas, the 6’0” 183-pound safety showcases a well-rounded game for only a sophomore. Playing closer to the line than your standard safety, Allen Jr. shows no problem coming down into the box to make a play or a resounding hit (as evidenced by the alligator arms at the 1:05 mark). One thing that shows his maturity in the game is his ability to break down on the plays he needs to in order to make the sure tackle. Despite running a 4.74 40-yard dash at The Opening Regional last year, his game speed is nothing to worry about as he excels at playing the center field role of a safety. That play at the 32-second mark is phenomenal and a great representation of that athleticism. The ability to take off in the direction of the roll-out, then show the hip flexibility to turn and make a play on the ball is just exemplary. If you watched this film with no idea what class he is, I think most would be shocked to know he was only a sophomore.
What It Means For LSU
Bill Busch must be looking for some relaxing vacation days during this quarantine because he is filling up the secondary with haste. Adding Dakota Mitchell in the 2021 class last month, Busch already has three safeties for the next two classes. With 2021 athlete Sage Ryan, who is projected a safety at the next level, as a heavy LSU lean, it’s a quick start for these upcoming secondary classes and just another rebuild for the true DBU.