LSU head coach Brian Kelly’s recruiting tactics have drawn criticism from Prairie View A&M’s Tremaine Jackson. As Jackson prepares for his first season leading PVAMU, following a successful tenure at Valdosta State where he secured two Gulf South Conference titles and a Division II championship appearance, he didn’t hold back when discussing Kelly’s approach.
In an interview with Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, Jackson took aim at a viral recruiting moment from Kelly’s early days at LSU in 2022.
“We don’t wine and dine recruits,” Jackson said. “We’re upfront because I don’t have time to de-recruit players. You won’t see me on Twitter with my hat backward, dancing on a 360 camera. Brian Kelly did that, and he hasn’t won a championship yet.”
Jackson was seemingly referring to LSU’s widely shared video shoot with 2022 recruit Danny Lewis, a Louisiana tight end who ultimately chose Alabama over the Tigers.
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Jackson’s approach to recruiting clearly differs from Kelly’s, which is understandable given the unique challenges of coaching at the FCS level. However, LSU’s recruiting success under Kelly is difficult to dispute. In his three full recruiting cycles, the Tigers have consistently secured top-10 classes (according to 247 Sports), including the nation’s No. 1 transfer class in 2025.
Despite their recruiting success, LSU has yet to return to the College Football Playoff since winning the national championship under Ed Orgeron in 2019. That remains the ultimate goal for the program as they look to build on a 9-4 season that ended with a bowl victory over Baylor. The Tigers will kick off their 2025 campaign with a highly anticipated road matchup against defending ACC champion Clemson on Aug. 30.
