re: Class of 2019 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: That's a Wrap Edition

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Tigers recruiting Nathan Pickering the hardest

EULESS, Texas — Nathan Pickering is down to 10 schools and continuing to make visits to as many of those top options. LSU has played host to the top-50 defensive lineman three times in that span.

Pickering’s back-and-forth between Mississippi and The Boot is a product of the Tigers’ tag-team effort from defensive line coach Dennis Johnson, a Magnolia State native, and coach Ed Orgeron, who has made Pickering a priority in the 2019 class. Both coaches have maintained constant communication with the 4-star strongside end, and of his top schools, there’s a clear-cut team recruiting him the hardest.

“To be honest, they [LSU] are coming at me hardest,” Pickering told SEC Country. “They talk to me every day and get on the phone with me twice a week.

“I hear from them every day. Coach O texts me ‘Hold That Tiger’ once in a while. He also says ‘sack fumble’ because it’s his favorite play in the game. There’s a lot of up-feeling spirits there.”

There won’t be any “Hold That Tiger’ tweet fired off — for Pickering, at least — until January. That’s when Mississippi’s No. 2-ranked player plans on making a decision as he continues to explore all of his top schools.

It’s worth noting Pickering has been a regular visitor in Baton Rouge throughout the spring, attending a junior day and returning for the Tigers’ spring game April 21. That what his first game environment in Death Valley and, more importantly, provided Pickering with an up-close glimpse of what it’s like to be in Johnson’s defensive line meeting room.

“It was great,” he said. “I got to the game and see everything. I learned a lot of things I didn’t know from the first two visits — like how the coaches coach. I sat there and listened and saw how they coached. … I got to see him [Johnson] go through the film and all the different ways he coaches. It’s different from my coaches [at Seminary High School]; he’s not going to tell you what you want to hear, but the things you need to hear. If it’s something you need to work on, he’ll tell you. I like that.”

Give LSU a big checkmark in regards to selling Pickering on the coaching. Another one goes in terms of academic fit.

While Pickering said Florida has the most impressive academic facilities for his major, he lauded both LSU and Alabama for their engineering departments. Additionally, Pickering was mesmerized by the emphasis on education in addition to football and fit within the university.

“They showed me the engineering department, the academics. It’s the first thing they showed on my tour — that they were more interested in me getting my degree,” he said. “In my top 10, Florida was all academics more than anything else. But all the schools have expressed academics. They’ve all been showing me academics first and make sure they’re showing me that. It comes from my parents. They’re hard on me. I can’t even come home with a B because they make sure my grades come first.”

As a result, Pickering has a 3.9 GPA.

With two boxes checked, Pickering confirmed LSU is one of two schools sure to receive an official visit leading up to his January commitment. Alabama is the other.

“LSU, of course, is a great team,” he said. “I feel that right now they’re developing as a team and I believe in that development. Another thing is that they have great life after football. I can come back and they’re going to take care of me.

“LSU and Alabama are definitely getting official visits. I prayed to God, and since I got my top 10, I’ve talked to my parents, my coaches and those were the two teams that’ll definitely be in it. They have great football teams, fits academically, city, fans. It’s a great environment.”

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