On300 LB Keylan Moses commits to the LSU Tigers: 'It's meant to be'

On3 imageby:Sam Spiegelman11/30/23

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Keylan Moses is always one step ahead.

That’s been the case for much of his high school career at Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab School and as he dived into his recruitment. Like his play style, Moses attacked it head-on and capped it with a highlight.

Moses, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 22-ranked linebacker in the Class of 2025 and one of the fiercest defensive players in the country, committed in-state to the LSU Tigers on Thursday as he celebrated his 17th birthday alongside friends, family and his U-High Cubs teammates.

The four-star linebacker elected to stay in-state and pick LSU over Florida and Oregon. Texas and Tennessee were also finalists for the On300 linebacker from Baton Rouge, who grew up in and around the recruiting process as he got a firsthand view of his older brother Dylan’s process.

Through those experiences and his own in recent years, Moses viewed Tiger Stadium in his backyard as the perfect venue to accomplish all of his goals.

“People tell me that I’m meant to be there,” Moses told On3. “When you look at my game, it’s how I play. People say I’m an LSU Tiger. They think I’m an LSU Tiger and there’s nothing more to it … It’s the swagger, the confidence, everything is LSU, LSU, LSU. I’m so, so, so good with the guys over there on the team. I’m cool with them and I’m basically one of them because I go to school on campus. It’s unfair for everyone else … It’s meant to be in a lot of ways. I sit back and look, and it’s the place for me.”

“I real-deal love Louisiana. I love LSU and I love everybody there,” Moses, the No. 176 player in the country in 2025, continued. “Frank (Wilson) is a big part of it. Growing up around them when he was around Les Miles, he was a big part of Dylan’s recruitment. He’s basically family now. I literally call him Uncle Frank — that’s how close we are.”

Family and loyalty put LSU above the rest

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Moses developed strong connections to coaches at Florida, Oregon, and of course, LSU that were forged during his older brother’s recruitment. That includes coaches like the aforementioned Wilson, as well as Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi and Gators assistants Corey Raymond and Jay Bateman.

Relationships played a huge part in Moses’ decision. So did family and loyalty, two other factors that heavily influenced the On300 linebacker to stay home.

“I appreciated what Dylan did, and from that, I learned: follow your heart,” Moses explained. “I’m really family-oriented and I’m really big on loyalty and being there for your family, providing for them, and one thing that’s big for me is making sure my family, my little brother (Manny) is at his best. That also means making sure Mom is in the best state ever because she deserves it all.”

“When Dylan left for Alabama, I had to grow up faster,” he added. “I’m already a senior. Time flew by. Now, I’m leading my team and I have more priorities beyond myself. I’m ready and I’m excited about it, and I made a mature decision. There ain’t no looking back on it.”

The Tigers kicked it into overdrive to land Moses early

Moses made visits out to the Swamp and to the Pacific Northwest in recent months. Both staffs are littered with NFL experience and Louisiana-based coaches and staffers.

After a handful of visits nearby to Tiger Stadium, to the Pacific Northwest and the Swamp in recent months, the finish line started to surface for Moses midway through the fall. No team finished stronger with the blue-chip defender than LSU, and in particular, Wilson.

“LSU has been pushing for me really hard,” Moses started. “Seeing those guys on the field, when I’m watching the games, I put myself in those situations, and when I’m out there making this play in front of all those people, I would go absolutely nuts. I really love it up there and they make me feel good. They make me feel like I don’t have to change. There’s just an understanding because they’ve literally seen me grow up. They’re literally family.

“They know my situation, especially Coach Frank,” he continued. “I tell him everything. LSU is just family. Growing up and seeing Tyrann Mathieu highlights, Leonard Fournette highlights, seeing those guys grow and prosper deeply, it’s been great to see it all.”

Moses, the No. 3-ranked recruit in The Boot for 2025, bolsters the Tigers’ top-5 class in next year’s cycle.