Recruitment of the defensive back position has been a bit of a rollercoaster for coach Brian Kelly so far this offseason. At one point, the Tigers had seven defensive backs committed to the class of 2024. Now, there are five, and the Tigers appear to be trending away from some top cornerback recruits. Still, not all hope is lost as class of 2024 four-star cornerback Cai Bates is trending towards LSU football.
Class of 2024 four-star cornerback Cai Bates impressed by LSU football following visit
Official visit season has been kind to LSU football so far this summer. Recently, four-star cornerback Cai Bates took his official visit to Baton Rouge on June 23. It was his final visit of the month, and he left with a good impression of the Tigers.
Bates is one of the top cornerback recruits in the entire country. As of the most recent 247 Sports recruiting update, he’s listed as the No. 103 player nationally and the No. 9 cornerback in the class of 2024.
Since the four-star stud visited campus, things have been trending positively for LSU football. According to On3, the Tigers have a 23.9 percent chance at landing his commitment – the highest percentage of any school.
However, this isn’t necessarily new for the Tigers’ football program. Bates has been trending to Baton Rouge for months, and he had some good things to say in an interview with On3 back in May.
“Them being DBU, they also have a great resume with that, even though coach Raymond left, it’s still DBU. Definitely a cool program. They just let it be known that I’m basically their No. 1 guy right now. I’m No. 1 on their board. I talk to them all the time.”
Bates has multi-year starter potential for LSU football
Having begun his career as a wide receiver, Bates has exceptional ball skills for a defensive back. In fact, he’s only been playing cornerback since his junior season, but he found success almost immediately.
Naturally, there’s plenty of learning to be done, as he’s still figuring out the technical aspects of the position. Still, with his size at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, and excellent hands, his potential is through the roof.
The multi-sport athlete out of Orlando, FL, has more than enough athleticism to play the position. He does basketball, track and field, and football for his high school.
It doesn’t take much game tape to see the athleticism in this one. He tracks the ball downfield exceptionally well and has the speed to stay with the fastest wide receivers. If he can become more technically sound before he enters the college game, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him on the field sooner rather than later.
Class of 2024 cornerback Cai Bates will make some program very happy in the near future. As things stand, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida State are the other big contenders in this recruitment. He’s also expressed interest in a summer commitment, so keep your ears open for a possible upcoming decision.
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