Medical Scholarships

Jordon Corbin, the tight end and defensive end from Lakeland, Florida, profiled here by me a little less than a year ago, has given up football due to a lingering knee injury. He was the most heralded of the 3 tight end recruits from last year. He had moved from tight end to defensive end during the Spring, but decided that his knee, which he injured in high school, just wouldn't let him go at full speed and he would have to give up his dream of playing football.

It's very sad, and you hate to see a kid have to leave a football team before he ever really became a part of it. He got injured in high school, but LSU honored his commitment and gave him a chance to come in and heal. He never played for us despite being a 4-star recruit. He becomes the second player to leave the team from the Class of 2007 after Delvin Breaux decided his neck injury would not let him play either.

Mark Snyder from the Class of 2006 is also on medical scholarship due to multiple knee injuries, and there was some talk in the past that Kirston Pittman would be placed on a medical scholarship, but thankfully that did not happen. Cousin Kirston is awesome.

The good news for Mr. Corbin is that he still gets a free education. He remains on what is called a "medical scholarship." With a medical scholarship, a player is removed from the roster and no longer counts against the 85 player maximum, but retains his scholarship.

I once read the details of how it works, but I cannot find any of the specific information any longer. I know certain safeguards are in place to make sure that the medical scholarship system isn't abused. Otherwise, a coach can simply place any player who isn't cutting it on the field onto the medical scholarship list and get the person off the 85-man list without actually kicking him out of school.

I know that the medical scholarship is reversible, but the process of reversing it is arduous. I believe the player, in order to return from a medical scholarship list to the team proper has to go before a committee of medical experts, and the committee must vote as to whether it is a good idea. As I recall, the vote must be 2/3 in favor of the player returning, or the player does not return. I believe the player may also need clearance to by the committee in order to go ON a medical scholarship, but I'm not sure and I can't find the information.

The upshot is that the medical scholarship program is very good for the athlete and the team. Players who are too injured to play can stay in school and finish their education on scholarship, and the teams are free to seek out a player to replace him on the roster. It also removes one of the incentives a coach has to cut an injured recruit loose, and that's a good thing.

I do think that the system is potentially subject to abuse, in that a creative coach can probably get roster numbers down by making questionable moves to put players into the medical scholarship program who may not really be seriously injured, but haven't developed enough to be contributing players. I hope it's an issue the NCAA is at least looking out for, but so far no one has ever been accused of abusing this particular system. But any system that allows a coach to jimmy up his roster numbers has to be monitored closely for abuse.

Good luck to Jordon. I was looking forward to seeing him play, but now I hope he gets a good education and gets on with his life.

What's Coming?

First, let me just say that I appreciate the comments that I get. I know I am really bad about failing to actually respond to comments. Unfortunately, job and family considerations often prevent me from being able to get interactive with those people who are kindly enough to give me feedback. I assure you I read the comments and I appreciate the input, compliments, additions, and even the insults that people provide.

On to the show...

With Spring Football over and the summer camps still a ways away, there will be little news of value coming out regarding football. Really the only sports going on right now that interest me at all are baseball and hockey, and I just don't know that much about baseball, and you don't care one bit about hockey.

One thing I'm going to do is not post on weekends for a while. I don't get a lot of readership on weekends, and the posts end up getting pushed down the page before anyone sees them. Plus, it will allow me to stretch limited material a little further without diluting it content-wise. I have vowed never to post just for the sake of posting, and I won't start now. If I'm not feeling the inspiration to write anything, I just won't write. Now, when inspiration comes on the weekend, I'll post it during the week.

If there's something that happens on a weekend that I think needs to be written about, I will write about at that time, and of course when the season starts back up we will be heavily involved in weekend posting, but in the offseason, with so little going on, we'll chill out a bit on the weekends. Maybe do some light gardening.

Last year, around this time, we started doing our profiles of the members of the 2007 recruiting class at LSU. It was a big hit, and was a lot of fun to write up. Actually, we didn't start it until early June, but that's OK. We'll do it again this year, and since I don't have a boss here, I can start it whenever I like.

We're going to be a little more formal this time. I'm going to put players into one of three categories. Players will be either Headliners, or Solid Players, or Projects.

Headliners are guys the class is built around, and who I think the coaches expect the team to be built around in the future. These are players who have a really good chance of playing right away. Of course, I could very easily be wrong about them, but it's a projection. Last year, I would have labeled Chad Jones, Terrance Tolliver, Phelon Jones, Joe Barksdale, and Stefoin Francois as headliners. And maybe one or two others. Chad Jones, Tolliver, and Barksdale played right away, but Phelon Jones and Francois redshirted and are still trying to work their way up the depth chart.

Solid players are just that. They're solid. They're going to come in, and probably not play a whole lot immediately, but if they develop as expected they will be getting onto the two-deep depth chart in a year or two and will comprise the team leaders in their junior and senior years. That is, of course, if they develop. They sometimes don't. I would expect this to be the biggest category of players.

Projects are a group of people who likely are going to have to sit a while before they emerge as players, if they ever do. I don't want it to sound like a pejorative term, but the fact remains that not everyone in a recruiting class is a future star. Some are future depth players, or end up surprising you. I probably would have labeled Jonathan Zenon as a project when he was recruited, and he ended up a two-year starter. Last year, I probably would have labeled Jarvis Jones as a project, and he played backup left tackle as a true freshman. I would definitely have been wrong on that one.

As was pointed out when I labeled Robby Green as a "class filler", these guys sometimes end up being very good. Heck, sometimes walk-ons end up as All-Americans. Sometimes guys who the big schools wouldn't touch end up being Pro Bowl in the NFL. "Project" does not mean "Future Failure". It just means the guy probably has a long way to go before he's ready to help the team on the field.

So, that's what you have to look forward to. I look forward to writing them. I hope no one takes any offense. I don't know when I'll start, but I'll get to them soon.

Evaluating Linebackers

I think I can put my finger on one reason I have trouble evaluating linebackers from film. The films on linebackers always concentrate on the guy lining up the running back and making the big hit. It makes for an impressive showcase for a linebacker to show him playing aggressively and making a hit and tackle. The problem is, the films don't really show how linebackers have to play.

The typical linebacker film has the linebacker playing in the middle of the field with the ball going to the running back. The linebacker waits for an opening and then shows a burst of speed to get to the back, standing him up and bringing him down with a thud. Nice.

What does a linebacker in college have to do? Rarely does he get the opportunity to lay a guy out like you see on the films. His first job is just to pursue the ball carrier and get him to the ground. Big hit usually not necessary. The films do an OK job of showing pursuit-and-tackling. Or at least, they usually do. Usually you can see how a linebacker pursues and whether or not he's a sure tackler when he gets where he's going.

After that is where the films fail. They almost never show the linebacker performing his second task, which is to drop back into pass coverage and defend the running back, tight end, or over-the-middle receiver. You just never see it, and it's such a big part of a linebacker's game in college, especially if the linebacker wants to play every down. If you see it, it's because he managed to get an interception, or a big hit after allowing the catch. Interceptions are nice, but I'd rather see five plays of a linebacker sticking like glue to a running back and not giving the QB the option to throw at him.

Evaluating a linebacker without seeing his coverage skills is like evaluating a baseball pitcher without seeing his curveball. How could you even begin? How much confidence could you have in whatever conclusion you drew?

The third most important part of a linebacker's game is to be able to shed blocks and still make a play. Film rarely shows a linebacker actually being blocked, I suppose it's because those kinds of plays aren't very spectacular. You can't usually get a big hit when you're just trying to get a lineman off of you so you can get any kind of hit. You almost never see this.

To continue the analogy, now you're evaluating your pitcher without seeing a curve or his 3rd pitch.*

There are other aspects of being a linebacker, such as being a situational blitzer. The films often show a linebacker blitzing and mauling the quarterback, so that's all good, but this is done primarily on pure athletic ability. So much of the linebacker game is mental, but the films focus on showing the athlete. This is what makes it so hard to differentiate the films of one very good athlete from the films of the three or four other very good athletes you're watching.

The good news is that the coaches know a lot more than we simple observers know. They see these guys play actual games rather than select plays, and can see everything these guys can do. They can make better evaluations than we can.

It looks like LSU will be picking up a commitment from a linebacker out of Florida today. His film is like all the others, but we have on pretty good authority that he is the top rated out-of-state linebacker left on LSU's board, so we'll be very happy to have him.

*Analogy does not apply to knuckleball pitchers.

LSU Gets Another Big Commitment

I'm proud of the Lady Tigers for making it to their 5th straight Final Four, but since I did not know the game was on until about 3 1/2 minutes to go in the 2nd half, I do not have much intelligent to say about that situation.

Instead, let me gush once again about the state of LSU football recruiting, which appears to be in a Golden Era this year. Yesterday, LSU picked up a commitment from Dexter Pratt, 6'2", 220# out of Novasota High School in Novasota, Texas, a running back in the Rivals 250, and knocking on the door of the Rivals 100.

I'll tell you, I love this kid's videos. When I first watched his videos, my thought was that he looked an awful lot like an Auburn running back. I mean that as a compliment. He reminds me a lot of a Stephen Davis, Ronnie Brown, or Kenny Irons in that he is a between the tackles runner who has great north-south instincts. He takes the handoff or the pitch and he gets up to speed very quickly and doesn't mess around a whole lot in the backfield waiting to turn it upfield. Some others have said he looks like Rudi Johnson with speed, but Rudi was more of a run-over-you back. Pratt is a powerful runner who gets through arm tackles and makes yards after contact, but he doesn't seem like the type to initiate contact and try to run over you, and I think that's a good thing. Others have said Joe Addai, but I think he's a lot bigger and stronger than Addai was at this point, though his pass catching is Addai-esque.

He also has really good hands in the passing game and according to his coach he likes to block. What's more, he is another guy who is said to be a strong character player. He is reportedly on track to qualify academically without difficulty though, alas, it does not appear he'll be a Spring enrollee (we're getting spoiled here, people).

Having watched the film of all the big running backs we were interested in after Mike Ford, Dexter Pratt was the one I was really hoping we'd get. He just looks so fluid at running back. I don't know if my Steven Davis, Kenny Irons, and Ronnie Brown comparisons will ultimately prove out, but I think he's a good one.

When 2009 recruiting chatter started in earnest, a lot of people were looking at Pratt as potentially a linebacker rather than running back. After watching his videos, I just didn't see it. While I readily admit I am but an amateur judge of of ability, he looked an awful lot like a running back to me with his runner's instincts and ability with the ball in his hands. Further, he seemed to lack the side-to-side quickness and change of direction a linebacker must possess, or at least his videos didn't really show it. Plus, there was absolutely no film of him playing defense.

I know people switch positions. I know you sometimes look at a high school quarterback and say he looks like a wide receiver, or you take a high school running back and say he looks like a cornerback (Drayton Calhoun is a perfect example of this), but to me it is very hard to take a guy's running back film and project him to be a linebacker if you see no film of him actually playing linebacker. How do you know he likes to hit people? Maybe I'm wrong, but I just never saw it.

Anyway, back to Pratt. The kid is big and the kid is fast. When I saw his numbers as 6'2" and 220# with 4.48 speed, I looked at it as yet another exaggeration, but people in the know say his weight is legitimate, and his coach insists his time is legitimate, though you can read my post "Forty Schmorty" on why I always question these things. I know he looks plenty fast on the football field. He looks a bit like a young Alley Broussard, who if you remember was actually the fastest running back on the team early in his career, despite also being the biggest. Alley never was a receiver though, and Alley never did learn to block like Pratt reportedly can. Pratt may be big at 220#, but he sure doesn't look too big. He looks like he could probably gain maybe 10 pounds without losing speed. Pratt at 230# and with speed is a pretty scary thing. I love this commitment.

Reportedly, we may not be done at running back. According to chatter, we are really high on Trent Richardson out of Florida, and if he wants to commit to us we'll take him. If not, we are likely done for the year at this position and can concentrate on other things.

GeauxTuscaloosa Gets Lucky: Chris Garrett

I assure you I had no inside information. I just read something on a message board and concluded it meant something before reporting it here. It turns out, Chris Garrett, the 6'4" 220# quarterback from Tupelo, Mississippi committed to LSU yesterday after my post in which I pointed out his comments as showing serious interest in LSU.

I certainly didn't know he was committing that day. As far as I know, I've never laid eyes on Mr. Garrett nor had a conversation with him. I'm not a reporter. I'm just an analyst. But I think it's illustrative of the point I made, which is that if you watch it closely enough, you can eventually figure out that certain kids aren't serious about their interest and certain kids are.

Anyway, about Chris Garrett. He's our second quarterback recruit of the 2009 class, as Russell Shepard committed earlier this month. Where Shepard is a dynamic athlete, Garrett is more of a traditional quarterback. You have to love his size at 6'4" and 220 pounds. He's a pure drop-back passer, where Shepard is a dangerous runner. Garrett may not be a John Elway with his legs (remember, he was a tremendous runner early in his NFL career), but he can move out of the pocket a little if he needs to. He is not in the Rivals250 at this point, but he projects to probably be a 4-star player, though he may be a high-3-star. It doesn't matter. He's a guy that MSU, LSU, and other schools all wanted. He's a solid kid.

He's a little reminiscent of a Jamarcus Russell, in that he is a big strong-armed kid who nonetheless cannot be described as Kosarian in his mobility.

About that strong arm. OK, he's no Jamarcus Russell in the arm, but when you watch his videos you notice he can hit the hardest throw in football: the deep out pattern. If a kid can throw a 20-yard out-pattern accurately and get it there before the defensive back can get to it, the kid's arm is not an issue. Chris Garrett does that.

The other good thing about him is he projects to be another mid-term qualifier, which means he should be at LSU in time to participate in 2009 Spring Practice, along with Russell Shepard and Drayton Calhoun. This will help his progression and development, and give other schools a lesser chance to get him to change his commitment.

This gives us two very different quarterbacks in this class. We will have to see how they fit together. Personally, I hope that Crowton isn't planning to go to a permanent 2-quarterback system where quarterbacks split time 50-50. I don't think that's happening though. I think he's just trying to give himself a variety of weapons to choose from.

This is also the 5th state LSU has gotten a commitment from so far for 2009. We have eight current commitments. 3 are from Louisiana, 2 are from Texas, and 1 each from Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. LSU's regional reach remains strong, while other schools continue to be unable to get recruits out of Louisiana if LSU wants them. That is a tremendously strong position to be in.

We may not be done in Mississippi. Garrett has a teammate that LSU is reportedly very interested in. Chad Bumphis is listed as an "Athlete", meaning he is a DB/WR. He is #8 on the Garrett videos and may be the top recruit in the state of Mississippi this year. Having his high school QB as a commitment can't hurt in getting Bumphis.

Recruiting 101 - Reading Between the Lines

If you watch recruiting closely for a few years, and you really observe what recruits say and what eventually ends up happening, you get to be pretty good at reading between the lines of recruiting articles. Recruits often tell recruiting analysts what those analysts want to hear, and the analysts themselves are pretty good at asking loaded questions and providing selective quotes.

As an example of what I'm talking about, suppose you have a kid who lives in Florida and has been a Florida State fan all his life. He says something to the effect of, "Florida State is my team because I've lived in Florida all my life, but that's not going to have a big impact on my life." What he means is, "I'm going to Florida State, but I'm going to take some visits and experience the fun of recruiting first." If he says, "LSU is way up there on my list," what he means is, "LSU is an afterthought." The only real chance LSU or any other out-of-state school has is if Florida State fails to offer the kid.

I'm not being critical of the kids. It's not like they're lying. They are listening to other teams' recruiting pitches. They do have LSU on their list, perhaps a distant 3rd or 4th with little or no chance of making up the ground. Heck, they might even be thinking that they have open recruiting, but in the end a kid like that almost always picks the childhood favorite team if it's a real option for him.

As briefly alluded to earlier in this post, there is an alternative meaning to the kid's words of encouragement to other teams' fanbases. His statement may mean he does not have a real scholarship offer from his favorite school. He wants it, but he may not be willing to come out and say that he does not have it, out of embarrassment and ego.

One thing to be mindful of is that not all "offers" are the same. The written offer the recruits receive in the mail definitely is not an "offer" in the legal contractual sense, and may not actually mean much of anything. A kid who receives an offer in the mail and who actually calls the coach to commit may come to find out that the coach has 4 players ahead of him on the board at his position and will not accept his commitment until he learns what those other 4 players are doing. If the coach gets one or two of those 4 to commit to his school, he will never accept the commitment of the other kid and the offer amounts to nothing.

It's a harsh business, and this is sometimes how it works. A kid may receive the offer he wanted all his life only to find out it wasn't an offer at all.

As you read articles on recruiting services, keep these things in mind. A recruit who tells you he has a lifelong favorite school but is open to anyone is probably not be completely honest, perhaps even to himself, about either his state of mind or the state of his scholarship offers.

This begs the question, however. How do you tell when an athlete is really sincere about being serious about LSU. There's not hard and fast rule, but sometimes a recruit will say something surprisingly candid, like Mississippi quarterback Chris Garrett said recently, as reported by rebelsports.com: "I'm actually looking at LSU pretty hard. Really hard, actually." He continued: "When I went to LSU, I fell in love with the place." But he's not done: "It's going to be really, really soon (that I make my final commitment). I've made up my mind. I just want to wait a little while." [All emphasis added by me].

That's a kid who is really serious about LSU. He's currently a soft commitment to Mississippi State, and he may not end up switching, or may end up switching back if he does, but he's serious. He's getting past cliches, talking about his feelings for LSU in some depth, and indicating he's already made up his mind. Some of these other guys aren't serious. Garrett is.

Character Issues

With the commitment of Russell Shepard last week, it seems like as good of a time as any to discuss an aspect of Les Miles' recruiting that has not been much discussed. Les Miles seems to be more-and-more passing on players with character problems in favor of players with real leadership skills, and I think this will pay off for LSU in the long run.

What do I mean by "character issues"? Well, for one, I think he is shying away more and more from kids who are far away academically from qualifying. This year, by all reports, even very good players are getting passed over if their academics aren't in order. We can all point to examples of kids who have not qualified in the past, such as DeAngelo Benton, that Miles has taken. And that's fine. Grades are not the end-all, be-all of character, but bad grades are a risk factor.

This year, we are reportedly turning away quality football players whose grades aren't up to snuff. Well, I think that may be too strong of a term. We aren't "turning them away". We're telling them to go back to the classroom and show that they can do what they need to do to get qualified and THEN they may get an offer if we still need them. This reportedly happened to Russell Shepard's teammate Hasan Lipscomb, in-state offensive linemen Chris Faulk and Carneal Ainsworth, in-state linebacker Tahj Jones, and possibly others. Les Miles is asking these guys to show that they can improve their grades before he will accept a commitment from them.

Miles has gone in the opposite direction from recruiting a bunch of very talented prima donnas who think they can coast through life. He seems to have concentrated on finding guys who can graduate high school early and get with the team as quickly as possible. After dipping his toe into the early-enrollee waters with Joseph Barksdale in 2007, he seems to have jumped into those water enthusiastically now. One member of the 2008 class, linebacker Kellen Theriot, is currently participating in Spring Practice, and many thought that all-everything cornerback Patrick Johnson would be able to as well, but his clearance from the NCAA came too late to enroll early.

For the 2009 class, Miles already has commitments from two players who expect to enroll in January of 2009: quarterback Russell Shepard and athlete Dexter Calhoun (more on him another day). There may well be more than that.

Not every coach likes to get players in early. I remember that Nick Saban allowed it, but at the same time discouraged recruits from enrolling early. I don't remember all the reasons for it, but I respect that opinion, even if I disagree with it.

He's also staying away from players who have gotten into trouble. One very high profile Louisiana kid, who will go nameless here, is apparently getting the cold shoulder from us in part because of an arrest in his recent past.

Miles is concentrating not only on guys with the grades, but also guys with leadership skills. You hear Michael Ford talk and you can just tell this kid oozes leadership. The same is true of Russell Shepard. Reports out of some quarters said that Patrick Johnson was like a magnet for other athletes. Even star athletes, with their understandably enormous egos, looked up to Patrick Johnson and considered him a natural leader.

Why is Miles concentrating so hard on getting leaders and high character guys? Well, I think one explanation is probably fairly obvious to anyone paying attention. I think Ryan Perrilloux has probably added a lot of grey hair to Miles' head since his recruitment in 2005, and because Perrilloux was the only quarterback recruited in a 3-year stretch, he is kind of stuck with him now unless he wants to bite the bullet and play a Jarrett Lee or Andrew Hatch. I think Miles is very good about learning from mistakes, and he doesn't want to get stuck again having to rely on someone who is fundamentally unreliable.

It's not all negative reenforcement, however. I think you only have to look at the 2007 season and see what leaders and high-character guys like Jacob Hester, Kirston Pittman, Ciron Black, Darry Beckwith, and Glenn Dorsey can do for a team. As is becoming evident from the coverage of the NFL draft we're seeing, that team may not have been as talented as many people thought. We may have only two players (Dorsey and Doucet) drafted on the first day, when many people early in the season believed that Ali Highsmith, Craig Steltz, and Chevis Jackson could all be high picks as well, and believed players like Beckwith and Tyson Jackson might be tempted by big dollars to leave early, where now it looks like they may not have been high picks had they come out. That team won with a combination of talent and leadership, and Les Miles is smart enough to learn from that and put his learning into action.

If this continues, this is going to be one of the great classes in LSU history, both on Signing Day and into the future.

Look Back to 2006

Following up last week's retrospective on the 2005 signing class, here is an early retrospective on the 2006 class. Obviously, there isn't as much information available about the 2006 recruiting class as there is about the 2005 class, because these guys have played one fewer year. However, I think there's enough information to make the task worthwhile. Of course, all grades are tentative as there is still time for players to break out (or fail to break out).

QB: None
Analysis: Not getting a QB in this class has certainly put us in a bit of a bind. We have Ryan Perrilloux as a junior and no scholarship sophomore or senior QBs other than Hatch, the Harvard transfer. A good QB in this class could have really helped out.

RB: Keiland Williams - *****, Richard Murphy - ****, Charles Scott - ****
Grade: A
Analysis: These guys are now the key runners on the team, and should be one of the team's strengths no matter what happens with the QB situation.

OL: Matt Allen - ****, Steve Singleton - ***, Mark Snyder - ***, Zhamal Thomas - ****
Grade: D-
Analysis: Pewww! Three of these four are no longer on the team, and the fourth appears to not be in the two-deep and to have been passed by younger players on the depth chart. Zhamal Thomas was allegedly involved in a burglary and was dismissed. Singleton left for reasons unknown. Snyder's career ended due to injury problems. You can't blame Snyder for that one, as he endured two catastrophic knee injuries. Matt Allen had a lot of good press at this time next year, but he seems to have gotten lost on the practice field.

WR: Jared Mitchell - ****, Chris Mitchell - ****, Ricky Dixon - ****
Grade: C-
Analysis: This group has a combined 22 catches for their careers, none of them have been particularly memorable, and none of them came in the last 6 games of the season last year. Actually, Jared Mitchell looked like he was getting somewhere early last year. He made 13 catches in the first 7 games, several of them in SEC play. Then he stopped getting the ball once Doucet returned from injury. Of all these players, Jared seems the closest to becoming a productive player, but he's not there yet. For the Mitchells, it's now or never. I think if they don't do something this year, they will get passed on the depth chart by multiple freshmen this year.

TE: Richard Dickson - ****, J.D. Lott - ***
Grade: A
Analysis: One guy who looks to be an All-America candidate next year, and another guy who left the team. That's an A-grade in my opinion. Dickson had a huge breakout year as a receiver last year, and is a 2-year starter at tight end. If we're lucky, he'll stay for his senior year.

DL: Al Woods - *****, Pep Levingston - ***
Grade: B
Analysis: Woods has been a mild disappointment, but he's a solid contributor. He just doesn't dominate like we'd expected. Pe Levingston looks like a solid depth player, but it's not certain he'll ever get starters' time. All-in-all, something of a light defensive line class, made lighter because Charles Deas never made it to campus.

LB: Derrick Odom - ****, Perry Riley - ***, Jacob Cutrera - ***, Kelvin Sheppard - ***
Grade: B
Analysis: The highest rated guy on the board never played a down, while the three-stars have gotten significant playing time as reserves. Riley looks like a stud to me, and Sheppard looks like a solid player. Both have excelled at special teams and it's now their turns to really have a shot at starting. There are probably no All-Americans in this group, but Riley could be an All-SEC type guy.

DB: Jai Eugene - ****, Danny McCray - ***, Troy Giddens - ***
Grade: Incomplete
Analysis: I'm just not prepared to give a grade to Jai Eugene yet. Danny McCray has become a key player as the nickel back, though he sometimes struggles in coverage. Giddens is off the team for the same reason as Zhamal Thomas. The key here is Eugene. He's played well on special teams, but he has struggled when he's gotten into the game at corner, after being one of the most sought-after defensive backs of his class. Fact is, he didn't play defense for the last year-and-a-half he was in high school, and is learning the position from scratch as a Tiger.

You look at this class and you have to think there are some disappointing aspects to it, though it could end up being stronger than it looks right now. Perhaps the coaches would have liked to have redshirted the Mitchells, but didn't have the receiver depth to do it. Perhaps if Thomas and Snyder hadn't had their problems, the offensive line class would look a lot better. Perhaps if Deas had made it to campus the defensive line would look better.

Still, there are also things to like about this class. The running backs and linebackers appear to be strengths, and Richard Dickson might end up being the best player from this class, and maybe our best tight end ever.

Russel Shepard Commits to LSU

Big-time prospect Russell Shepard out of Houston-Cypress Ridge committed to LSU last night. He is listed at 6'2" and 180#, but you have to be a little suspicious of those numbers, but also must realize he will get bigger before he leaves high school.

If you don't know this kid, get to know this kid right now. He's a 5-star quarterback, and the #4 2009 recruit in the country, one of the best players at the most important position on the field. His commitment to LSU is the biggest so far in a year with several big commitments already.

You want my breakdown of this kid, do you? Okay, here's what I have:

Strengths: He's a tremendous running quarterback, a true speed-burner with running instincts. Also, and I think this is almost as important, he seems like he really has his head on straight. He'll be a December graduate and a Spring enrollee, meaning he'll be at the 2009 Spring Practice. He projects to qualify with ease. He is a very well-spoken kid who seems like a natural leader as well. He's athletic enough that if he does not make it as a quarterback, he could still end up being an All-Conference or All-American performer at cornerback, wide receiver, or maybe running back.

He could also end up helping us get other high-profile Texas recruits like defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland (a kid with a name like this has to go to LSU), defensive back Craig Loston (Shepard's cousin, actually), and teammate Hasan Lipscomb, who will be a Tiger if he gets his grades in order.

Weaknesses: His videos don't show a heck of a lot of passing, and the passing they show doesn't stand out as being spectacular. He's also a little small to be taking the huge hits at quarterback you have to take if you want to be a run-first guy. That said, his videos on Rivals aren't highlights. They're sophomore highlights, and the kid is destroying everyone.

If you want some comparisons to former players, he looks an awful lot like former Colorado Buffalo and Pittsburgh Steeler Cordell Stewart, a.k.a. "Slash". He's also reminiscent of Tommie Frazier. If he's not a quarterback, he's like a taller Percy Harvin.

The only reason we were in it with Shepard is because Texas coach Mack Brown was recruiting him strictly as a wide receiver. Shepard has said he does not mind switching positions but wants to get a shot at quarterback, and will switch positions if he doesn't earn playing time at QB.

That's fine with me. Les Miles has said he's a quarterback and that's where he wants Shepard. I actually give Mack Brown some credit here. He didn't just tell Shepard what he wanted to hear. He told him the truth, which is that Texas wasn't going to give him a shot at quarterback. LSU will.

Here's what I'd do with him. I'd tell him, if you don't get into the two-deep at quarterback as a freshman (which is realistically unlikely, if you ask me) you will redshirt, and during your redshirt year you will work exclusively at quarterback. During your second year, continue working him at quarterback while installing some specialty sets to utilize his skills as a ball-carrier or receiver. In his redshirt sophomore year, make the final evaluation on whether or not Shepard is the quarterback of the future, and if he is not, make a permanent move. If he is, leave him at quarterback even if he is not the starter yet, but continue to leave in specialized plays for him at other positions while you wait.

I don't know if he's a future QB, or if his future is at another position, but I'm happy to give him a fair shot at quarterback. He'll have to come in and compete with Jarrett Lee (who will be 2 years ahead of him), Jordan Jefferson (one year ahead), and possibly Ryan Perrilloux who will overlap him by one year if he is still here for his senior year and who will not be beaten out if he stays, and then he'll have to compete with whoever we sign in the 2010 class. There are also rumors that we will sign another 2009 quarterback, but considering another QB could scare Shepard away and further considering the small class we have this year, I'm not sure it's a good idea to recruit another quarterback. I'd rather use that slot for another position. I'm not the coach though, and Les Miles has long since earned my trust.

With us getting a non-binding verbal commitment from a high-profile out of state kid that everyone in the world wants, you have to be concerned about the possibility of him changing his mind. Even though he says he's finished, and even though he seems like a real high-character kid (more on that tomorrow), you can't help but be worried. It helps that he's a mid-term graduate who will be enrolled by the time the pressure gets enormous in January. it also helps that he's a quarterback, and coaches aren't going to wait around to get their QB commitments.

It's an exciting day to be a Tiger fan.

Maybe I Spoke Too Soon

When I posted yesterday's post titled "Another Good Day in LSU Athletics" I did not guess that the Montrell Conner story would have the legs or the bitterness it showed as the day progressed. Depending on who you believe, one of the following things happened:

• Conner, his parents, and his coach met with Miles, who personally extended a scholarship offer that was accepted, only later to be told, "Not so fast, I shouldn't have offered it."
• An assistant coach offered Conner the scholarship, which was accepted, but there was a miscommunication with Miles and the offer never should have been extended.
• Conner was offered a scholarship, but only at linebacker and wanted to be a running back, accepted the scholarship and then was told he couldn't be a running back so it wasn't considered accepted.
• Conner misunderstood some nice talk and friendly conversation as a scholarship offer.

Somehow or another, Montrell Conner thought he was a commitment to LSU only to find out that he wasn't going to be considered a commitment. The boards went ape-shit. A major booster reportedly went ape-shit as well.*

Word now is that the "misunderstanding" is resolved, though Conner is not a commitment at this time.

There was lots of blame thrown the coach's way over a problem that lasted all of a couple of hours at most. You would think the foundation of Tiger Stadium was crumbling under our feet. I have a slightly different perspective of blame, however.

I think at least part of the blame for this has to go to the pay recruiting sites, who are always trying to "scoop" one another. I think they often post information before it's really ripe to go out to the public, because they want to be the first to report it. I think they reported Conner's commitment strictly after hearing it from Conner without checking with their sources within the program first. This may be standard procedure, but with an atmosphere like Junior Day with all of its confusion, maybe it shouldn't be.

Anyway, this will all blow over in a little while, and it's really much ado about nothing.

*Incidentally, the exact same thing happened to Tahj Jones, but no one seemed to care that much about that one, because reportedly it has to do with Jones' academic situation.

Another Good Day in LSU Athletics

After such a good Friday, we followed it up with an even better Saturday. The baseball team won 5-4 in its second game against Indiana. The basketball team won by 20 against Ole Miss. The football team picked up two more commitments on Junior Day.

I watched the basketball game on TV, and I was pretty darn impressed with this team. The consistency isn't there, but it's clear this team has some ability. Randolph and Johnson dominated the game defensively, disrupting shots and contributing heavily to Ole Miss shooting an abysmal 27% from the field. Ole Miss scored a season-low 49 points (previous season-low was 67 points).

The offense played well, particularly early in the game when Thornton was burning up the nets from outside staking us to a big lead. When he went cold, Ole Miss started coming back, but never got closer then 6 down. Midway through the 2nd half, we turned up the defense and fed the inside and built the lead up to 28 before putting in all the subs with 1:30 to go in the game.

Like I said before, I just want this team to build some momentum going into next season. This win is a nice step in that direction. The stretch run includes only one more game against a team that currently has more than 4 wins. If we can win games against South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, we will climb out of the conference basement and salvage a little bit of pride from this season.

In football, the big commitment yesterday was that of Janzen Jackson, a defensive back from Carencro listed at 6'1" and 185# with 4.43 speed. If he's really that tall, and really that fast, and really has hips of a cornerback, this kid is a S-T-U-D. Let me just admit that I am no expert at evaluating talent, but sometimes a kid's videos stand out so much in some respect that you have to take notice. Janzen Jackson is listed as a cornerback, but his videos show him making hard tackles and providing run support like a strong safety. He'll be an absurdly physical cornerback if that really is his future. If he has the swivel hips and the height and the closing speed of a corner, he will be hard to keep off the field early in his career. He's also a coach's son, much like current redshirt freshman defensive back Phelon Jones, and Carencro players usually come to LSU with good coaching under their belts already. The listed measurements are often unreliable, but I sure hope this kid is as tall and fast as advertised.

If you have access, be sure to watch his videos. You will be impressed. He is generally regarded as the best defensive back in the state.

The second commitment of the day was offensive guard/defensive tackle Josh Downs of Bastrop. He's listed at 6'2" and 275# and comes from one of the most important football factories in Louisiana. His commitment caused some consternation among the message board posters who, for one reason or another, think he is unworthy. The reasons for this break down into two different categories. First, as a defensive tackle, the message board posters consider him to be less of a player than in-state tackles Chris Davenport and Darrington Sentimore and out-of-state tackle Jamarkus McFarland (great LSU name, by the way). Second, word came out that running back/linebacker Montrell Conner wanted to commit but his commitment was not yet accepted.

It's hard to explain to someone unfamiliar with all of this exactly why it matters that Montrell Conner's commitment wasn't accepted. Honestly, I don't think I understand why it matters myself. As for why it wasn't accepted, it is apparently because either a) he wants to be a running back while the coaches only want him at linebacker or b) because they don't yet know whether he's a running back or linebacker. Montrell Conner is a Rivals100 guy, but you should take it as a given that the coaches know more than Rivals does, and I have it on good authority that most major college coaches consider the ratings services to be laughably inaccurate in many cases.

As for Downs, he is a mystery to me, but I don't mean that in a bad way. He hasn't really been discussed much on the boards or the services in advance of his commitment, and there is very little film on him. I know he has the weight, and I know he comes from a good feeder school. Other than that, I don't know much.

One thing that is becoming clear is that the boards and the services know very little about what the coaches are thinking. After Signing Day, I made a post that included this statement:

Of course, no signing day retrospective is complete without . . . looking ahead to the next recruiting class. Unlike for the 2008 class, the in-state 2009 class is expected to be very studly. Already, wide receiver Reuben Randle, defensive tackle Chris Davenport, athlete DJ Banks, running backs Eddie Lacy and Michael York, and RB/LB Montrell Conner look to be 5-star or high-4-star national prospects that could go wherever they want to go in the country.

In addition to my embarrassing misnaming of Michael Ford, it is becoming apparent that 2 or 3 of the people I mentioned not only won't be 5-star or high-4-star national prospects, but they may not even have offers from LSU, period. DJ Banks' offers are coming from lesser programs. Eddie Lacy's grade problems and legal problems may be scaring the big boys off. Montrell Conner apparently can only go to LSU as a linebacker rather than a running back (if that). So take everything with a grain of salt.

Lots of Topics to Mention Today

Poseur's very timely post yesterday afternoon portended good things for the baseball team, which pummeled Indiana in its season opener last night. In a remarkable turnaround from last season, the team got both offense and pitching in a 7-1 win. If last night is any indication, LSU looks to be a much better team than it was last season.

I'll be the first to admit I have no pretensions of insight into college baseball. I am pretty ignorant of the college baseball world, and I am mostly unfamiliar with LSU's lineup. It rarely comes on TV here, I can't catch it on the radio, and I'm just not dedicated enough to sit at my computer listening to it on the internet. That's Poseur's job.

LSU football recruiting, however. That's in my wheelhouse. Three recruits announced yesterday that they were committing to play football at LSU. These guys are from 3 different states and play 3 different positions of need. I didn't expect to have to make this post until tomorrow, and today's post was supposed to be a "Watch for a Bunch of Commitments" today post because today is the start of Junior Day. Three recruits got the jump on Junior Day, however.

Henry Orelus, a 6'5" 280# offensive lineman from the football factory of Central Glades, Florida, was actually the first commit. He is a former teammate of current LSU redshirt freshman O-lineman Ernest McCoy, who seems to have a bright future here. Orelus is believed to be the Center prospect of this class, which was a position of substantial need because LSU did not recruit a true center last year. Orelus has not been evaluated yet, but it is believed he will be a 4-star when the rankings finally come out. Various scouting reports say he is very coachable and is way ahead of his peers in terms of technique and skills for a big man. He's not going to be a headline-maker of this class, and honestly I had never heard of him until his commitment was announced, but he's a solid foundation for a class that needs a center. It's also significant that he's an out-of-state commitment, which we often had to fight very hard to get last year.

Michael Brockers, a 6'6 260# offensive tackle/defensive end prospect from Chavez High School in Houston was the second big commitment of the day for the Tigers. He's a member of the Rivals100 for 2009, meaning he will likely start out as a high 4-star player. There is some doubt as to whether he is a future defensive end or a future offensive tackle. His videos at end are really impressive. He is quick off the snap, hits hard, and wraps up. What's more, he's living the dream by coming to LSU. According to the article at Rivals announcing his commitment, his head coach Mike Jackson had this to say. "Every kid is different, but this kid has said from day one that he wanted to go to LSU," Jackson said. "I have known him since the eighth grade and it has always been LSU." Defensive line is a pretty substantial need in this class, but he could end up being an offensive tackle instead of a defensive lineman, particularly if LSU signs other highly regarded defensive ends like Alex Okafor, but that might be a long shot

Michael Ford was long rumored to be a heavy lean to LSU. He comes from Leesville, and is probably the best running back prospect in the state for 2009, and probably the best running back prospect in the state since Joe McKnight in 2007. Eddie Lacy of Dutchtown also has a claim to that title, but Lacy is rumored to have grade issues and off-the-field problems. Ford is alleged to already have the ACT score and simply needs to stay on track to graduate in order to qualify. He won't give us any headaches about making it to campus. His listed 40-time is 4.57 seconds, which is kind of disappointing, but it is said that it was run on a wet field and was the fastest time of the day at that camp. He is supposed to actually be very fast, possibly in the high 4.4's, which is excellent for a running back. He's a track standout as Leesville. Ford also has the personality of a leader, and figures to be a cornerstone of LSU's offense when the current RB corps of Keiland, Charles Scott, and Richard Murphy start clearing out. If there's a downside to Ford, it's that he has had some injuries. It's not anything that is likely to linger like a knee or shoulder. He just broke a collarbone and had another minor injury or two. He hasn't been on the field as much as you'd like to see. That said, if you watch his videos, keep in mind those are from his SOPHOMORE year. Let's hope he has a good and healthy senior season.

Stay tuned, because there are probably going to be a few more commitments today. I look to hear about commitments from defensive back Janzen Jackson, Texas running back Hasan Lipscomb (part of the Katrina diaspora), and possibly one or more offensive linemen. Maybe even more. I think this is going to be a class is that mostly set by the time Fall Practice starts in August.

What to do with a short class?

Because of the 85/25 rule, every few years most college football programs are forced to limit themselves to a small recruiting class. LSU's 2009 recruiting class appears that it will be a small class. It has been reported that LSU has only 12 scholarship seniors on the 2008 roster, and we will likely be at 85 scholarships, or very close to it, at the start of the season. That means, without additional attrition, LSU can only add 12 new scholarship players in the 2009 recruiting class.

It is a given, however, that there will be additional attrition. There always is. Some players see the handwriting on the wall and realize they are way down the depth chart and will never play at this school. Some players get homesick. Some players get into academic or legal trouble and are kicked off the team. Between these mechanisms, you can expect to lose about 3 or 4 players in any given year.

This sort of attrition is usually a good thing. If a guy isn't happy, or if he's causing trouble, or if he's fallen behind younger players and won't be a contributor, it's best for all concerned for team and player to part ways. This can be done amicably at least some of the time, and it clears the deck for the team to bring in recruits with more of an opportunity to be contributors.

Also, underclassmen leave early for the NFL sometimes. We anticipate that Ricky Jean-Francois and Ciron Black, despite having two years of eligibility, may play only one additional season. This is a regrettable form of attrition, but it is expected to happen sometimes in any quality program.

Then, in any given "short" class, you can greyshirt a player or two to "spread the risk" between multiple classes. You have to get players to agree to that, however, which is a little problematic, but it can often be done.

But I'm here to talk about a more controversial form of attrition. I will call it "forced" attrition. This is where the coach decides to help clear the decks by simply refusing to renew the scholarship of underperforming players. It is being reported, often in hushed whispers, that the Bama program's 2008 recruiting class was supposed to be a short class because there were only approximately 15 scholarship seniors on the team in 2007. They signed 32 players.

Obviously, something's going to have to give with those 32. Not all can enroll at once, even if the school is not brushing up against the 85 scholarship limit. However, assuming they can get the class down to size by either playing with enrollment dates, giving up on academic casualties, or asking players to greyshirt, they still have a problem getting under the 85 limit.

Rumors are abounding that the Bama coaching staff is going to cancel the scholarships of 10-or-so current players who they believe are underperforming, and not invite those players back to the program. If true, this would be the only example in my knowledge of there being large-scale cuts from a college football scholarship program for simple failure to perform. I've heard of it happening to punters or kickers, but never of position players, at least not on this scale. I'm not sure it's a good idea, and it could very well sour relations between the Bama coaching staff and high school coaches of players affected. It's effective at clearing the decks for other scholarship players, but I think there may be some long term consequences.

This is a different breed from what I would advocate Les Miles doing to help along the 2009 recruiting class. I think everyone paying close attention can identify some underperforming players on the LSU football team, players that have had a couple of years in the system but aren't (to a fan's perspective) looking like they're going to be players on this level. I think you can gently encourage these players to continue their college careers at another program, one where they can contribute, or even be key players. My script would go something like this:

Coach: Thank you for coming to this review. What do you see as your role for this coming year, son?

Player: I want to compete for a starting spot, coach.

Coach: Well, I like your ambition, son. But do you think you're ready for that?

Player: I better be ready for that. I'm a junior or sophomore or redshirt sophomore now. The team needs to be looking to me for leadership and production.

Coach: I agree with you on that. A player who's been here as long as you have is pretty much going to be settled into the role he's going to play during his career.

Player: That's right coach, and my role is to be a starter and a key player.

Coach: But I have to tell you, some player younger than you have passed you up on the depth chart, and while you can certainly work hard and try to make up some ground on them, right now we're not planning on you being in the two-deep this year.

Player: Not in the two-deep? So I have my work cut out for me if I want to play at all?

Coach: I'm afraid so. Look, you're a hard worker and we love having you in practice and we like the depth you bring, but you seem to have topped-out athletically and I don't think it's in your future to be a key on-field performer for us.

Player: What can I do to get on the field, coach?

Coach: Look, I understand no one wants to spend their college careers mainly being a practice player, especially not someone who came into the program expecting and hoping to be a star. Not everyone can meet their expectations though.

Player: What about special teams?

Coach: Younger players are ahead of you there too. Look, if you want to get on the field and be a key contributor, you can always transfer to a D-II school and play immediately. You'll probably be one of the better players on the team the day you report if you do that. If you really want to play, I'm happy to help you find a program that is right for you. We'd regret losing you, and you're welcome to stay here on scholarship if you want, but you aren't really in our on-field plans in the future.

I see nothing wrong with this approach. It's certainly more friendly and more fair to the athlete than simply kicking him off the team. Most players, I think, will be gently nudged by this conversation into the direction of doing what's best for themselves. Sure, some will say, "I guess I'm happy to just be a practice player and get my degree," and that's fine. You're better off keeping those guys around rather than getting a reputation for burning players.

Class Rankings

Setting aside the national rankings for a second, to me the clear most important thing in looking at a recruiting class is how it stands up to the other recruiting classes in the conference. Of course, I am also the guy who cares a lot more about conference championships than about national championships. We don't play the University of Washington, so it's not really important how we stack up to the University of Washington's recruiting, is it?

I read in the Tuscaloosa newspaper that their beat writer gave us a B+ grade for our class. I think that's about right. Bama had an A+, and Florida and Georgia both got A's, putting our class at #4. Auburn was #5 with a B-. I'm really fine with all of that. I think Bama got a lot of really outstanding players at the top of their class. I'm particularly jealous that they got Jerrell Harris at the last minute, because that kid is going to be a stud and is exactly the kind of guy we need and don't have enough of. I suspect the mid- to bottom-level of Bama's class is a little overhyped and overrated, but we shall see. It is certainly true that they got a lot of players that could have gone anywhere in the country.

A B+ grade is, I think, pretty accurate for us. We got a lot of quality kids, and some real game-changing athletes in Patrick Johnson, Chancey Aghayere, Ryan Baker, and DeAngelo Benton, but probably not as many of them as we would generally hope for. Losing out on some kids at the last minute probably made the difference between a B+-quality class and an A-quality class to put us alongside the outstanding recruiting classes that Florida and Georgia had.

The good news is that the perceived middling nature of this class (compared to our last couple years) is primarily a result of the perceived weakness of the Louisiana high school senior class. Our recruiting success basically follows the fortunes of Louisiana high schools, which were reportedly down last year following a great 2007, and heralding a great 2009 as well. To get a B+ type class with a C-type Louisiana senior class is a pretty good achievement, and next year we will have an A-type Louisiana senior class. If we keep winning out on whoever we want in-state and keep up our current level of out-of-state success, we will have a terrific class next year, despite its relative small size.

Yesterday Was the Day

We signed 26 players yesterday. Under the 85/25 rule, that will mean one of those guys won't be enrolling in the Fall, unless they can play a game with Kellen Theriot's enrollment date to add him to last year's class. This is no big deal as almost every class has some initial attrition due to academics.

It is widely believed that some of our commitments have a little ground to make up in order to qualify. If they all should qualify, someone will have to be pushed back to the 2009 class (the oft-mentioned "greyshirt".)

It is true, in my opinion, that this class is not as strong on paper as some previous classes were, particularly last year's class. It is very solid, however, and is far from "the beginning of the end" as some would have you believe.

The keys to this class are, I think, first to have all the key players get academically qualified. The key players are, at this point, Chris Tolliver (WR), DeAngelo Benton (WR), Jordan Jefferson (QB), Chancey Aghayere (DE), Patrick Johnson (QB), Ryan Baker (LB), Chase Clement (DE), Brandon Taylor (DB), and Greg Shaw (OL). I think all these guys are going to be serious players if they qualify. Some will contribute right away (Tolliver, Benton, Aghayere, and Baker are good candidates for that).Some of these guys aren't in danger of failing to qualify, but some of them are. It does no good to sign a great player if he doesn't make it to campus.

Second, I think some of the non-key players are going to have to emerge as quality players. Our national championship teams had a lot of substantial contributors who were not 4- and 5-star players. Think of Jonathan Zenon, Ciron Blake, Jacob Hester, Tyson Jackson, Chevis Jackson, Curtis Taylor, and Lyle Hitt. All of these guys were starters. Some of them were All-SEC. All of them were 3-star players. This class can become, in retrospect, a special class if some of the 3-star type guys emerge the way those guys emerged. Guys like Thomas Parsons, Kellen Theriot, Cordian Hagans, Ryan St. Julien, and Rocky Duplessis all have the opportunity to come in and show they were underrated from the beginning, much like Ciron Black and Tyson Jackson did.

It is usually the emergence of less-heralded players as solid contributors that makes the difference between a decent team and a great team.

Of course, no signing day retrospective is complete without . . . looking ahead to the next recruiting class. Unlike for the 2008 class, the in-state 2009 class is expected to be very studly. Already, wide receiver Reuben Randle, defensive tackle Chris Davenport, athlete DJ Banks, running backs Eddie Lacy and Michael York, and RB/LB Montrell Conner look to be 5-star or high-4-star national prospects that could go wherever they want to go in the country. Texas also looks like it could be fertile ground for us as well.

The only problem is that it will probably be a short class. With our big classes we've gotten lately, we're going to be bumping into the "85" part of the 85/25 rule next year. We can likely expect a signing class of around 20 instead of the 25-28 we typically see.

We will have substantial needs at running back, quarterback, defensive line, and linebacker. Fortunately, there appears to be some quality at those positions. The coaches have already started working these kids, as recruiting is now a year-round business.

Today is the Day

To many college football fans, National Signing Day is like a wedding or a baptism. It's a celebration of all things football. There are no losers as everyone is usually quite satisfied with their recruiting classes.

For many LSU fans, this National Signing Day seems to feel like a funeral. Yes, we lost out on some high profile recruits down the stretch. According to various reports, we may lose out on more of the high profile guys discussed yesterday.

I think there's no getting around that LSU is finishing recruiting a little weaker than we hoped, primarily because we lost DeAndre Brown. It's unfortunate that this one loss has colored the signing class, because it is widely believed that Brown could not have qualified, and that he was likely heading to JUCO or to prep school anyway. And if he ends up at one of those places, we can try to recruit him again.

That loss has weighed on the psyche of LSU recruiting watchers, and the loss has been exacerbated by the other losses, such as Arthur Brown, Terrelle Pryor, Antoine McClain, and others.

But we are being too pessimistic. This recruiting season has had many accomplishments. First and foremost, the coaching staff will be signing every Louisiana prospect it wants, and ultimately it appears few if any seriously considered going anywhere else. This is a very positive sign for the program, and bodes well for coming years that will likely have a much more highly regarded class of Louisiana kids. Like next year, for example.

The second positive accomplishment of this recruiting season is the continued positive recruiting of the offensive line. OK, we won't be signing a lot of high profile offensive linemen, but we have linemen with a lot of potential, such as Thomas Parsons. And for the most part, we locked up the offensive line recruits early.

We also adjusted our recruiting for the emerging reality of spread offenses, which means not only that we must have more wide receivers, but also more defensive backs. The defensive back recruiting in this class is the best at LSU since.. well, since last year, which was also spectacular. Patrick Johnson is the most highly-regarded cornerback signing probably in the history of the LSU football program. Brandon Taylor, Karnell Hatcher, and Derrick Bryant all have substantial potential to be key players in a year or two. Rockey Duplessis and Ryan St. Julien round out the defensive back class, and each one of these guys has a small community of commentators who assure us they are good athletes who will contribute more than is generally believed.

The wide receiver class misses DeAndre Brown, but is not lacking in star power. DeAngelo Benton will be part of this class, and he looks like an immediate contributor. Chris Tolliver could have gone to any program in the country. Tim Molten is reportedly believed by the coaches to be the most underrated wide receiver recruit in the country, and it is undeniable that they offered him immediately when they got a chance to see him in person at camp. DeAngelo Peterson is kind of a forgotten man, but he is a 4-star who was wanted by several other regional programs, but may end up at another position. Jhyryn Taylor (brother of Brandon and Curtis) is another solid athlete from a solid LSU family.

If this class has deficiencies, I think you can look at the defensive tackle position and the linebacker position. Don't get me wrong, I really like the guys we got at linebacker. Ryan Baker looks like a clone of Georgia linebacker Rene Curran to me, and his stock went WAY up after he committed to us and people started paying attention to him. Kellen Theriot looks like a phenomenal athlete and competitor, but one who may need a couple years to really learn the position, as he was a quarterback in high school. Kyle Prater looks like a solid player, though perhaps without the "wow factor" the other two bring. I would have just liked to have one additional good linebacker prospect coming in, as it is a position that lacks depth with the losses of Highsmith and Sanders.

At defensive tackle, we only have Cordian Hagans who was never a high profile guy and who may end up at offensive line, and Lavar Edwards who is a feast-or-famine project who may be a defensive end anyway. Chancey Agayhere is mislabeled as a defensive tackle. He is probably going to be a defensive end, and a move to linebacker is at least as likely as a move to tackle, because he is undersized for an end, much less for a tackle. He should be a excellent player, and he's one of the crown jewels of this class, but he's not a defensive tackle.

It looks like we may not get any running backs, but I'm OK with that. Louisiana has a stellar crop of running backs coming available next year, including Michael Ford and Eddie Lacy, who can go wherever they want (though some off-field issues are rumored to be affecting Lacy). There are also several running backs in the 2009 class from Texas who are reportedly interested in LSU. With our current depth at running back, and the addition of Stevan Ridley who is coming off a redshirt year, our running back depth is fine for 2008 and the prospects are strong thereafter. A running back is not necessary in this class.

More on this tomorrow, when we see if anything actually changes.

Recruiting Season is Coming to a Close

Tomorrow is the big day. National Signing Day. GeauxTuscaloosa's first National Signing Day, as this blog started in late February of last year, a couple weeks after the 2007 National Signing Day.

If you're expecting a big NSD extravaganza here at GeauxTuscaloosa, I am sorry to disappoint you. I have nothing planned. There will be no real time coverage of the event as, alas, I will be in Court all day tomorrow. Or at least, I'll be in Court from about 9:00 until late in the afternoon.

LSU sits with 25 commits right now, with a few more left on the board. We have realistic shots at defensive lineman Corey Liuget, offensive lineman Greg Shaw, running back Jermaine Thomas, and cornerback TJ Bryant, roughly in that order of likelihood. None of those guys are definite, but I'm confident enough to say that we will probably get 2 to 3 of those 4 guys.

Despite the disappointment of losing DeAndre Brown and of failing to get commitments from some high-profile national recruits like Arthur Brown, Terrelle Pryor, and Matt Patchan, among others, this class is really solid in the most important positions on the team: the lines.

If we get Liuget, we have a very solid defensive line class. Liuget would be a very good get, and he can be either a DE or a DT. Liuget would join Chancey Aghayere, who looks like an absolute stud at defensive end. Chase Clement who also has great potential at defensive end as well. Lavar Edwards may be feast or famine, but we're in a position to take a chance on a guy right about now. Cordian Hagans is kind of an unknown at this point, but he adds to the depth of this class.

Shaw would complete an impressive offensive line class. He does not look like a 4-year starter sort of player, but we do not need that sort of player. He looks like he can be a solid depth and role player until the deck clears ahead of him and he gets his shot to start. The O-line class is full of projects who need some time to develop, but who have tremendous athleticism and potential. Thomas Parsons is the most extreme example. He's a 3-star, but his measurables are as good as many five-star players. Alex Hurst was drawn from the state of Tennessee, and Miles is reportedly very excited about him. P.J. Lonergan and Clay Spencer were early in-state commitments who have been somewhat forgotten since then.

Les Miles deserves credit for what he has done with LSU's offensive line. When Miles arrived on campus, the state of O-line recruiting was a shambles. The team lacked significant depth, and had for years. It is telling that in his 2nd year, he had to start a 5th year senior who had never gotten significant playing time before, and in his 3rd year, he started two converted defensive linemen. Starting next year, for the first time in recent memory, the offensive line will have both experience and depth.

This recruiting class will be anywhere from "solid" to "solid-plus". There are solid players and good depth, but this class is not as strong as last year's. That's OK, because last year was an embarrassment of riches. This year, with it not being such a great year in-state for prospects, and with the resurgence of Bama and the inexplicable strength of Florida State, it was kind of bound to be a little tougher for us, but I think we have what we need to maintain ourselves at the top.

Yeah, I'm Still Here

I haven't gone anywhere. I'm just putting into practice my promise that I would never write on here just to fill it up with garbage. If I don't have anything constructive to say, I don't say anything.

Today is a big day. DeAndre Brown, the 5-star wide receiver from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is announcing his college of choice this evening. LSU has led for his services for a couple of years, but there has been much late drama in his recruitment and it is by no means certain that he will be committing to LSU. And if he commits to LSU, it is by no means certain that he will qualify academically. There is lots of conflicting information on both of these points circulating through the internet today, and I'm not about to try to sort fact from fiction.

The latest school apparently in on him is, of all places, the University of Southern Mississippi. No, they are not a BCS school. Yes, he is a legitimate 5-star player. No, I don't know if all of this is standard paranoia or if it's actual justified pessimism. Yes, we really really want him, even if it's just to sign and place him at a prep school or junior college. No, we do not need him in any sense of the word. He could be a great player, but he's not the difference between LSU going to bowl games and not going to bowl games. He could be the difference between going to the Sugar Bowl and going to the Cotton Bowl, however, down the line some time.

I'm going to plead for a little sanity. If Mr. Brown declares to Southern Miss today, I advise all LSU fans to act with decorum. Whatever the kid does, he's doing it for his own reasons, and he owes us NOTHING. And no, he's not making the mistake of a lifetime. He would be missing out on opportunities to compete for BCS bowls and/or national championships, but if his goal is to go to the NFL, it is certainly true that the NFL takes talent from all over the country, even from non-power conferences!

Lavar Edwards Commits

The commitment of Lavar Edwards, a 3-star defensive lineman from Desire Street Academy in Baton Rouge actually happened on Saturday, but given the rest of the action on Saturday, I chose to save it until today.

Edwards has all the tools. He's big at 6'4" and 300 pounds. He's quick and athletic, and with his 27 inch vertical jump, I'm sure he can easily dunk a basketball, which is an impressive feat for so large a man. He played many positions for his small high school team, including defensive end, defensive tackle, offensive line, tight end, and running back. Yes, running back.

What he is not is accomplished. No one who has watched Desire Street games has returned singing Edwards' praises. People say he takes plays off a lot and leaves observers unimpressed.

So, he's really really athletic, but has some bad habits. That makes him a project. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If he gets to LSU and gets motivated, he could end up an All-SEC calibre player. Remember, Tyson Jackson was a 3-star too.

His high school coach was recently quoted as saying he'll make a better college player than high school player. The explanation was that in high school, he had to learn to play many different positions as disparate as defensive tackle and running back. In college, he'll get to focus on one position and excel at it.

But what position is that? Well, we can be sure he isn't a running back. However, his size at 6'4" and 300 pounds would suggest to me that he's an offensive guard. He's a little taller than you usually see at defensive tackle, and a little heavier than you usually see at defensive end. The Rivals database lists him as a defensive end. We shall see, but if he's a defensive end, I feel he'll have to drop 10-15 pounds while still getting stronger.

If I was laying money, I would say that Edwards, if he makes it into a starting lineup, will make it as a an offensive guard, but we shall see.

Recruiting is winding down. We have 25 commitments if you count DeAngelo Benton. Every year at this time, things start really coming into focus. Players who have been flirting with us for months end up either coming here or telling us they won't come here. We know we will sign a couple more players, perhaps as many as 4 more. It looks like Terrelle Pryor is a longshot, but if he wants to come, we will certainly make room.

Other players still on the radar include DeAndre Brown (5-star wide receiver, and the highest player left on the board, Mississippi), Corey Liuget (4-star defensive end, Florida), Jermaine Thomas (3-star running back, Florida), Antoine McClain (4-star offensive lineman, Alabama), Greg Shaw (star offensive lineman, Florida), TJ Bryant (4-star cornerback, Florida). Of all of those, I believe Brown, Liuget, Thomas, McClain, and Bryant are definite takes if they want to come. We'd find room for all of them, but it's unlikely they'll all want to commit to us. Shaw is a take if McClain tells us he's going elsewhere.

The Recruitment of Terrelle Pryor

I feel a little more comfortable discussing the Pryor situation right now, mainly because I don't think we'll find out anything new in the next several days.

To recap for those of you not paying close attention to recruiting, Terrelle Pryor is the consensus #1 quarterback and #1 overall recruit in the country, according to Rivals. He is out of Pennsylvania and reminds everyone of Vince Young at the same age, though he may be a) smarter and b) less strong-armed, by a little bit. He was looking heavily at West Virginia, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others earlier this season.

Two important things happened that have dramatically changed the recruiting landscape for Terrelle Pryor. First, Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan. This eliminated West Virginia from consideration and opened up Michigan. It also, according to at least one poster at TigerDroppings, opened up other schools because Pryor feels a lot of loyalty towards both Rodriguez and Jim Tressel and may not be willing to be an intense rival of either, preferring instead to leave the Big 10.

The second thing that happened to change the recruiting landscape was that Pryor attended the Under Armour All-America Game and met Patrick Johnson. I had always heard this Johnson kid was a natural leader to whom other athletes gravitate. Apparently, Mr. Pryor has gravitated to Mr. Johnson so much that he regretted LSU's alleged failure to recruit him.* He made his thoughts public, and before you could say "Gary Crowton", the LSU coaches were on him.

He is not considering us. No one really knows how seriously he is considering us, but he's mentioning us in interviews. He's taking visits from our coaches. He's talking to us.

Obviously, we're getting in very very late. Possibly too late, and objectively we have to think it's unlikely that we get him. That's alright, because we have to try anyway.

This is a kid who, if we get him, could end up being the most important football recruit at LSU since Kevin Faulk (without whom LSU may still be an SEC also-ran on a level with Ole Miss). He's a guy who, if he's as good as advertised (which is considerably good), could be a guy who keeps us at the top not for the next 4 years, but for the next 10 years. He could solidify LSU as a permanent member of college football's elite until long after he's moved on to other things.

Or, you know, he could end up being a major disappointment who never really emerges as a good player and accelerates our descent into mediocrity. (See Lee, Xavier and Weatherford, Drew at FSU). But that's terribly unlikely.

Some say this whole thing is a bad idea because simply recruiting him could impact our current QB commitment, Jordan Jefferson. I would point at that when Jefferson originally committed to us he was the third quarterback on the commitment list. If Pryor was to sign with us, Jefferson would be one of only two. Even with Pryor, the situation is better for Jefferson than when he originally decided to come to LSU. It sounds like Mr. Jefferson is not scared of competition.

Others say that the star-gazers worried about Pryor are losing sight of LSU's other young QB, Jarrett Lee, who is allegedly developing well. I wouldn't know if he's developing well or not, but I know one thing. I know that we owe Jarrett Lee nothing other than a fair shot to compete for playing time. The addition of one highly heralded young quarterback does not and would not change Jarrett Lee's development, and would not change any discussion of whether Jarrett Lee was a starting calibre quarterback. All it would do is give LSU options. It's always better to have two good players rather than one.**

I'm not going to say we're getting this kid. I think it's still far more likely that we don't get him, but it's always fun to imagine and speculate.

*According to several posters, we didn't "fail" to recruit him. We made contact this past spring/summer and sent assistant coaches to Pennsylvania to look at him, which is a considerable expense of time and money for just one recruit. He just didn't show us the love in return. As I recall, when he narrowed his list down to ELEVEN this past summer, we weren't on the list. The LSU coaches decided that continuing to recruit him was a waste of time and money, which is a perfectly wise decision. They just didn't count on Patrick Johnson.

**Alright, it's not always good to have two good quarterbacks. But there's no guarantee about Lee at this point, and while it isn't ALWAYS good to have two good quarterbacks, it is NEVER good not to have any.