One day after former five-star linebacker Clifton Garrett announced he’ll transfer away from LSU, the Tigers landed a major 2016 commitment at the position in Erick Fowler.

LSU already was thin at linebacker before Garrett, who exited spring as a third-team player, decided to head to a junior college. So it’s welcome news that the Tigers corralled a four-star outside linebacker Saturday in Garrett, one of the top recruiting targets on their board.

At 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, Fowler (Manor, Texas) is listed as the No. 6 weakside defensive end in the country for ’16. All eight predictions on his 247Sports Crystal Ball page suggested Fowler would select Texas, so he’s a big coup for LSU and new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

Already the top-ranked class in the SEC for 2016, LSU now can claim 15 commitments. Six of those players are rated Top 10 at their respective positions according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Fowler is a strong pass rusher who should allow Steele and the Tigers to be versatile as the team seems set to gradually shift toward a 3-4 base defense.