Getting to 85 for 2012

Monitoring attrition to see who remains on the LSU roster

Sam Gibson, who would’ve been a redshirt sophomore in 2012, is one of three defensive backs that have parted ways with LSU this offseason (photo by Jay Potter).

By BEN LOVE
Tiger Rag Editor

Every major college football program has the same dilemma this time of year.

The challenge, one which can become a logistical accounting nightmare, is ensuring that the team’s roster contains only 85 scholarship players. This despite the fact that programs are dealing with four to five stacked recruiting classes in which 25 players per year were added to the program.

Squeezing what could be 100-plus players into 85 spots is only possible through attrition — whether it be players leaving for personal reasons, players transferring, players turning pro early or, in some instances, recurring injuries forcing players away from the game.

Here is the path LSU has taken since the Tigers last played on Jan. 9, 2012, in order to accommodate a class of incoming recruits and get to 85:

- Linebacker Trevon Randle, who would’ve been a redshirt freshman, and running back Jakhari Gore, who would’ve been a redshirt sophomore, both left the team in the month following the BCS Title Game. Neither even made it to the start of spring practice.

- Linebacker Josh Johns, a rising redshirt junior, was dealing with a recurring neck injury that left him unable to continue playing.

- Offensive lineman Matt Branch, a senior-to-be, suffered the same fate as Johns, no longer able to play, but in his case because of concussions.

- A trio of defensive backs — Ronnie Vinson (rising redshirt sophomore), Sam Gibson (rising redshirt sophomore) and David Jenkins (rising redshirt freshman) — all left the team near the end of or after the spring semester. All three participated in spring practice.

- Finally, when looking at the crop of 2012 recruits set to join the team, it surfaced in June that quarterback signee Jeremy Liggins would not qualify academically and was set to enroll in Gulf Coast Community College (Miss.). The latest word behind the scenes is that Liggins-to-LSU for 2012 is not completely dead yet, but that it’s extremely unlikely Liggins will make it to Baton Rouge. By announcing he’d enroll in Community College, Liggins more or less saved himself a seat in the likely event he didn’t quality at LSU so that he wouldn’t be left standing when the music stopped.

- One side note on two other Class of 2012 players: Neither Avery Johnson, wide receiver, or Derrick Raymond, defensive back, has officially been cleared by the NCAA at this point, but both are expected to be just fine as they’re finishing up class work this summer, not waiting on test results or anything of that nature. Both are listed below on the projected 2012 LSU roster.

Taking this recap of the last six months into consideration, here is Tiger Rag’s best stab at what the new 85-man 2012 LSU football roster will look like:

(To view LSU’s official roster, which lists all players — scholarship and non-scholarship — CLICK HERE.)

PROJECTED 2012 LSU SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS

S Eric Reid
WR Avery Johnson
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
RB Alfred Blue
WR Jarrett Fobbs
S Craig Loston
CB Tyrann Mathieu
QB Zach Mettenberger
DT Ego Ferguson
WR Russell Shepard
RB Spencer Ware
S Corey Thompson
CB Dwayne Thomas
RB Terrence Magee
QB Jerrard Randall
QB Stephen Rivers
CB Derrick Raymond
WR Paul Turner
LB Ronnie Feist
LB Lamar Louis
CB Tharold Simon
S Ronald Martin
RB Kenny Hilliard
K Drew Alleman
KOS James Hairston
LB D.J. Welter
CB Jalen Collins
RB Jeremy Hill
S Micah Eugene
LB Lorenzo Phillips
CB Jalen Mills
LB Kwon Alexander
P Jamie Keehn
P Brad Wing
S Rockey Duplessis
TE Travis Dickson
RB Michael Ford
S Jerqwinick Sandolph
FB J.C. Copeland
LB Deion Jones
LB Kevin Minter
TE Tyler Edwards
TE Dillon Gordon
DE KeKe Mingo
SNP Reid Ferguson
LB Trey Granier
LB Luke Muncie
DE Justin Macklin
C Elliott Porter
OG Trai Turner
LB Lamin Barrow
LB Tahj Jones
DE Jermauria Rasco
C P.J. Lonergan
OL Jerald Hawkins
OL Derek Edinburgh
OL Corey White
OG Josh Dworaczyk
OG La’el Collins
OT Jonah Austin
OT Alex Hurst
OT Chris Davenport
OG Josh Williford
OT Evan Washington
OT Chris Faulk
DT Josh Downs
OG Vadal Alexander
WR Jarvis Landry
WR Armand Williams
WR James Wright
WR Travin Dural
TE Nic Jacobs
WR Kavahra Holmes
WR Kadron Boone
DL Chancey Aghayere
TE Chase Clement
DE Lavar Edwards
DT Anthony Johnson
DT Bennie Logan
DE Danielle Hunter
DT Quentin Thomas
DT Mickey Johnson
DE Jordan Allen
DE Sam Montgomery
OL Fehoko Fanaika

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Editor Ben Love covers LSU football and men’s basketball for Tiger Rag. Reach him at ben@tigerrag.com.