Consensus five-star recruit Ben Simmons signed his National Letter of Intent with the LSU men’s basketball team Wednesday afternoon on the first day of the early signing period.
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward tweeted a photo of himself signing the official paperwork around 1:30 p.m. Several recruiting websites have pegged Simmons as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation.
Simmons led Montverde Academy to a 28-0 record and a prep national championship last season while posting 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.
“We are thrilled to have Ben Simmons and his wonderful family officially join the LSU basketball family,” said LSU coach Johnny Jones in a news release. “His talent level, hard work and passion for the game will allow him to make an immediate impact on the program.”
The Australian native gave a verbal commitment to LSU last fall, and he will now officially join the Tigers for the 2015-16 season. Simmons has family ties at LSU — his godfather, David Patrick, is assistant head coach for the Tigers.
Gymnastics pulls in elite class
The LSU gymnastics team inked four prospects Wednesday afternoon, all of whom have experience at level 10 or elite competition.
Lexie Priessman, McKenna Kelley, Julianna Cannamela and Kaitlyn Szafranski comprised the Tigers’ 2015 recruiting class. LSU’s current senior class notched a program-high No. 3 finish last season, and coach D-D Breaux already has high expectations for the group.
“They’re going to have to step into some pretty big shoes,” Breaux said. “This class is replacing probably the most accomplished group of individuals we’ve ever put together. We’re going to expect a lot out of these freshmen. They’ll have to step in and compete in the all-around right away.”
Kelley, daughter of former Olympic gold-medalist Mary Lou Retton, won the all-around title at the 2014 Nastia Liukin Cup and captured all five titles at the California Classic. 
While Kelley has Olympic pedigree, Breaux said Priessman is “probably the No. 1 recruit” in the nation. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is a senior international elite gymnast and participated with the U.S. National team in 2012.
Cannamela and Szafranski round out the Tigers’ class as level 10 gymnasts with Junior Olympic Nationals experience. 
Volleyball adds two players to 2015 class
The LSU volleyball team signed middle blocker Olivia Beyer and outside hitter Katie Kampen to its 2015 class Wednesday afternoon. 
Beyer recorded more than 1,000 kills and 200 blocks during her time at Plymouth High School in Canton, Michigan. The 6-foot-1 prospect also won the 2013 AAU National Championship with the Legacy Volleyball Club.
Kampen, who hails from Metairie, Louisiana, earned Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year recognition during her junior season. 
“While this class may be small in number, it is large in talent,” said LSU volleyball coach Fran Flory in a news release. “We are very excited to have both Olivia and Katie join our LSU volleyball family. This will be a special class for our program.”
Women’s golf signs second-generation golfer
Kathleen Gallagher and Marina Hedlund signed their National Letters of Intent to join the LSU women’s golf team for the 2015-16 season. 
Kathleen’s mother, Cissye Meeks Gallagher, competed for the Lady Tigers from 1985-88 under current coach Karen Bahnsen. Her father, Jim, won five PGA Tour titles throughout his career.
The Greenwood, Mississippi, native won the Mississippi State Amateur Championship in 2013.
Hedlund, a member of the Swedish National team, placed second and third at the last two Irish Girls U18 Championships, respectively. She also finished eighth in the 2013 French Ladies Championship. 
SOFTBALL GRABS SIX RECRUITS
The LSU softball team got the biggest haul on Wednesday, inking half a dozen prospects for its 2016 class. 
The Tigers inked infielder Shemiah Sanchez, pitcher Sydney Smith, shortstop Amber Serrett, infielder Elyse Thornhill, left fielder Akiyah Thymes and infielder Taylor Satchell. 
“We couldn’t be more excited about this class, as not only are we signing six outstanding athletes that will continue to grow the rich tradition of this program, but outstanding people who we will be proud to have wear the purple and gold,” said LSU coach Beth Torina in a news release.
You can reach Marcus Rodrigue on Twitter @rodrigue_TDR.