When Brian Kelly left Notre Dame to accept the head coaching job at LSU, it was an absolute shock to the college football world. Kelly left Notre Dame with a record of 11-1 while in the running for the College Football Playoff after making the playoffs the year before. From 2017 to the end of his time at Notre Dame, Kelly had turned the Fighting Irish into a power with a 54-9 record.

The main reason for Kelly leaving Notre Dame and moving to the SEC was recruiting. Not only does Notre Dame have to meet high academic standards, but the Southeast and Louisiana are a hotbed of talent, especially compared to Indiana.

So far, Brian Kelly’s recruiting success has proven his decision was the right one. His first recruiting class laid an incredible foundation for what LSU has become, signing Will Campbell, Harold Perkins, Emery Jones and Mason Taylor, as well as big-time transfers like Jayden Daniels, Kyren Lacy and Mekhi Wingo. Notre Dame finished higher in the team recruiting rankings, but Kelly only signed 15 recruits while Notre Dame brought in 22.

In the 2023 recruiting class, Brian Kelly signed with the fifth-ranked class while Notre Dame was ranked 10th. In the 2023 class, Kelly brought in some of the players that will define LSU’s success in 2024, such as Kaleb Jackson, Shelton Sampson, Javien Toviano and Dashawn Womack.

LSU’s class of 2024 came in at No. 7, edging out Notre Dame, which came in at No. 11. During that time, Marcus Freeman has not signed a five-star recruit, while Kelly has signed four recruits, according to On3’s industry recruiting rankings.

Then we come to the 2025 recruiting class, where Brian Kelly is at the peak of his recruiting prowess. The LSU football team is currently the third-best recruiting class in the nation, while Notre Dame’s class is ranked 11th. Kelly has commitments from the nation’s best quarterbacks, running backs and defensive linemen, seven of whom are in the top ten at their position.

While Kelly has the firm commitment of the nation’s best quarterback, Notre Dame is struggling to retain its quarterback as recruiting experts predict Deuce Knight will transfer to Auburn.

At this point, Notre Dame fans who believed Kelly wouldn’t top his recruiting success at LSU were dead wrong. Louisiana has proven to be a better place to recruit as it continues to produce impressive signings. Every five-star player Brian Kelly has signed at LSU, aside from Harold Perkins, has come from Louisiana, which is further proof that Louisiana is the place to be. We’re all waiting for Kelly’s first playoff appearance at LSU, but given the job he’s done recruiting, it’s hard not to be optimistic.

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