Although the transfer portal often seems to dominate the college football headlines, sustained success as an elite program still requires effective high school recruiting. DJ Pickett and Harlem Berry made waves in the Spring, but 10 LSU Summer enrollees weren’t around to make their mark. We ranked the top four of the remaining freshmen by their chances to make an impact in 2025. We considered both individual talent and the depth chart while establishing this ranking.
LSU Summer Enrollees Primed to Play
4) Jhase Thomas
Considering LSU’s additions at the safety position, the odds might not appear to be in Thomas’s favor. The room currently includes proven commodities like AJ Haulcy and promising talents like Dashawn Spears. However, Thomas makes this list because his ball skills are special.
The son of former NFL cornerback Fred Thomas, Jhase has gotten plenty of run on the offensive side of the ball at Destrehan. The fact that he was a featured receiver on the same team as LSU signee Phillip Wright and 2026 commitment Jabari Mack speaks to his athleticism. Thomas shows good hands, speed, and spatial awareness on both sides of the ball.
Defensively, Thomas isn’t the most imposing safety at 180 pounds. However, he comes downhill fast against the run. More importantly, he remains under control and squares up ball-carriers to make sound form tackles. But his offensive mentality of playing the ball like a receiver is what could give him an edge against his peers.
3) Walter Mathis
Like Thomas, Mathis will walk into a crowded position room. LSU returns two rising sophomore defensive tackles that will likely start, Dominick McKinley and Ahmad Breaux. Veteran Jacobian Guillory will play a significant role if he fully recovers from his Achilles tendon injury. The Tiger staff also flexed its portal muscle by adding the highest-rated defensive tackle available after the spring in UCF’s Bernard Gooden.
We think Mathis is one of the most underrated members of LSU’s freshman class. The 247Sports Composite ranked him as the 49th best defensive tackle in the class, but there are few with more impressive film. Mathis flashes size, short-area burst, and power. His bull rush was unfair at the high school level. He also displayed an effective swim move when lined up on the edge. Defensive line coach Kyle Williams will undoubtedly enjoy Mathis’s relentless pursuit, as Williams also played with a high motor.
2) Jaiden Breaker
At this point in the list, the likelihood of playing time for these young Tigers is moving from possible to probable. Breaker, a linebacker, was almost a consensus four-star recruit (only missing the ESPN ranking) and has eye-popping athleticism. He recorded a 10.78 100-meter time while listed as 212 pounds.
More importantly, his speed is evident on the football field. Breaker covers ground fast, and he was utilized at multiple positions. He played inside, outside, and lined up as an edge rusher in high school.
No slight on his talent, but the depth chart also factors into Breaker’s ranking. Now that Harold Perkins has moved to the Star position, LSU only has three players who are expected to log heavy snaps at linebacker in Whit Weeks, Davhon Keys, and West Weeks. The Tigers need Breaker to be ready to contribute.
1) JT Lindsey
Speaking of depth, Lindsey finds himself in as favorable a position as any Summer enrollee at the running back position. LSU will almost always use a committee of backs. Lindsey will get opportunities based on numbers if nothing else, because LSU only has four scholarship running backs. Even so, he would likely compete for snaps regardless of the depth in front of him.
The talented Alexandria native is a complete back. He has long speed, receiving ability, and more of a physical element to his game than his fellow freshman, Berry. Kaleb Jackson had the confidence to remain at LSU after a disappointing sophomore season. Jackson’s performance this season could weigh heavily into Lindsey’s outlook, as it is understood that Caden Durham will receive the bulk of the carries. Regardless of how it plays out, we expect Lindsey to have the biggest impact of all LSU’s Summer enrollees.
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