National Signing Day is like that great spin-off episode sandwiched between the canon and the soap opera CFB. This season’s episode was even better than usual. Lots of drama, lots of jubilation and naturally lots of despair. At the focal point of the plot was NIL. Sadly for Brian Kelly and his LSU Tigers, they perhaps didn’t get the memo.
The advent of NIL has meant the recruitment process has become a more arbitrary process now. It is no longer about if a coach likes your mom’s cooking when they visit your house, trying to explain your fit in the program. Recruitment is undercut by a binary equation of how many zeroes are at the end of your cheque. LSU HC Brian Kelly laments this and made his feelings known in the backwash of Signing Day. One insider with a rooting interest in LSU football agrees with Kelly for the most part, but has earmarked other possibilities.
A somewhat dejected Brian Kelly said, “Anybody that we’ve lost in the last few days, it wasn’t because we didn’t offer money. It wasn’t because we didn’t recruit them. It was because the value that was meant to [other schools] was exponentially more. It wasn’t market value. Because it meant [other teams] needed that piece. They were going to do whatever was necessary to get that piece.” “You can’t close every one of these [signings] just because you’ve got great relationships and they want to go to LSU.” Tigers’ insider Matt Moscona leveraged some intel in support of this claim.
In a video on the After Further Review: LSU YouTube channel, Moscona shared insight on what went down with 4-star WR Derek Meadows. Meadows flipped from LSU to Alabama on Signing Day. Moscona claimed that after Bama made their pitch to Meadows, the player “came back to LSU asking for more money”. Unfortunately for Brian Kelly and his program, they were unwilling to allocate funds for the operation.
This anecdotal reference was one of a multitude of flips that have haunted LSU over recent days and weeks. They were involved in a very public relinquishing at the hands of Bryce Underwood. The general notion is that Michigan’s unprecedented offer of over $10 million in NIL money swayed the no.1 player in the class. Matt Moscona endorsed Brian Kelly’s decision not to go over the top in NIL, with revenue-sharing regulations lurking in the backdrop. However, he demanded redemption via another medium.
Matt Moscona echoes what every LSU fan believes is the answer to this problem
As vital as recruitment from high school continues to be, it is not quintessential in the modern CFB sphere. In this era of evolution, another channel of opportunity exists. The transfer portal can substantiate shortcomings on the recruitment front. In fact, it proves to be a more instantaneous solution for programs that are seeking a turnaround in fortunes. This is evidenced by Colorado’s recent escapades. After Brian Kelly explicitly said he’s aiming for a Natty next season, LSU firmly fell in that category. Moscona reinforced the importance of the transfer portal this off-season.
“The key is, you’ve got to hit the portal. You got to. You’ve signed a great class, but you decided not to overspend on some players. To keep what you have in this class together, and to have the ability to go spend in the portal. Now, you have to go hit the portal. [Let’s] see if they can.”, said Moscona.
The path for LSU to the National Championship is cloudy. However it is still conspicuous. . The onus is now on Brian Kelly to tread the said path. The standards in Baton Rouge are unwavering despite whatever obstacles NIL throws up. The portal could well be make-or-break for Kelly’s tenure.
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