LSU Football: Grading the Tigers’ 2018 recruiting class
| Player | Position | Stars |
| Kelvin Joseph | S | 4 |
| Micah Baskerville | ILB | 4 |
| Damone Clark | ILB | 4 |
| Travez Moore | WDE | 4 |
| Jarell Cherry | WDE | 4 |
| Chasen Hines | DT | 4 |
| Dare Rosenthal | DT | 4 |
| Davin Cotton | DT | 4 |
| Nelson Jenkins | DT | 3 |
| Dominic Livingston | DT | 3 |
| Dantrieze Scott | ATH/DE | 3 |
Defense: B+
The LSU offense has earned its share of criticism in the past, but the defense has always been the Tigers’ bread and butter. Once again it was the defense that elevated their next wave of incoming talent. The lack of depth in the secondary is concerning, but the amount of playmakers they were able to bring in to reinforce their front seven was encouraging.
Leading the way was the nation’s No. 1 JUCO weakside defensive end Travez Moore. The edge rusher will slide right into the spot vacated by Arden Key who left for the NFL Draft this offseason. He might not possess the same raw athleticism as Key, but he won’t be a deficiency on his side of the ball.
Other than Moore, LSU signed its usual complement of trench-ready maulers. The team returns a fair amount of experience in the front seven already this year, meaning several of the new faces might not see the field in 2018. It’s going to take some time in the weight room to get these young defenders up to speed, a luxury that Orgeron might not have if he struggles out of the gate once again.