2021 LSU Football Commit JoJo Earle Turns in Dominant Debut, Talks Senior Season and Tigers
Jojo Earle is one of the most electric prospects in the 2021 class and his performance during his senior season debut proves he's just getting started. In Friday night's 70-7 win for Aledo High School, Earle caught six passes for 169 yards with a touchdown. He also ran for two more touchdowns on the evening, showing off his game changing speed in the process.
"We knew we were really talented but we got even more confidence heading into the rest of the season," Earle told LSUCountry this week. "It was exciting getting back with my teammates and get into a real game with them."
The goal is to ultimately win a state championship but on a personal level, Earle wants to improve on his stats that helped make him one of the top rated prospects in the country.
Earle is ranked No. 82 on SI All-American's inaugural SI99, ranking the top 99 prospects in the country. While Earle is listed as a receiver on most recruiting sites, the SI All-American staff feels he could potentially take on a role at running back down the line for the purple and gold.
He's comfortable handling both of those roles with Aledo as they both have always come naturally to him. Whether it's lining up in the backfield, the slot or the outside, Earle has never had a problem with making guys miss.
"I'd be open to playing running back but I'd rather play receiver," Earle said.
Once the season ends, Earle plans on signing with the Tigers in December and becoming an early enrollee, which would allow him to start practicing with the team as early as January. The conversations with the coaching staff and fellow commits have remained positive as the high school season kicks off for many of the players.
"We all are just ready to be together on campus," Earle said. "The coaching staff has just talked about how excited they are about our class, how much talent we got. It's during the season so they wanna give us our space and we give them their space but we still talk every now and then."
In early September, a number of the LSU committed and uncommitted players visited campus to check out life in Baton Rouge. Earle wasn't on that trip and he's a little more reserved when it comes to outwardly recruiting the uncommitted players.
He leaves that up to guys like Garrett Nussmeier and Raesjon Davis, who haven't been shy about trying to get other prospects on board.
"I just want you to make your own choice," Earle said. "That's what I wanted to do so I want them to come to the campus, don't get me wrong, but I just don't want to force it to them. It's fun being around them, they're all funny and we got that chemistry as soon as we got together."
Here is Earle’s SI All-American player profile and scouting report:
Frame: Lacks ideal height and length, but does possess a thicker frame and a strong build.
Athleticism: Agility and elusiveness jump off the screen. Earle has exceptional agility and balance, traits that allow him to play with top-level elusiveness, but also make him difficult to tackle in space. Gets to full speed quickly and shows impressive acceleration, traits that overcome the lack of true top-end speed.
Instincts: Makes quick decisions when working horizontally, either climbing over the top of the zone or leveling off underneath. Once he gets the ball in his hands he turns into a running back, and his decision making and anticipation are excellent. Subtle moves in the open field to win beyond speed.
Polish: Earle needs to clean up his ability to win against good re-routes, and his top ends can get a bit choppy, but his potential as a route runner is elite due to his agility, understanding of how to attack leverage and feel for finding openings in the defense. Consistently catches the ball away from his body and shows excellent timing as a pass-catcher.
Bottom Line: Earle was incredibly productive for Aledo, racking up 1,601 receiving yards, 429 rushing yards, 429 return yards and 26 total touchdowns in 2019. He's a highly intelligent pass catcher that is a threat vertically, horizontally, is dangerous against the zone and is dynamic with the ball in his hands.