In the high-stakes, NIL-fueled arena of modern college football, every commitment is a chess move—and Brian Kelly just made one that could define LSU’s future. But with all eyes watching, one voice has risen louder than most to weigh in on the gamble: the father of 5-star phenom Havon Finney Jr., a top-tier defensive dynamo whose loyalty to Baton Rouge may have just thrown Kelly a lifeline.
Yes, LSU is surging again on the recruiting front. Gone are the days when Kelly’s staff had minimal pull in Louisiana’s backyard. After a turbulent 9-4 season riddled with defensive collapse and transfer chaos, Kelly appears to have hit the reset button—and it’s already paying dividends. With defensive tackle Bernard Gooden locked in and four-star Finney Jr. now on board, the Tigers have reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the spring portal rankings. But even more intriguing than the commitments themselves is why they’re happening—and who’s behind the curtain calling them gold.
Enter Finney Sr., the man behind the future star.
The Finney family didn’t just stroll into Baton Rouge on a whim. No, they practically became honorary citizens after visiting nearly a dozen times over the past year. And when Finney Jr. officially pledged to the Tigers—on his mother’s birthday no less—it wasn’t just a gift to his family. It was a declaration of trust in Kelly’s high-risk, high-reward rebuild.
“Hats off to Blake Baker,” Finney Sr. proclaimed on the After Further Review podcast. “That man treated us like royalty. From day one, LSU made it clear—they’re not playing games. They want my son, and they’ve shown it at every turn.”
And let’s be clear: Havon Finney Jr. isn’t your average recruit. Standing 6-foot-2 with a stat line that would make NFL scouts drool—37 tackles, four interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and two punt return touchdowns—this Sierra Canyon standout was courted by everyone from USC to Michigan. Yet he chose Tiger Town, and if you ask his father, it wasn’t just about football.
“In today’s college football, loyalty is rare,” Finney Sr. added. “It’s all NIL this, transfer that. But LSU? They rolled out the red carpet without the gimmicks. It felt real.”
Still, beneath the praise lies a warning. LSU’s $7.9 million man—Kelly—is on the hot seat, whether boosters admit it or not. His defensive unit last year? A cautionary tale in how not to contend. The Tigers gave up 364 yards per game and a shocking 24.3 points on average. Their inability to stop the run was so glaring, even with fewer attempts against them, that it became the SEC’s worst-kept secret.
And Finney Jr.? He’s walking into the fire.
Greg McElroy didn’t sugarcoat it. “Defensive tackle and safety are bleeding holes in this roster,” the ESPN analyst declared. “They got Cooley from NC State, but they needed more. They hosted a dozen safeties and barely landed one. That’s not enough.”
This is where Blake Baker becomes critical. LSU’s new defensive coordinator signed a jaw-dropping $2.5 million-a-year deal—the highest among his peers. With that kind of paycheck, expectations aren’t just high—they’re volcanic. His reputation for physical, aggressive schemes could breathe new life into a defense gasping for identity. But he needs soldiers. Enter Finney Jr., Dominick McKinley, Ahmad Breaux, and a rotating cast of returners who now carry the burden of revitalizing Death Valley’s bite.
Kelly, for his part, has remained composed under pressure. While rivals poached and portal chaos reigned, he didn’t lose a single scholarship player this spring. That’s not just luck. That’s control—calculated, unflinching control. But will control alone be enough?
This fall, the real test begins. Can Finney Jr. help patch a gaping wound in the Tigers’ front line? Will Blake Baker’s monster paycheck yield a monster defense? And perhaps most pressingly—can Brian Kelly finally turn talent into triumph, or will this $7.9 million experiment implode under its own ambition?
The stakes couldn’t be higher. The recruits are in. The spotlight’s on. And somewhere in Baton Rouge, a proud father is watching with hope—and high expectations.
Is LSU about to rise again… or collapse under the weight of its promises?
