Meet the Beat-Alls, part 2

In part II of the 2-part series on really big-time 2008recruits LSU hopes to land, we will cover those who are anticipated to play on defense. We will not get all of these guys, and we may not get any of these guys, but they are players we will make room for no matter what if they want to come here.


The Defense

This is T.J. Bryant, 6'1" 175#, 4.4 second 40, 5-star defensive back from Lincoln High School in Florida. Lincoln High is a famous Florida State football factory, and recruits from Lincoln almost invariably end up at FSU if FSU wants them. However, word is that T.J. Bryant is different. If you believe the rumors, he is looking to leave FSU and that his most likely destination is Baton Rouge. I maintain a healthy skepticism about those rumors, but I don't dismiss them out of hand. Those rumors actually come from FSU recruiting sources. Bryant is a tremendous athlete who would probably step on the field almost immediately at cornerback and compete with the likes of Jai Eugene and Phelon Jones for the starting spot when Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon leave after this year.

Most likely destination: unknown.

This is Chancey Agheyere, a name I do not known how to pronounce. He is a 6'4" 240# defensive end out of Garland, Texas, 4.7 second 40, 32" vertical, and a 5-star prospect. He is the kind of speed-rushing defensive end in the Jevon Kearse mold that LSU has not had in quite some time. He's the type of player that Auburn seems to get a lot and use effectively, but we have recently preferred bigger defensive ends. We definitely aren't turning this guy down though. The rumors on him have been flying a lot, having him variously leaning to University of Texas, LSU, and Florida. He is either inscrutable or he changes his mind a lot. He also has missed all the football camps this summer recovering from a torn meniscus that hopefully won't affect him long term.

Most likely destination: right now it looks like Florida because that's the only official visit he's scheduled, and he plans to announce his destination right after his trip to Florida, but ask again in a week or two and it might change.

Marcus Forston, defensive tackle from Northwestern High School in Miami, a powerhouse program that will have a minimum of seven D-1A recruits for 2008, and in which Forston despite being a high 4-star, 6'2" 286#, may not be the highest rated recruit on the team. He's also not the only one that LSU is recruiting. He's not even the only defensive lineman that LSU is recruiting from that high school, as we are also going after Benjamin Jones, a 3-star defensive end on the same team. We're going after Forston, but right now it appears that we are on the outside looking in. It seems like he's down to Miami and Notre Dame, but you never quite know.

Most likely destination: Miami

This is Brendan Beal, a very talented linebacker from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania who apparently isn't interested in going to Linebacker U in-state. Whatever, dude. We aren't really heavy on linebackers this year, and we already have a commitment from Kellen Theriot. The rest of the class at linebacker will likely be either Beal, Mark Barron, or no one, and both Beal and Barron seem like longshots at this point. Beal looks like a strong lean to USC, and talks up his contacts with them quite a bit. They're the team to beat for his services. Beal is 6'4" 235#, runs a 4.5 second 40 with a 33" vertical. He says he's down to USC, Florida, and Boston College, but his quotes suggest LSU may be getting into it. Still, it's a long shot.

Most likely destination: USC.

Mark Barron, 6'2" 205#, 4.5 second 40, a great athlete and a 4-star recruit. He will likely play either RB or linebacker at the next level. He's out of St. Paul's in Mobile, Alabama. St. Paul's is another school in the Mobile pipeline. He's going to be tough to get out of the state, but LSU is in his top 5. The Mobile guys will probably be watching the season closely to see what becomes of Bama, Auburn, and LSU, and that will likely impact their decisions.

Most likely destination: Bama or Auburn, but watch closely.

Note: This post and the previous one were posted with generous contributions from my 4-month old daughter, who sat with me and "helped" my gather up the info and type it. Her generous help converted this from a 30-40 minute job to an hour long job.