Alabama football, along with more than 20 other programs, wanted ‘Ish’ badly. Despite all the interest, the battle was always down to two schools – LSU or the Crimson Tide. Living only about an hour from the LSU campus in Amite, LA, Ishmael Sopsher was under intense pressure to play for the Bengal Tigers.
LSU, head man, Ed Orgeron was on Sopsher when Coach O was only the LSU defensive line coach. At that time, Ishmael was in the eighth grade. For much of the 2019 recruiting cycle, Sopsher was rated as a 5-Star, can’t miss prospect. Orgeron made the teenager the focal point of LSU’s 2019 class.