JaCoby Stevens' Commitment Continues LSU's 5-Star DB Recruiting Streak

LSU continued its recent trend in luring top-flight defensive backs to Baton Rouge on Monday as the Tigers landed a pledge from 5-star safety JaCoby Stevens.

His pledge marks the second time the 6’2”, 200-pounder has committed to head coach Les Miles. He initially committed to LSU back in Sept. 2015 before decommitting nearly two months later.

Stevens had more than 30 offers to his credit entering his senior season at Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In the end, he chose the Tigers over Alabama, Auburn and Georgia.

His addition to the Tigers’ 2017 class is another coup for Miles and defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.

Assuming the nation’s No. 2 safety and the No. 27 player overall in the 2017 cycle sticks with the Tigers, LSU will land a 5-star defensive back for the fourth consecutive cycle.

Current All-American safety Jamal Adams began the streak in the 2014 class. Over the next two years, LSU added cornerbacks Kevin Toliver II and Kristian Fulton. Stevens adds to the haul Raymond has been able to assemble in the secondary.

In fact, if you include the prospects committed to LSU in the current cycle, Miles and his staff have landed 16 defensive backs over the last four years.

In addition to the four 5-stars, LSU has landed nine 4-star prospects and eight recruits who were rated among the nation’s Top 100 players overall in their respective recruiting class.

Class	Position/Player	Rank	Overall Rank
2014	S Ed Paris	4-Star	42
2014	S Jamal Adams	5-Star	31
2015	CB Kevin Toliver II	5-Star	8
2016	S Eric Monroe	4-Star	55
2016	CB Saivion Smith	4-Star	48
2016	CB Kristian Fulton	5-Star	21
2017	S Grant Delpit	4-Star	83
2017	S JaCoby Stevens	5-Star	27

Furthermore, since the 2011 NFL draft, 10 LSU defensive backs have been selected—including a trio of first-rounders. 

That type of development and production is something that Stevens admitted stuck with him, even after he backed off his first pledge to the Tigers.

"When I decommitted, I guess it put a bad taste in the mouth of LSU fans. But LSU is a great school with a lot of great things to offer,” Stevens told Bleacher Report in April. “They have a great DB coach who has put multiple players in the league in Corey Raymond. They have a charismatic coach and a players' coach in Les Miles. The competition there is amazing, so that’s why I’m interested in them." 

Stevens adds to a 2017 class that already includes premier talents in 4-star safety Grant Delpit and 4-star corner Kary Vincent. They are also heavy favorites to land in-state 4-star safety Todd Harris—another defensive back who is a Top 100 player overall in the 2017 class.

With their recent success in attracting elite defensive backs, and the NFL success that former stars such as Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu are enjoying, LSU’s reputation as a haven for grooming defensive backs is unlikely to fade anytime soon.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani