RECRUITING: Ferrell Talks De-Commitment
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Tallahassee linbacker Willie Ferrell de-commits from LSU; exploring other options
by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst
Earlier in the year LSU landed a verbal commitment from Tallahassee (Fla.) FAMU High School product Willie Ferrell (6-1, 225, 4.5).
Since that time there were multiple reports from various recruiting outlets stating the talented linebacker elected to de-commit from the Tigers for unspecified reasons.
Ferrell informed TigerRag.com in late November he was still committed to LSU, but did indeed want to weigh his options. On Sunday evening Ferrell informed TigerRag.com, once again, officially, where he stood in his recruitment.
“I talked to my mom and we decided that maybe LSU was not the best decision for me,” Ferrell confirmed. “It’s still a great place, with great fans, great players, great coaches, and it’s still one of the best colleges in the country, but I just don’t feel as comfortable with LSU as I did in the beginning.
“I talked to the LSU coaches about it and they understood it was more about my future than just the next four years,” Ferrell added. “They knew where I was coming from and they knew it was nothing against LSU.”
Ferrell claimed he will be taking visits next month to Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Michigan. Ferrell is currently in South Carolina where he will be participating in the Offense/Defense All-American game.
“I’m in South Carolina for the Offense/Defense bowl game,” Ferrell informed. “I flew up here with Cody Ledford (Tulane commit). I’ve been meeting new people and just trying to enjoy everything.”
Ferrell’s arrival in Myrtle Beach came just a couple of weeks after his team was eliminated from the playoffs.
“We lost in the third round of the playoffs, but the season still went good,” Ferrell explained. “Everything happens for a reason. I felt like I gave it my all and I even played through some injuries. I left it all out on the field.”
Now looking back on his entire high school career, Ferrell joked that if it was not for a growth-spurt, he may have never gotten the opportunity to play.
“I’ll never forget the time I had first told my coach I wanted to play football,” Ferrell reminisced. “I was in the sixth-grade when I told him, but back then I was real small. He told me I was too small and that I couldn’t play. Well the next year I was way taller and bigger and my coach kind of just laughed at himself. That is something I’ll never forget.”
Why are we keeping the worst coach on the staff, the receiver coach. He doesn’t believe in negative motivation-see his interview before the Troy game. He just pats them on the head. Lafell doesn’t jump for a ball he gets a pat on the head. He doesn’t dive for a ball or block or even attempt to tackle a defender who has intercepted a ball-likewise-a pat on the head. I won’t even mention Byrd,thankfully he is gone. We need a coach who has a full grasp of all the weapons in any decent coaches’ bag of motivational techniques. He is the worst coach on the staff, the worst receiver coach in the conference based on the lazy lack of effort by he and the receivers, and also the worst receiver coach in L.S.U. history. So he can recruit-maybe? Move him to recruiting and let him recruit and let someone that can coach do the coaching. He is lazy,lacks depth and it shows when we play. Compare them to how Florida’s receivers aggressively go for the ball. Our receivers don’t want the ball when it is in their hands and they don’t have jump. And heaven forbid if lazy Lafell has to jump-he refuses to. We will never beat Florida again with him coaching. The players he coaches have no heart or desire. Isn’t this a reflection of their coach? Our receiver coach is a reflection of our head coaches’ ability to evaluate his staff. On this point Les fails again. Why does he continue to again let his friendships cloud his judgment. There is no professional,arms-length coaching evaluation that can justify keeping this coach. Ask Les to make public any such evaluation for all the public to see. Let the sun shine on whatever justification he believes. It is a reflection on him also. If he doesn’t know it most fans suggest that he surround himself with strong assistants that will elevate him instead of perpetuating the stay of weak ones that bring will bring him down. In my opinion if he does not turn it around in one year he will be gone. If he continues to keep weak coaches he must not understand how much his own job is in trouble.
What does that spew have to do with the artcle above? Sounds like you have an axe to grind. Your assessment of the wr coach is highly inflated. Of the coaches we have he was one of the few that I saw get in players faces when they did not block or catch a ball. And your assessment of lafell is just ignorant. He practically led the sec in receiving. I don’t know what coach mccarthy did you, but you need to take your tantrum some where else. Thank you coach for going out and getting the best highschool players and making them tigers! Geaux Tigers!