When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Joshua Mickens was familiar with the LSU coaching staff from its time at Notre Dame and he had a particularly strong relationship with assistant coach Brian Polian.
When the four-star defensive end from Indianapolis (Ind.) Lawrence Central committed to LSU over North Carolina, Michigan State, Purdue and others in the summer, Mickens cited his relationship with those coaches as a big reason why he was headed South.
But things changed recently as Ohio State got more involved in his recruitment and Mickens took a visit to Columbus.
The four-star is back on the market after backing off his pledge in recent days and it looks like the Buckeyes are now the team to beat.
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LOCAL REACTION
LSU lost its second defensive lineman in the last two weeks when Joshua Mickens backed off his pledge Monday. The four-star was offered earlier this month by Ohio State then took his official visit and that seems to be the way he’s leaning at this point, and one can’t fault Mickens wanting to be closer to home if that’s the direction he goes.
As far as the Tigers, they still have a solid group with Dashawn Womack, Jaxon Howard and Dylan Carpenter, but Jamar Cain & Co. will look elsewhere to find a few more additions on the line especially at defensive tackle. The portal could play a huge role in filling those spots. - Julie Boudwin, TigerDetails.com
Sting factor: 6
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NATIONAL REACTION
Mickens is a very talented edge rusher who does a great job getting off blocks and pursuing the ball carrier to get him on the ground. The Midwest four-star has great power and speed, and does an excellent job with inside and outside moves. It’s no wonder Ohio State is making a serious run at him and it almost looks inevitable that he will end up in Columbus.
It also hurts that LSU has lost not only Mickens but also Darron Reed, who flipped to Auburn. Still, the Tigers will be fine. There are still a lot of top targets that LSU can get or flip from other schools and there’s always the transfer portal to plug immediate needs. Mickens is very good but he is replaceable. - Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
Sting factor: 7
