Four-star safety Bryce Anderson was committed to LSU from September 2019 until late January but then he reopened his recruitment and took the last few weeks to work out his new top five.
The Beaumont (Texas) Westbrook standout said after his decommitment that Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M and Michigan were recruiting him the hardest at that point. Since that time, some of those programs made his new top five and some did not.
There is a belief that Anderson’s recruitment could end up being a battle of SEC programs with LSU having a solid chance of regaining his commitment and Texas A&M striking at the opportunity to keep another elite, local prospect close to home. But Texas has been recruiting so well and the Longhorns remain major players as well.
Experts from around the Rivals network present an argument as to why those schools could – or could not – end up landing Anderson.
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DOMINO EFFECT: How other top QBs are impacted by recent commitments
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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LSU
“LSU is known for developing defensive backs, it’s why many know the school as ‘DBU,’ so it would not be shocking to see Anderson, one of the top safeties in the country, end up in the 2022 class for the Tigers when it’s all said and done.
"While the Tigers are not the hometown school in this one, they are less than three hours away. I do expect the Longhorns and Aggies to be the biggest competition for Ed Orgeron, Corey Raymond and the rest of the LSU staff in inking Anderson. The former LSU commit also plays 7-on-7 ball with the Louisiana Bootleggers, making him close with several targets for the Tigers.” - Julie Boudwin, TigerDetails.com
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MICHIGAN
“Michigan went out and made a splash hire this offseason in Maurice Linguist, who was one of the country's top recruiters before jumping to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. Linguist has a great track record of landing elite level defensive backs and has strong ties to the Lone Star State. A Dallas native, Linguist actually offered Anderson extremely early when he was at Texas A&M. The two have a strong bond, and that's what is keeping Michigan in this one.
"He'll be a tough pull since Texas has a ton of momentum, but the Wolverines have quickly surged into his top group thanks to Linguist.” - EJ Holland, TheWolverine.com
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TEXAS
“The new Texas staff, led by Steve Sarkisian, Blake Gideon and Terry Joseph. has really done a good job in this one of late to move Texas up Anderson's list. Proximity is something that will probably factor into Anderson's decision, so that should help Texas, as will his bond with the new staff and some of the current Texas recruits.” - Jason Suchomel, OrangeBloods.com
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TEXAS A&M
“The Aggies won a couple of big recruiting battles in the 2021 cycle simply by being the most consistent in showing interest. In the case of Anderson, they never quit recruiting him when he was committed to LSU and have made their interest clear the whole time.
"The Aggies may need young players to step up in 2022 with Leon O’Neal and Demani Richardson both eligible for the draft and Keldrick Carper finishing his fifth season. So the Aggies have playing time to offer, and Anderson knows he’s a guy they’d be very happy to have competing for it.” - Mark Passwaters, AggieYell.com
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USC
“While USC signed three four-star safeties in the 2021 class plus a four-star nickel and landed former four-star Xavion Alford as a transfer from Texas, the Trojans still feel their depth is thin at the position after missing out on their top 2019 targets and signing none in 2020. So it remains a priority need.
"Anderson is going to be a tough pull, though. The buzz is that Texas is the strong favorite. That said, USC safeties coach Craig Naivar – who used to coach at Texas and recruits the state aggressively – has a strong relationship with Anderson and his family. There is hope USC can get him on campus for an official visit if he plays out his recruitment long enough and the dead period is lifted. That would be the Trojans' best shot at swaying him, otherwise it seems likely he remains in-state.” - Ryan Young, TrojanSports.com
THE VERDICT
"Texas and Texas A&M have the best argument in landing Anderson, who lives about three hours from College Station and four from Austin, so the distance is negligible. He actually lives closest to LSU but he has already been committed there and I'm not convinced that he's going to end up back with the Tigers.
"First-year coach Steve Sarkisian has tabbed Anderson as a big priority in the class, the Longhorns are doing an excellent job with in-state recruiting and it looks like Texas could be the team to beat for the talented four-star defensive back." - Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
