The Three Most Important Signees in LSU Football’s 2025 Recruiting Class
Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff have hit the recruiting trail with force in December with the program winning battles for key prospects over the last few weeks.
The recent buzz has surrounded the Tigers’ success in the NCAA Transfer Portal, but during the first week of the month it was LSU’s impressive haul on National Signing Day that stole headlines.
From DJ Pickett (No. 1 CB) to Harlem Berry (No. 1 RB), Kelly and Co. handled business in order to lock down pivotal recruits in the 2025 Recruiting Class.
It’s a haul that flaunts an embarrassment of riches on both sides of the ball, but which signees have the chance to be labeled as the “most important” before they play a snap for the Tigers?
The Three Most Important Signings:
DJ Pickett: No. 1 Cornerback in America
LSU was in dire need of a young, impactful cornerback to make his way to Baton Rouge in the 2025 Recruiting Class with Corey Raymond spearheading the push.
Now, he’s landed his “big fish” with DJ Pickett joining the program.
Pickett, the Tigers’ top-ranked signee in the 2025 Recruiting Class, chose LSU over Miami, Oregon and Georgia during his recruitment process.
It was a battle down the stretch in order to secure the coveted prospect. A player with the top programs in the country battling for his services, LSU proved they were willing to do anything in their power to lock him down and get him to campus.
Kelly has raved about the youngster and what he’s set to provide the program moving forward. He projects as a player that will make an instant impact for the Tigers.
“Watching a guy on film move that way (with his height) was what really surprised me about him,” Kelly said on National Signing Day. “I don’t even know if it’s an argument. We believe he’s hands-down the best corner in the country.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that there is a lockdown corner, but he’s about as close as there is to a lockdown corner in the country. And his offensive film might be as good, if not better.”
Now, 6-foot-4, 180-pound defensive back has arrived in Baton Rouge after making his way to campus as an early-enrollee last weekend.
Pickett took the field with the Tigers for the first time on Monday where he’s participating in bowl preparation with the program.
Pickett will be a full participant during Texas Bowl practice leading up to next week’s game.
Though Pickett can practice with the team and get accustomed to a college regime, he will be unable to play in LSU’s Dec. 31 Texas Bowl showdown against the Baylor Bears. Early-enrollees are ineligible for bowl games with their current squads.
Harlem Berry: No. 1 Running Back in America
Metairie (La.) St. Martin’s Episcopal five-star running back Harlem Berry is Baton Rouge bound after putting pen to paper with the LSU Tigers on National Signing Day.
Berry, the No. 1 running back in America, committed to Brian Kelly and the program on Jan. 3 while remaining loyal to his pledge until the end.
He’s a player that jumps off the page when looking at the numbers. Berry is one of the most decorated athletes in Louisiana history and heads to LSU as the highest-rated running back in the state since Leonard Fournette.
On Signing Day, the superlatives came rolling in for Berry with analysts simply calling him a “human highlight reel” or the “human joystick” with the way he bounces off of defenders and remains upright.
Now, the “human joystick” will prepare to be in Baton Rouge this spring where he will take part in LSU’s spring camp. Berry will be an early-enrollee alongside double-digit 2025 signees.
“Before I even made the decision, I knew where I wanted to go,” Berry said on Signing Day, “and once I made it, I was locked in. Nothing was going to change my mind.”
Berry has proven to be big on loyalty and relationships, which paved the way for the five-star to put pen to paper with the Tigers in early December.
“I built a great relationship with (LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson),” Berry said. “All the other coaches at the other universities, I felt that they could get me where I needed to get. But it was just that connection I had with coach Frank. It was more than just football.”
Carius Curne: No. 2 Interior Offensive Lineman in America
Marion (Ark.) four-star offensive lineman Carius Curne revealed a commitment to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in June after flipping his commitment from the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Curne, the No. 2 rated interior offensive lineman in America, backed off of his pledge to the hometown Razorbacks before joining LSU’s 2025 class.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pounder has tremendous upside with Kelly and Co. adding a player who has immediate impact written all over him.
Curne ultimately put pen to paper with the LSU program on Dec. 4 during the Early Signing Period where he made things official with the Bayou Bengals.
It’s no secret LSU’s interior offensive line was an issue in 2024 with the rushing attack struggling due to a lack of push in the trenches, but reinforcements are on the way.
For the Tigers, they’ll now get a better look at Curne sooner rather than later. The coveted offensive lineman confirmed with LSU Tigers On SI that he will enroll in January and be with the program for spring camp as an early-enrollee.
With Curne now in the mix, it gives LSU a prospect who can step in on day one and help the program for the foreseeable future.
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