LSU just inked one of the nation’s best signing classes in the 2020 recruiting cycle. That’s the good news.

The bad news? Two of the highest-rated members of LSU’s signing class will be unavailable to compete once spring practice begins in Baton Rouge in the coming weeks.

Five-star prospects Elias Ricks and Arik Gilbert are already on campus in Baton Rouge and were set to compete in their first college spring practice but both will be sidelined to start the camp due to recent offseason surgeries.

Ed Orgeron shared that news on Tuesday during his most recent appearance on ESPN Baton Rouge 104.5 FM radio show “Off The Bench.”

“Looking at Elias Ricks, tall corner. He had a shoulder operation, he’s going to be ready sometime mid-spring. Outstanding athlete, one of the best players at his position,” Orgeron said when asked about the newcomers that are standing out early. “Jordan Toles looks great at safety, can run and hit, very athletic. Obviously, Arik Gilbert. Arik is one of the best tight ends to come out of the country in the last 15-20 years, he can play X (position) and Z (position). He’s not going to be going through spring ball because of an operation on his shoulder.

“BJ Ojulari, (Gilbert’s) teammate, has tremendous burst, tremendous get off. I think he’s going to be a force at defensive end. We have a lot of young guys we are excited about. I’m excited about our quarterbacks, TJ Finley and Max Johnson. Those guys look phenomenal, so we got a great class coming in.”

Despite the minor setbacks suffered by these two prospects, Orgeron sounds very encouraged by the early views he’s seen from his freshmen players. If nothing else, that should give Tiger fans hope that LSU can continue its recent run of dominance in the SEC as the program looks to repeat as league and national champions.