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LSU football and head coach Brian Kelly are realizing the new, changing era of college football. It's now money talks, or the five or four-stars walk.
Bryce Underwood solidified one recruiting defeat for LSU. The five-star quarterback got involved in a high-profile, $10 million NIL decision to flip to Michigan. Underwood officially signed his letter to the Wolverines on National Signing Day. Underwood wasn't the only major loss on the trail. Four-star cornerback Kade Phillips flipped to Texas, with NIL at the forefront there.
Kelly addressed both flips. The 63-year-old ripped into NIL culture for losing a pair of prominent verbal commits, per On3.com LSU reporter Shea Dixon.
“It's not just about finding the right fit…it's about the most money I can get,” Kelly bluntly told reporters. “That's unfortunate. But it's the world we live in.”
Kelly delivered a telling question regarding the new era of college football, with NIL now changing the recruiting landscape.
“If you're a fan, you've got to look at this as if the glass is half full, or is it half empty?” Kelly said.
He added one more statement on the lost Tigers commits who accepted a new offer elsewhere.
“Those two guys loved LSU. They didn't have much of a choice,” Kelly said.
Derek Meadows was another major loss for LSU. Southeastern Conference rival Alabama flipped him. Although it's not known if the four-star's decision was persuaded by NIL money.
How does Brian Kelly feel about LSU after losing the commits?
Kelly, though, still spoke vibrantly about his 2025 group of freshmen coming to Baton Rouge.
“This is an outstanding class,” Kelly bluntly said. “We fought hard to get those guys. They see something, and felt something, that was clear to them. And what was clear to them, is that this is going to be a championship program.”
Kelly and LSU pulled off one major recruiting win. Five-star cornerback D.J. Pickett signed to LSU. Pickett's decision secured a longtime Tigers verbal commit from July. Kelly and LSU fought off Florida, Oregon, Miami and Georgia to keep Pickett.
The Tigers cracked the top 10 in the 247Sports national rankings after NSD. Sixteen signings head to LSU as a four-star.
