Rivals250 SAF CJ Jimcoily commits to LSU
CJ Jimcoily has had commitment on his mind for the bulk of the summer, and his senior year gets underway a decision is in.
After giving strong consideration to Stanford and LSU, Jimcoily made the call for the Tigers on Thursday. LSU has been trending up with the No. 20-ranked SAF in the Rivals250 out of Tennessee ever since Jimcoily took his official visit to Baton Rouge in mid-June.
Jimcoily has been mulling over his decision for several weeks. The Tigers have not skipped a beat with the blue-chip defensive prospect leading into his decision.
“It’s the continuation of building those relationships,” Jimcoily told Rivals of his commitment to LSU.
“Going down and writing down the pros, the cons, the benefits that can be earned, the development, going into every minute detail of each school. The icing on the cake was praying on it,” he continued. “The football aspect was a big thing. So was the brand of LSU. I’m a man of faith and I prayed until I got a feeling.”
“When you know, you know,” Jimcoily laughed, “and I got that feeling.”
Stanford, Alabama and Tennessee were the four finalists for Jimcoily, who measured in at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds during his official visit to LSU in June.
The Rivals250 safety from Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy forged strong connections with multiple members of the Tigers’ coaching staff during his visit in March. His ties to safeties coach Jake Olsen, assistant Frank Wilson and HC Brian Kelly were furthered after his summer official visit.
“I’ve been keeping in touch with Coach Olsen literally every day since the official visit, showing their interest,” Jimcoily said. “With Louisiana, it’s that family vibe. They treat you like family at LSU — that’s very apparent. They’ve been doing that with me. I get the same vibe from BK. With him, specifically, I can hear the passion in his voice, it’s infectious. The opportunity to continue to talk to him and have their interest shown was big for me.”
“LSU is ‘DBU’ and it’s what I grew up watching as a place to get developed and carry that same standard,” he continued. “The LSU brand speaks for itself. It’s out of this world. LSU is NFLSU and there are a lot of things that tie into that — the coaches and how they’re all very dedicated to the players off the field and on the field. Those two things matter a lot.”
The opportunity to return to Tennessee with a Stanford degree was intriguing for Jimcoily and his family. After making his way to Palo Alto for his first official visit, the Cardinal set the bar in safety’s recruitment.
The Tigers quickly chipped away at Stanford offering the Rivals250 defensive back an opportunity to develop on the field and pursue ambitions away from it.
One catalyst was Wilson, LSU’s associate head coach from New Orleans, who coached Jimcoily’s father at O.P. Walker High School several years ago.
“In the business of college football, knowing I have someone with a connection to me, knowing I have someone who cares about me more than football is crucial,” he started. “Knowing my dad and having a relationship with him already, then passing it down to me … Frank Wilson is a big name in the business of college football and in the NFL as well. To have him as a person who can help me in football and life, pursuing my ambitions and things besides football … there aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am.”
“Opening up with Frank Wilson and Brian Kelly. When I talked to them for the first time, they were impressed with my priorities outside of football and they mentioned it to me and built my confidence,” Jimcoily explained. “He cared about what I wanted to do outside of football and had my best interests in me … At LSU, the big things are the connections, the name, the brand and the spotlight they have. I spoke with them about the big names in business, the contacts I can make, to build my brand and my business, and focus on that side of things. On the official visit, I had the opportunity to talk to counselors, to focus on academics. They took the time to explain everything to me about the path I’d be taking and the opportunities outside of football to boost my business.”
Jimcoily made the call for the Tigers after nearly two months of careful contemplation.
He told Rivals he waited until he was 100 percent sure before pulling the trigger on a decision.
“It was a very difficult decision. It came down to LSU and Stanford, which have the highest levels of education and the highest levels of football and experience,” he detailed. “When it came down to it, the talks with Frank Wilson were the biggest thing. He broke it down to me and how to make those connections, meet these people and shake their hands. LSU showed interest in me as a person and helped me move along with my goals.”
