LSU falling behind in uphill battle against trending SEC rival for top QB prospect in 2027 recruiting class
It’s not common to see top recruits out of Baton Rouge depart Louisiana when the LSU Tigers are chasing hard after them. There’s an occasional player who gets poached by a blue blood elsewhere, and LSU can’t literally take every four-star who was raised in the area. It’s a hotbed, but Brian Kelly has done […]
It’s not common to see top recruits out of Baton Rouge depart Louisiana when the LSU Tigers are chasing hard after them. There’s an occasional player who gets poached by a blue blood elsewhere, and LSU can’t literally take every four-star who was raised in the area. It’s a hotbed, but Brian Kelly has done well to fend off other SEC and Big 10 rivals who make their way into the bayou.
However, one prospect he’s surprisingly losing on is top 2027 quarterback Elijah Haven. The No. 1 player on 247Sports’ board is an impressive star already, standing 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. Scouts have been raving about his frame and strong arm for two years already and LSU would love to have him as the future of their program.
Instead, though, Haven might be the heir to DJ Lagway at Florida. The early tea leaves and statements from Haven have LSU clearly behind one of their biggest rivals. Michigan was involved in the race until it landed four-star local QB Peter Bourque.
The concern for Kelly and LSU is clear, though. Haven loves what he’s seen with Lagway at Florida, and the “Gators are in prime position” for him to relocate, per Rivals.
“Florida is definitely up there,” the Haven’s father, Kwame, said. “Those are the three schools he’s monitoring closely and developing the tightest relationship with the coaches. All three have been great, but [head coach Billy] Napier and the staff are doing a really good job of letting us know Elijah will be a priority for them.”
LSU will host Haven for a few games this fall, and maintaining that relationship will be huge. It’s possible Napier isn’t in Gainesville beyond this season. It’s not as if the Gators are overly impressive outside of Lagway or their 2026 recruiting class. However, that was enough for him to keep his job last year.
Would Florida risk losing another star quarterback if 2025 is rocky? LSU has to stay close in case they risk it.
“The staff,” Kwame said of what stands out. “They’re laying out a pathway right now. They have DJ (Lagway). He’s an example of what they want to do with him. Really the staff, they’re all good men. They care about life outside of football. That’s big for him. He wants it to feel like home. Ask him, he’s going to tell you fit and feeling of home are the two most important things to him.”
Considering that Haven’s physical abilities project a massive upside and that he totaled over 4,000 yards and 56 touchdowns as a dual-threat weapon, this is a fight worth continuing. After all, there’s at least a chance of winning, per insiders.
“Haven and his family’s strongest relationship over the last three years has been LSU’s Joe Sloan,” Rivals Analyst Sam Spiegelman explained. Spiegelman circled Florida as his current prediction when it comes to the program that lands Haven, but put his confidence level at 50% and noted LSU as the biggest threat to beat out the Gators.
