LSU signed 22 prospects following February's National Signing Day, and with the NCAA's limit per class set at 25 signees, the Tigers have three spots left available to fill this offseason.

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has said repeatedly that he plans to explore the NCAA Transfer Portal, and now the Tigers have grabbed one of the best prospects available on the transfer market.

On Thursday, North Dakota State linebacker Jabril Cox told the Geaux247 staff that he committed to LSU, shutting down his recruiting process before he was ever able to visit Baton Rouge given the NCAA's dead period for recruiting being extended to June 1.

No matter, Cox said he had heard enough from the LSU staff to feel comfortable with committing to the Tigers, and he will be immediately eligible to play during the upcoming 2020 season.

Just how talented is the 6-foot-3, 233-pounder?

Cox was named an FCS All-American as a freshman in 2017, then was an All-American selection in both 2018 and 2019. He won three FCS National Championships with the Bison, and this past fall he finished the year with 92 tackles, including 9.5 tackles for loss.

"This might not get the headlines of some others, but Jabril Cox is easily among the most talented players on the transfer market this offseason," said 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Charles Power. "He was one of the top overall players in FCS last year and is a legitimate NFL prospect. Cox flew under the radar out of high school due to an injury wiping out his junior season. He's athletic, rangy and productive at a position where LSU will have to replace some major contributors. When you go back and watch his senior video, it's still surprising schools missed – he's always been a high level athlete. I know Bo Pelini has some familiarity having played against Cox last year. I love this pickup for LSU.

In three seasons on the field, he compiled a list of accomplishments that include Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.

"I have had a great four years at North Dakota State. We have won three national titles, and I wouldn’t change it for the world," Cox said last month in an interview on ESPN's Off the Bench. "But, I think it’s time for a new journey, and to enter the transfer portal was a great decision for me to help elevate my game and compete at the highest level."

Cox led the Bison to a 16-0 season in 2019, and now he joins a familiar face in former Youngstown State head coach Bo Pelini, who is now the defensive coordinator in Baton Rouge.

Cox and Pelini have faced off on the field in recent years as FCS opponents, which left Pelini familiar with what Cox brings to the table.

"My first game in FCS was against his team," Cox said. "That was my coming out party. Me and him, we have had a great relationship. I have always caught up with him after games. He is just a great coach, overall."

LSU safeties coach Bill Busch played a key role in landing Cox, with Cox's mother's American Samoa heritage working in Busch's favor given his ties to the South Pacific islands, which included reeling in longtime NFL players like Paul Solia and Johnathan Fenee.

"What’s better than to come from North Dakota State to LSU," Cox said. "Just a program that will help me succeed as an athlete and to better myself as a player as I try to make it to the next level.

"They are telling me how I can be an impact player coming in."

How did a player as talented as Cox wind up at NDSU?

Cox had FBS interest coming out of high school in Kansas City, but an injury during his most important season for evaluation by college coaches left him on the back burner with teams as they filled up their boards at linebacker. Despite playing both ways and totaling 3,000-plus yards and 30-plus touchdowns as a senior, he would take his talents to NDSU as one of the most talented players the program signed.

"Junior year I was being heavily recruited by a lot of FBS schools, but I tore my ACL midway through the season," he said. "That made a lot of them back off. Senior year, North Dakota State came into the picture. I took a visit, and I saw that it was a great program for me and the best fit, and I made the opportunity work."

Now, Cox will head to Baton Rouge to join an LSU program that is coming off a 15-0 season and National Championship. Ahead of making his decision final, Cox said interest had come from more than 50 college programs, which included a number of Southeastern Conference programs.

Stay tuned to Geaux247 and 247Sports for more on Cox's decision and LSU's pursuit of other prospects in the NCAA Transfer Portal.