Friday (5.29)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

The month of May was a big month for one of Baton Rouge’s own as St. Michael High School product Jeremy Meyers reeled in his first offer. Fresh out of baseball and just before his team’s annual spring football game, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound signal caller spoke to coach Darren Drago from Northwestern State.

“Just before we got on the bus to go to our spring game my coach (Eric Held) called coach Drago from Northwestern State,” Meyers explained. “He handed me the phone and coach Drago said he wanted me to know that I had a scholarship to play football at Northwestern.

“He said the coaches over there know I can play quarterback, but they needed me at free safety,” Meyers added. “I said I was OK with that and he said it was good that I was open to playing different positions. He said he knew I was probably going to get more offers and he just wanted me to take my time and let it all play out.”

(Jeremy Meyers)

Meyers’ offer came after his two teammates (Ryan Zeller and Nick Scelfo) landed their offers. According to Scelfo it was something that did not go unnoticed.

“We messed with him about it quite a bit,” Scelfo said of taunting Meyers about being the last to get an offer. “Jeremy has been known as the highly-touted prospect at our school since our sophomore year.

“We were all over him about us getting an offer before he did,” Scelfo joked. “But he finally got an offer and he deserved it because he works really hard. I was happy for him.”

Last season, Meyers threw for over 1,400 yards including 13 touchdowns while also rushing for another 824 yards and nine touchdowns. This season his numbers are likely to increase as his team is in the process of installing a new offense. Meyers called it the “Air Raid” system. It requires more passing which in-turn will increase his attempts by at least 10 per game.

The new offense will give college recruiters a closer, in depth look at Meyers as a signal caller. If Meyers plays to his potential, his offer sheet should increase rapidly.

—

Meyers was not the only in-state product adding notches to his offer sheet. North Desoto High School product Curtis Carter (6-1, 185, 4.41) informed me last week two new programs had extended him offers. He said TCU and Missouri offered following his first offer which came by way of Nebraska nearly three weeks ago.

“Nebraska was my first offer and now Missouri and TCU have offered as well,” Carter stated. “I’m not stopping my recruiting with these three. I’m waiting to see what’s going to happen next. I haven’t narrowed my list down or anything. I plan on having it narrowed down by the end of the summer and I’m hoping to have 7 or 8 more offers by that time.”

Carter is an exceptional athlete as he can do it all on the field. He serves as quarterback for his high school team, but will likely be asked to haul in passes at the next level as a slot receiver. As a junior, Carter tallied over 700 yards passing and 262 yards rushing while scoring 17 times inside of a Wing-T offense.

Carter also appears to be just as good on the diamond as he is on the gridiron. He was recently named to the All-Area baseball team while finishing the season with a .370 batting average, 30 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Carter claimed if the offer was right, he may elect to pursue a career in baseball over a college football experience.

“There has been some talk of me possibly being drafted in baseball,” Carter explained. “If I would get drafted within the first five rounds then I’d play baseball. If I would get drafted later than that then I’d stick with football.

“Baseball was my first love,” Carter added. “I’ve been talking to some college coaches asking if I could play two sports in college. Most of them said I could, but it would take a lot of dedication. I would love to do that and I know I would stay committed so I could handle it. Teams that would allow me to play both sports would definitely increase my interest.”

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (5.15)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Over the past couple of years of covering recruiting for LSU, I’ve come across prospects that opened their recruiting campaign with offers from everyone versus others who had to wait it out longer than expected.

In the early stages of the Class of 2010, I’ve come across a handful of prospects that I knew from the jump had what it took to play for a major Division-I football program. However, for various reasons, it took some of those college coaches extra time to evaluate the players a little further before handing out scholarship offers.

So far, I consider players such as Kevin Nelson, Devonta’ Davis, Tyler Stephenson, and Rajion Neal to be a part of this group.

Nelson (6-2, 220, 4.6) and Davis (6-1.5, 185, 4.45) are teammates at Gainesville High School (Fla). Nelson is a linebacker and Davis is a defensive back. Both have all of the qualities every coach is looking for. They have good size, speed, character, and a passion for the game.

(Stephenson)

Last season Nelson recorded over 120 tackles, while Davis racked up 50 of his own with an interception. They currently each hold about five offers including the two they picked up on Thursday from South Carolina and Louisville. Nelson holds the biggest offers coming by way of LSU and Florida, but LSU secondary coach [Ron] Cooper is expected to visit Davis next week and an offer from the Tigers could be on its way.

Stephenson (6-0, 175, 4.38) fits the mold of those two as well, only he is even faster. The only factor I can think of for Stephenson’s slight recruiting delay was the fact that maybe he was known more for being a track star than he was for playing football as he is ranked nationally for track and field with a time of 13.8 in the 110 meter hurdles.

However, after Stephenson made appearances at various football combines all of those thoughts were put to rest as he showcased he had what it took to play at the next level. Last season, Stephenson recorded 55 tackles, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries from the corner back position.

After a slow start in recruiting, the Lancaster High School (TX) product now holds 20 offers including his latest coming by way of LSU.

(Neal)

And while Neal (5-11, 195, 4.4) currently holds seven offers, I predict he should have double that amount or even more by the end of the summer. The Sandy Creek High School (GA) product possesses all of the skills of a Division-I running back. He has the size, the vision, the footwork, and the break-away speed.

Perhaps the factor currently keeping his offer sheet on the short end is an ankle injury he suffered last year which cost him four games that in turn crushed his statistics. He finished his junior season with 800 yards rushing on 174 carries (4.6 YPC) and six touchdowns.

There are probably a couple of more I could have mentioned, but these four I feel without question have what it takes to make a name for themselves on Saturdays.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Tuesday (5.12)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Life has its shortcomings for everyone. Sometimes it seems there are countless tragedies for each blessing and more than likely, when it’s all said and done, our bad times will have out-weighed our good times.

It is simply proof that people should live everyday like its their last, and for recruits, it should motivate them to make the most of their opportunity because they may not get another shot.

Gainesville (Fla.) High School product Kevin Nelson (6-2, 220, 4.6) realized how ugly life could be at an early age. Around the age of 11 Nelson lost his mother and just five years later, on the day of his high school’s homecoming, his father passed away, leaving Nelson at the crossroads.

Right then and there, at that moment, he could have played the victim role, using their deaths as a deterrent from achieving his dream of landing Division-I scholarships to play at LSU, Miami, and Florida or he could use it as motivation.

Nelson, being the survivor he is, chose the latter.

He took the loss of his parents and used it as fuel for his aggression on the field. As a junior, Nelson racked up 125 tackles (10 tackles for loss), and two sacks while earning All-State honorable mention honors. His rabid play on the field garnered early offers from the likes of Arkansas, UCF, and Ball State.

Make no mistake, the offers were welcomed by Nelson, but in all honesty they did not fill his appetite. All along his mouth watered for his three dream schools.

“Some teams have OK players,” Nelson stated to TigerRag.com in late December. “And some teams or schools have students that make good grades and they see it as their way out. But I’m just OK in class (2.7 GPA)). I want to go to a school where the players aren’t ever going to quit because football is the only thing they have. That’s how I am. I look at football as the only thing I have that will get me out of the predicament I am in.

“The type of players that go to LSU, Miami, and Florida are big, tough, and rugged,” Nelson continued. “They have that Pit Bull in them, that dog in them! They’re the type of players that will hit you and knock you to the ground and then laugh in your face. They will let you know they’re going to be in your face all game long, for four quarters.”

Nelson’s head coach Ryan Smith informed me months ago he believed Nelson did not possess any big-time offers largely due to the fact he does not send his players to camps or combines. With that said, Smith has coached players who have gone on to play at Florida State, UCF, and Florida as well as several other Division-I programs. According to Smith, their offers did not come by way of a 40-time at a combine, but instead because of their game film.

Last week Nelson’s film arrived in Baton Rouge for coach Les Miles to review. Shortly after screening it, an offer from the Tigers arrived.

“LSU offered me today,” Nelson exclaimed last Wednesday. “My coach called me at my house while I was doing my homework. He said coach [D.J] McCarthy called him and said the LSU staff watched my film and they wanted to offer me a scholarship. I said are you serious! He said yeah!

“It’s amazing,” Nelson expressed. “LSU has always been one of my dream schools. On top of that it’s kind of crazy LSU offered me before Florida. I’m amazed by the offer. It made my whole night! I’ve been smiling all day, ever since my coach told me. As soon as he told me I called my aunt and my step dad.”

As of now, Nelson claimed the Tigers to be his leader, but said he will take a few visits and weigh all of his options before making his final decision.

Nelson’s story is an example of where hard work and dedication can get you. It’s a story all recruits should be aware of. Nelson’s story proved there are no givens in this world, including life, but if you want something bad enough you can get it. There is no doubt Nelson will make a name for himself at the next level.

—

In other news, LSU landed its ninth commitment for the Class of 2010 as Ocean Lakes High School product Justin Hunter informed me he had committed to the Tigers.

“I just spoke to coach [D.J.] McCarthy and I’m trying to reach coach [Les] Miles right now,” Hunter said Sunday night. “Coach Mac was really excited. He said this was the best news he’s heard in a while.”

Hunter currently stands at 6-foot-4, and 185-pounds leaving him room for another twenty pounds or so. He also possesses good speed for his size (4.49) making him a very difficult receiver to cover.

As a junior he hauled in 34 passes for 536 yards and 10 touchdowns while earning All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Thursday (5.7)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Just in the past week there has been a buzz in the recruiting department within the Southeastern Conference. Oddly enough it did not concern a recruit. Instead, it involved the leaders that can be seen wearing the headsets on Saturdays, i.e. the coaches.

Earlier in the week it was reported by several Alabama newspapers that Auburn’s assistant football coaches were seen traveling around to different Alabama high schools for the May Evaluation Period in a stretch, white, Hummer limousine labeled with Auburn logos on the doors while airing flags showcasing the Auburn colors.

Being that in-state recruiting rival Alabama has landed nearly 80-percent of the top in-state football prospects over the past two years, new Tiger’s Head Coach Gene Chizik is ready for that trend to end. Not only was the goal of limo to let their presence be known throughout the community, Chizik also made sure the limo was packed full of all seven Auburn assistant coaches.

Do to NCAA recruiting rules, Chizik was not allowed to go on the limo-ride. Usually during the May evaluation period the assistant coaches are spread-out throughout the country evaluating talent nationwide, but Chizik believes Auburn must first conquer its own backyard before it enters someone else’s.

By having all of the assistant coaches go on the Alabama-state tour, it gives them a chance to form relationships with all of the high school coaches within the state where as usually just one assistant would cover the state of Alabama.

It is a technique worth considering, but it can not be considered a success until the results are in come National Signing Day in February.

—

And just when you thought recruiting could not get any more creative, LSU Head Coach Les Miles announced he would be “twittering” on the sidelines before, during, and at the end of games this upcoming football season. Actually, he will tell an assistant what to type and that staff member will send the “tweet” out to all of the Miles’ followers.

Twittering or twitter is the new form of You Tube. Instead of airing free, homemade videos for the world to see, people can now twitter. A “tweet” is a term used in twittering which is basically a text message. However, you do not need to know someones cell phone number to send or receive a tweet. Instead, you subscribe to people whether that be coaches, celebrities, friends, family, teachers, etc., by signing up on twitter.com and adding whomever you want to follow to your twitter list.

Twitter.com describes its service as this, “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

Basically, by sending a “tweet” you are informing all of your “followers” what you are either doing or thinking at that precise moment. Not only that, but it could also be used to send inspirational messages and things of that nature.

In the football world, Miles claimed he will be using twitter.com to not only draw closer with the LSU fans, but also with the prospective recruits. With that said, twittering is a two-way street. Miles and his staff will likely be subscribing to some of the prospects they are recruiting and it will turn into a new form of communication.

How long the NCAA allows this form of networking to continue remains to be seen.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (4.24)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

After the LSU spring football game last weekend, St. Michael High School product Nick Scelfo (6′4, 225, 4.7) informed TigerRag.com he was nearing an offer. However, that offer was believed to be coming by way of Arkansas State.

On Thursday afternoon, the talented tight end received a surprise.

“I was pulled out of class today to go to my (football) coaches office,” Scelfo informed. “When I got there I saw (recruiting coordinator) linebackers’ coach [Darren] Drago from Northwestern State was in there. He said the coaches looked at my film and liked what they saw. He said he wanted me to go to their camp this summer and I’d have an offer waiting for me.

“I told him I appreciated the offer and I was flattered by it, but it was still early in the recruiting process,” Scelfo continued. “I told him I’d consider Northwestern State, but I wanted to go through the process a little more before I made a decision.”

While the Demons may have beaten Arkansas State to the punch, an offer from the Red Wolves could arrive in a couple of days. Last weekend Scelfo claimed Arkansas State tight ends’ coach Maurice Smith said if it were up to him he would offer, but he had to get the OK from the head man first.

On Thursday afternoon, Scelfo provided another update.

“I’m supposed to call coach Smith this weekend,” Scelfo stated. “Hopefully I’ll have another offer and that would give me two going into next week.”

Getting a second offer would be great, but the first one took its toll on the rising star.

“Once I received the offer, reality kicked in,” Scelfo said. “It hit me that I have a shot at going somewhere pretty big to play college football.”

Scelfo also received a letter from Mississippi State to attend their “Super Bulldog Weekend”. Aside from that, he was also informed coaches from Mississippi State as well as Utah State, Texas A&M, Arkansas State, LSU, and Arkansas will be attending his team’s upcoming spring practices which begin May 1.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (4.22)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Heading into the 2010 May evaluation period LSU is sitting steady with eight verbal commitments.

Two 4-Stars: WR Mike Davis and S Eric Reid

Four 3-Stars: FB Brandon Worle, WR Tharold Simon, TE Nick Jacobs, and LB Luke Muncie

Two 1-Stars: LB D.J Welter and OT Jemarcus Hardrick

As compared to some of the other big time recruiting BCS schools, LSU is right in the mix. While the Tigers are not in the lead for (public) verbal pledges, they are not near the bottom either.

To put it into perspective, Texas is obviously in the early lead with 21 (all 21 from the state of Texas), but that is expected. That’s just Texas being Texas.

Here is the breakdown of some of the Tigers other recruiting rivals, Florida-12, USC-5, Miami-5, Georgia-4, Auburn-4, Tennessee-2.

As far as the number of recruits, LSU is almost in exactly the same spot as they were this time last year as they held nine verbal commitments including Dexter Pratt and Willie Ferrell whom later decommitted. While the total of recruits may be nearly the same so far this year, the number of “star” value players is not.

Below is the breakdown of the Class of 2009 at this time last year.

Two 5-Stars: QB Russell Shepard and RB Michael Ford

Five- 4-Stars: RB Dexter Pratt, DL Joshua Downs, DL Mike Brockers, CB Drayton Calhoun, and LB Kevin Minter

Two 3- Stars: LB Willie Ferrell and QB Chris Garrett

Another small difference is the number of in-state commits. The Tigers currently hold four, while last year at this time they held just two.

Holding eight solid commitments before the month of may is a good position to be in considering the Class of 2010 prospects are still labeled as juniors and the football season has not even officially begun.

On top of that, LSU appears to be in really good shape with several other of the nation’s top recruits, such as, QB-Jake Heaps, WR-Justin Hunter, WR-Demarco Cobbs, DL-Jordan Allen, RB-Storm Johnson, and WR-Trovon Reed as well as many others.

However, the one hole from last recruiting season that will be tough to fill is Shepard’s. Not only because Shepard was arguably the nation’s number-one recruit, but because he was vocal any time he was around other recruits. His passion for LSU was contagious. He was LSU’s unofficial spokesperson and as of now his replacement has yet to be found or named.

I’m not sure if it is possible to replace a Shepard. A kid like that does not come around very often. Last season, Shepard was a huge bright spot for a dull LSU football season. There is no question the networking he put in with other recruits aided the Tigers’ Class of 2009.

So while it may be impossible for another recruit to equal Shepard’s value on the recruiting trail, it is possible for LSU to replace last year’s losses with wins on the football field.

Winning is the cure for everything.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (4.20)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Saturday marked my second-ever trip inside of Tiger Stadium. My first came about a decade ago when LSU faced Kentucky with Tim Couch serving as the field general for the Wildcats. I remember little from that game largely due to the fact I was wearing beer goggles after a days work of tailgating LSU style.

However, Saturday’s game was different not only because I was sipping on Diet Cokes inside of the press box, but also because it was a spring game that showcased several of the recruits I have come into contact with over the past couple of years. It was a real treat getting to see guys like Jordan Jefferson, Chris Tolliver, Russell Shepard, Tyler Edwards, Chris Garrett, Kevin Minter, Karnel Hatcher and several others living out their dreams together.

I remember how Jefferson was not one of the more widely hyped-up recruits coming out of high school, but in the spring game he proved why maybe he should have been. He showcased flashes of his arm-strength as well as his scrambling ability. He answered all questions as to who the starter will be against Washington.

Aside from rookie mistakes the quarterbacks on the purple team did not look too shabby either. Garrett displayed his accuracy as well as his cannon of an arm and Shepard dazzled the crowd with his speed while also showing the LSU fans he could throw the ball too.

As a whole I was proud of all of them, but with the game basically being divided into veterans versus rookies it was difficult to get a clear reading on the team as a unit. I’m still not sure why coach Les Miles decided to do it that way, but I guess that’s for him to know and for me to not worry about.

With that said, I thought Charles Scott ran like a beast and if it were up to him he would of called run on every play. He’d probably still be running. That’s how easy it looked for him out there. He averaged 6.4 yards per touch on 11 carries with two touchdowns.

It’s safe to say LSU’s offense will not be the problem this year, but the defense on the other hand looked to still be a work in progress, especially in the secondary.

The defensive backfield allowed two quarterbacks that were in high school just a few months ago to complete 15 of 26 passes for 119 yards. I know they each threw an interception, but that was expected not only because of their inexperience, but also because the purple team had little to no run game.

Obviously it is a success when you toss a shutout, but you can’t always judge a book by its cover. I think the secondary is the unit LSU fans should keep an eye on this season.

—

Aside from spring football, LSU fans landed another treat over the weekend as the Tigers picked up its 8th commitment for the Class of 2010 on Sunday afternoon.

Klein Oak High School product Luke Muncie (6′2, 220, 4.6) decided to pull the trigger after watching the Tigers in action on Saturday. Muncie chose the Tigers over the likes of Michigan, Arizona, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and many others.

As a junior, he recorded 80 tackles, 4 interceptions, and forced three fumbles. Muncie is projected to play linebacker at the next level.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (4.15)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Coach Les Miles and his staff produced a strong surge straight out of the gate for the Class of 2010 as the Tigers landed four verbal commitments within a single weekend from prospects Mike Davis, Tharold Simon, Brandon Worle, and Nick Jacobs. The just a few days later the Tigers added a fifth verbal pledge from D.J. Welter before finishing out the month of March with a commitment from Eric Reid which came on March 19th.

Nearly a month later, the commitment trend continued as Fort Scott Community College (KS) product Jemarcus Hardrick announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Tuesday evening just hours after receiving a LSU offer. Hardrick also possessed offers from universities such as Arkansas, Ole Miss, Nebraska, South Florida and Southern Mississippi.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive lineman played his high school ball at South Panola High School (MS) where he started all 10 games of his senior season before enrolling at Fort Scott C.C. in the Fall of 2008. The big, long-armed hog-molly intends on graduating this coming December and enrolling at LSU in the spring of next year.

Hardrick’s commitment marked number seven for the Class of 2010 as well as LSU’s second commitment from Fort Scott C.C. in consecutive years. Last year the Tigers added punting phenom Derek Helton.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (4.13)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

LSU may soon be in the hunt for another football/track and field star. Earlier this year I spoke to Lancaster High School product Tyler Stephenson (6-0, 175, 4.38) and right away I could tell he was as serious about track as he was about football.
　
During our conversations, most of the recruits I have spoken to over the years mentioned how they ran track, but none really stressed it. Stephenson on the other hand always made it a vocal point and rightfully so.

Last year, he finished first at the AAU National Meet and third at the USA Nationals with a time of 14.04 in the 110 meter hurdles. Then just a few weeks ago, Stephenson admitted how he was nervous about competing in a bigger meet being held at Texas Southern University. He said around his hometown he was expected to win, but at TSU there would be much more competition.

He was anxious to see how he was going to hold up. His nerves were put to rest as he placed second in that meet with a time of 14.41 in the 110 meter hurdles. The very next week, at the Dallas Carter Relays, he took home 1st place honors in the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.06. That meet served as the set-up for what would be Stephenson’s best time yet.
　
Last weekend at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Stephenson proved to everyone in attendance, including LSU’s track coach, he could flat out fly.
　
“During the Texas Relays, my coach was talking to the LSU track coach about me,” Stephenson informed. “I sent my film (football) to LSU so hopefully I’ll hear back from them.
　
“He saw us run and we did really good too,” Stephenson added. “I placed 2nd in the 110m Hurdles with a time of 13.8. It was the second fastest time in the nation at the high school level.”
　
To put Stephenson’s speed into perspective, LSU, 110 meter-hurdler, Barrett Nugent, placed fifth in the 110meter hurdle event with a time of 13.84.
　
The LSU track team was on hand at Mike A. Myers Stadium because the venue served as host for both colleges and high schools. The Lady Tigers finished first in the 4×400-meter relay with a time of 3:31.81. It was also their season’s best time.
　
The LSU men entered the meet with a five-meet winning streak in the 4×100meter relay. However, their win-streak came to an end as they placed 3rd. However, their streak in itself was a record because no other program had ever won more the four straight in that event.
　
College coaches have taken notice off of the track as well as Stephenson currently holds double-digit offers in football. Universities such as Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Utah, North Carolina, and TCU are just a few of the programs that have extended the speedster an early offer. According to Stephenson, wherever he chooses, the coaches will have to respect his wishes to run track.
　
“Track is one of the biggest concerns I have when I talk to the college coaches,” Stephenson stated. “They all say it may interfere a little with spring practice, but they think it is a good thing. They said at least they would know I was being active and not just sitting around. None of them seemed to have a problem with it.”
　
While Stephenson is humbled by the number of early offers, he is hoping to land additional offers from universities that take as much pride on the track as they do on the gridiron.
　
“I hoping to get offers from places like LSU and Florida State as well,” Stephenson concluded. “Mainly because they are big in both football and in track. Other than that everyone is equal on my list right now.”

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (4.10)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

There are many negatives that have been talked about in the recruiting world over the past few years such as negative recruiting tactics used by collge coaches, biased prospect rankings on various recruiting websites, and primadonna attitudes shown by the recruits, etc. However, there have also been many good headlines including the many different avenues that are out there today for prospects to use to achieve much needed exposure.

Some spectators may consider exposure to be a given. After all, the prospects do play in front of large crowds on Friday nights and their games are mentioned in newspapers on Saturday mornings. While that may be true, and those are examples of exposure, often times that is not enough.

The business of recruiting in today’s world has grown so much that there are camps and combines offered by athletic merchandisers, recruiting websites, personal trainers, and former coaches throughout the country. There are even websites offered to recruits to serve as databases for college coaches to view. Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, Scout, O-D (Offense-Defense), Rivals, TigerRag.com, and NCSA (National Collegiate Scouting Association) are just a few of the many options today’s prospects have to gain exposure.

The best part about it is the majority of these options are free to the players and their families. All they have to do is either pick up the phone and tell their stories or arrive at the camp or combine and put on a show.

Sometimes attending and performing well at one of these combines could be the difference between getting offered or not. Some recruits may enter one of these events with a few offers, but then their performance raises their stock a little more granting them a few additional offers. These events can turn an unknown into a known and that is why attending these camps is a must for some of the lesser known recruits out there.

However, if their performance at the events does not grant additional offers, it will at the very least show the prospects where they stand amongst the pack of other recruits who are out there competing for the same offers. It will show them the areas they need to improve on in order to become one of the premier prospects.

One of the more popular camps is the Nike Combine. Nike will hold 17 combines this year from March 29-June 20 with the majority of them being open to anyone while some will be by invitation only. The Nike Combine is a little different than some of the others as it does not contain any football related drills. It is more about movement. The term SPARQ used by Nike stands for speed, power, agility, reaction, and quickness.

At this event data will be taken on various drills such as the 40-yard dash, the 20-yard shuttle, and the vertical jump.One of the best things about this combine is what Nike labeled as the “scratch rule”. If a camp participant does not like his time in a particular event then he can scratch it from his final results.

Nike offers another event called the Nike Football Training Camp. Unlike the Nike Combine/SPARQ camp, this one does contain football related drills separated by position, including one-on-one sessions. For a recruit to qualify for the Nike Football Training Camp they must either be recommended by their high school coach, issue a 5-minute video of themselves, or put up good numbers at the Nike Combine.

The reward for attending this combine is that the top performers’ stats and reports will be issued out to various Division-I football programs across the nation. And perhaps that will open a door that may have been once closed.

I could go on and on about other camps, combines, and recruiting options available to recruits today. The point is today’s recruits are very limited in the excuses they can use for not getting the exposure they desire. The options are obviously out there. It is on the players to use them.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (4.8)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

On the surface recruiting seems to be pretty simple. Most fans probably think coach Les Miles simply spots recruits on film or on the field, gets a hold of their phone numbers and addresses, contacts them, and the rest is history.

Miles probably wishes it were that easy.

The truth is, it is a very strict, guideline-driven process. Perhaps the easiest piece of the process is actually finding the recruits, with when, where, and how to contact them being the toughest.

Each year (Aug.1, 2008 - July 31, 2009) a NCAA football Division-1 recruiting calendar is issued out to collegiate coaches nation wide. The calendar contains the time frames coaches are allowed to either initiate contact or receive contact from recruits.

The most known day within the recruiting calendar is National Signing Day which occurs on the first Wednesday in February and for the Class of 2009 it fell on February 4th. February 4th was also the first day prospective recruits could sign a National Letter of intent with their chosen university.

National Signing Day is also inside of a time-frame labeled Dead Period. During Dead Period no in-person contact is permitted between coaches and recruits. For the Class of 2009 Dead Period(s) were from December 22-January 1, January 12-15, and again once more between February 2-5.

With the latest trend of early enrollment, coaches are obviously allowed to have contact with the early enrollees as long as they have either signed their letter of intent or have some kind of proof of enrollment such as Financial Aid documents. So Miles was allowed to have contact with Russell Shepard and co. during the January Dead Period.

Two days after Signing Day (February 6) began the time frame called Quiet Period and it lasts until April 14. During Quiet Period recruits are allowed to visit college campuses nation wide and it is the only form of in-person contact a coach can have with a recruit. The contact must be made on that coach’s campus only and not at another campus or neutral site. This is the majority of the reason why Miles elects to have camps and Junior Days during this time frame.

Between April 15 and May 31 is considered Evaluation Period. Coaches are given four weeks to visit high schools to evaluate prospective recruits both academically and athletically. However, the days that do not fall under the four week span for evaluation must abide by the Quiet Period guidelines. Also, if a coach performs both the academic and athletic evaluation at a recruits high school on the same day then only an academic evaluation will be charged to that university, therefore allowing another athletic evaluation on a separate day during the four week span.

June 1st then starts another Quiet Period which does not end until July 31. August 1st to November 29 was also considered to be a Quiet Period, but coaches were given 42 days between September, October, and November to evaluate recruits. The selected days chosen by the coaches must be put into writing and handed into the office of the Athletics Director. Coaches must be wise in their scheduling because they are only allowed one calendar day to visit a recruit at his high school.

From November 30th to January 31 coaches were issued six days of in-person off-campus contacts per recruit. However, a coach could not use more than one contact day on a single recruit within a week’s span. And as stated above the coaches had to be alert of the Quiet and Dead Periods during this time frame.

So as you can see there is more to recruiting than meets the eye. Miles and his staff must have to look at the recruiting calendar and its rules everyday and maybe even several times a day just to remember everything.

_________________________________________________________________________

Other recruiting news:

Cypress Ridge High School product Kevin Johnson (6′2, 180, 4.5) will likely reach double-digit offers by the end of the month. During last week’s interview with TigerRag.com Johnson claimed to possess just four offers (Baylor, Minnesota, Rice, and SMU). Since that time he has added another three (Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Northwestern).

UMS Wright Preparatory School product Sidney Jordan (6′3, 240, 4.57) has been tearing it up in track-and-field. Jordan was recently listed as Alabama’s No.1 high school discus thrower and recently proved he deserved the ranking. Last Monday the tight end broke the Lyon Newell meet record with a throw of 165-feet while falling just two-feet short of his school’s all-time record.

Then on Saturday Jordan followed that up with a first-place showing in the Meet of Champions. He defeated some of the nation’s top discus throwers with a throw of 164-feet.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (3.30)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

While attending Archbishop Hannan High School back in the mid-late 90’s I remember my principal, John Serio, saying when you get older people are going to ask you what school you attended and they will not mean college. They will be referring to high school.

He then added how most people prefer to wear their highschool senior rings rather than their college rings, or better yet some people only purchase their high school rings. He said our high school days would be the best days of our lives and we would make memories and friends that would last a lifetime.

For the most part, what Serio said was true. However, I was not a highly-touted football prospect either, so I do not know if what he said will be the same for Cypress Ridge High School products Russell Shepard, Kevin Johnson, and Hasan Lipscomb.

The three of them caused terror for opponents on the gridiron. It was like a three-headed monster while they were on offense. Lipscomb and Shepard finished their high school careers with a bang while Johnson, the underclassman, was right there with them.

Lipscomb ended the season with 1.046 yards on 140 carries (7.4YPC) and 15 touchdowns. Shepard, the nation’s No.1 prospect, finished with an amazing 3,796 yards of total offense including 47 touchdowns. Six-Hundred and ninety-six of Shepard’s passing yards went to Johnson as he hauled in 45 passes for a 15.47 yards per catch average.

Once the season concluded, Shepard elected to attend LSU and Lipscomb chose Minnesota while Johnson soaked up their experiences like a spunge. Johnson watched his buddy Shepard exit the hallways of Cypress Ridge early as he enrolled at LSU in January leaving him just a few final months with Lipscomb.

While Shepard and Lipscomb have focused their eyes on college, Johnson claimed they each have him included in their vision.

“They both talk to me about what their schools (Minnesota and LSU) have to offer,” Johnson explained. “I’m going to take something from the each of them. I learned a lot from watching them go through the (recruiting) process.

“I think it would be exciting to get to play with one of them again and I’m going to take into consideration what they said to me, Johnson added. “But my decision will come down to what I’m looking for in a school.”

As of today Johnson holds offers from Minnesota, Baylor, Rice, and SMU, with Oklahoma State likely being the fifth university to offer. And LSU is probably not far behind.

According to Johnson, making his college decision will not be a smooth transaction as Lipscomb and Shepard possess a persuasive nature.

“We’re all good friends,” Johnson admitted. “We always laughing and joking with each other. Russell is off at LSU now, but we talk every now and then and he tells me more about LSU.

“But I see Hasan everyday because he is still here in high school with me,” Johnson continued. “And everyday he has something new to say! He always has a joke or something. He is ready for me to commit to Minnesota right now!

With joking to the side, one of the most vital things Johnson learned from Shepard and Lipsomb throughout their entire recruiting process was the importance of academics.

“Now that football is over it is kind of hard on us because we do not have practice anymore so we have more free time on our hands,” Johnson concluded. “And eventhough we don’t have practice we make sure we are studying. We have to keep our grades up.”

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (3.27)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Recruiting today is not what it used to be 20 years ago.

Twenty years ago there were not any national recruiting web-sites, there was not a week long screening of practices for an upcoming high school all-star football game on ESPN, and there weren’t any recruiting message boards open for fans to bash prospective recruits.

While the technology may have been different, the fans were not. Fans will always be fans. Some are die-hard, some jump on and off of bandwagons, and some can take it or leave it. However, today’s problem appears to be the blending of the fan with the technology.

Some of the football/recruiting message boards I have come across should be rated ‘R’. Most have moderators that control some of the non-sense being typed, but sometimes the moderators cannot get to the ignorance fast enough.

One would think the fans typing the slurs and the profanity would be aware of the possibility that a prospective recruit/recruits or even coaches could be reading the board. However, they probably have a hard time believing that since so many players and coaches have gone on record denying they read newspapers, message boards, listen to sports-talk radio shows, or even watch ESPN.

Yeah, those are the same athletes that say they did not know they were putting steroids into their million-dollar bodies.

The truth is they do.

I know they do because over the years some have told me so. In fact, I spoke to one prospect for the Class of 2010 and he informed me he was not too happy about what he read on a particular LSU message board recently.

As we were concluding our interview, the recruit who asked to remain anonymous, brought it up to me. He said he didn’t appreciate what he was reading and what people were saying about him.

When I asked what was written about him this was his response.

“Just read the board and you’ll see it,” he said. “They are saying off-the-wall stuff about me. Some of them act like they know me and they don’t. They were saying that I’m conceited and stuff like that. I laugh at that stuff. That’s just more ammunition that I’ll take with me onto the field.”

To some, message board material may seem harmless, but in today’s world that could be the difference between LSU landing a recruit or not. It is something that should be taken seriously. So to the LSU fans out there think before you type because you never know who is reading it.

It reminded me of a line used in one of my favorite movies, “Carlito’s Way”.

Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) had just gotten out of prison and was trying to change his life so he elected to give a guy (Benny Blanco) a pass instead of whacking him. He was hesitant though because he didn’t know who would hear or see his kind gesture fearing his new-found kindness would be taken for a weakness.

After giving Blanco the pass Brigante nervously said, “The street is watchin’. She is watchin’ all the time” and the same goes for the streets along “The Internet Highway”. In the end, Blanco came back and murdered Brigante.

So LSU fans be careful of how you use your fingertips on that keyboard. They may just be lethal weapons that will one day be used against you.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (3.23)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

It was not the average Saturday spring practice in Baton Rouge this past weekend as there were a few of the nation’s top Class of 2010 prospects on hand including Justin Maclin (TN), Jackson Jeffcoat (TX), Lache Seastrunk (TX), and Demarco Cobbs (OK).

Maclin, a product of Ridgeway High School, is being recruited as an outside linebacker/ defensive end. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 225-pounds allows him to have that option as well as tight end.

(Maclin, photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

Last season he racked up 85 tackles and 19 sacks while earning All-Region honors. He holds offers from just about everyone including heavyweights such as LSU, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Maclin comes from an athletic bloodline too as his dad was an offensive guard and teammate of Larry Porter (LSU running backs coach) while playing for current LSU tight end coach Don Yanowsky at Memphis.

Jeffcoat (6′5, 235, 4.6) is another prospect that stems from athletic roots as he is the son of former Dallas Cowboys great Jim Jeffcoat. And like his dad he has NFL talent written all over him. Last season Jeffcoat recorded over 100 tackles (15 TFL), and nine sacks. The 5-Star prospect holds offers from likes of LSU, USC, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas including several others.

(Seastrunk jumps for ball, photo courtesy of BurntOrangenation.com)

The other Texas gem on hand was Seastrunk. While he is listed as a 4-Star prospect he is arguably worthy of a 5th star. Opposing teams feel threatened every time Seastrunk touches the ball because he possesses the capability of taking it to the house at any given time. Over the past two seasons, Seastrunk rushed for over 3,000 yards including 36 touchdowns. Like the previous two prospects mentioned, Seastrunk is also a stud when it comes to offers as he has a boatload. He holds offers from LSU, USC, Texas, Michigan, and many, many others.

Perhaps the most versatile of the bunch on hand was Cobbs as he does just about everything for his (Tulsa) Central High School team. While playing running back last season, Cobbs gained over 1,000 yards rushing on 113 carries including 15 touchdowns. At quarterback, he completed 55 of 115 pass attempts for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns. As a receiver he caught six passes for over 200 yards including another score. He also added a couple of returns on special teams for scores as well.

He is being recruited by LSU as a quarterback and as a receiver with the possibility of playing strong safety as well. And as expected, he possesses offers from everyone as well including LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, etc.

(#1 Cobbs, photo courtesy of SportingNews.com)

There were several reports that each of them enjoyed their visit to Baton Rouge and all have LSU included at the top of their lists. The Tigers have as good a shot as anyone to land some of them, if not all of them.

However, LSU fans, as well as all college football fans know the rule, in the world of recruiting we do not start counting our chickens until they sign their names.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (3.20)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

It was only a few weeks ago, after LSU’s second Junior Day, that coach Les Miles and his staff landed five verbal commitments to the Class of 2010.

Nick Jacobs, Tharold Simon, Brandon Worle, Mike Davis, and D.J. Welter were the first to add their names to the list and yesterday Eric Reid (6′3, 200, 4.5) followed suit.

“It feels good,” Reid told TigerRag.com after committing to LSU. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I thought about it all day today at school and I decided I wanted to do it. I told my dad, but he wanted me to wait a little longer, but said he would support my decision.

“We went to LSU’s spring practice today and I told the coaches,” Reid added. “I wasn’t nervous or anything because I have been there so many times visiting that I’ve built up a good relationship with the coaches so I wasn’t nervous at all. Once I told them they were all excited and coach Miles said he was happy that I was now a part of their program.”

The Dutchtown High School product was the fourth in-state prospect to join the Tigers’ Class of 2010 and will likely not be the last. Reid, a 4-Star safety according to Rivals.com, recorded 50 tackles including four interceptions during his junior season while earning Class 5A All-State honors.

It appears coach Miles and his recruiting efforts have not missed a beat since last season. Early commitments are becoming a trend not only at LSU, but also at other universities across the nation. It is a trend that over the past couple of years has welcomed talks of an early signing period.

For example Texas already has a whopping 20 verbal commitments for the Class of 2010, Florida has eight, and Michigan has six to go along with LSU’s six and we are only in March! These prospects are still listed as juniors!

Not only are the quantity of early commitments staggering, but it is also the number of early scholarship offers programs are sending out. The entire world of recruiting is evolving before our eyes and it is only a matter of time before the National Signing Day is adjusted.

If college coaches continue to follow the trend of premature evaluation while sending out early scholarship offers and if the recruits continue to commit early then it is only fitting to have an earlier signing period.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (3.18)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Most high school athletic programs are fortunate to have maybe one or two dynamite athletes playing for one of their programs. St. Michael High School in Baton Rouge has three.

Class of 2010 members Jeremy Meyers (6-2, 205, 4.6), Nick Scelfo (6-4, 225, 4.7), and and Ryan Zeller (6-4, 270, 5.3) are all not only major Division-I college football prospects, but are also close to being as good in the other sports they participate in.

Meyers, a three sport Letterman, plays football, basketball, and baseball, Scelfo plays football and baseball, and Zeller plays football, basketball, and wrestles. Of the bunch Meyers is probably the most recognizable because he is the signal-caller, but Zeller, an offensive lineman, is the only prospect to currently possess an official offer (Louisiana Tech).

While the three of them participate in some of the same sports, their reasoning differs.

Meyers claimed he participates in baseball and basketball not only to stay in shape, but also because they were a part of his upbringing.

“I’m the quarterback and the punter for my team and sometimes I play free safety in prevent situations or when the defense really needs me,” Meyers said. “During my freshman year I played a lot of defensive back on the scout team. I thought it was fun being able to hit people. In basketball I play forward and guard. I’m like the utility guy because if two big men get into foul trouble they put me in to play down low. In baseball I play center field and a little third.

(Jeremy Meyers, photo courtesy of the Advocate)

“Football is the primary sport I’ll definitely do in college,” Meyers added. “Some guys play different sports to stay in shape, but I play them because I enjoy them. I’ve been playing them all of my life and I guess once I got to high school I wasn’t ready to give them up”.

Although Meyers may be getting the most recognition, Scelfo is probably the one of the three that has the best shot at playing two sports in college. He claimed to be as good at pitching as he is at playing tight end.

“Playing baseball keeps me somewhat in shape for when it comes time for spring football,” Scelfo explained. “I workout for football during PE class and the guys on the team that are not in baseball workout everyday after school. A good bit of the big time football players we rely on are also on the baseball team too though so I do not feel like I miss that much by playing baseball. We also get our work in for football whenever we get off-time from baseball during the season.

“Football and baseball were always my top two sports,” Scelfo admitted. “I think they’re toe-to-toe when I compare myself playing the two. I think I’m equally as good at each and I have a passion for the both of them.”

As admitted by Meyers and Scelfo, Zeller agreed playing other sports helps stay fit during the football off-season.

“I think football is definitely my best sport,” Zeller said. “I kind of just do the other two to stay in shape. Wrestling keeps me in really good shape and I’m glad I’m doing that.”

St. Michael finished last football season with a loss (28-7) in the first-round of the playoffs to LSU commit Michael Ford and his Leesville squad. Without question the fate of the Warriors’ 2009 season will be placed on the shoulders of the Dynamic-Trio. From the looks of things, those look like good shoulders to lean on.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Tuesday (3.17)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Playing major college football is not for everyone. Some guys have it and some guys don’t. Other guys have it and get in trouble or become lazy and watch it wash away. And for every one of those players there is also a player like Carmen-Ainsworth High School product Tremondae Branch.

Branch already possesses the size and the strength (6-2, 275) for the next level. In fact, he has enough of it that he could simply sit on it and coast into the next level as is.

However, for Branch that is not enough. He wants to take what he already has and double it. He is willing to sacrifice the blood, the sweat, and the tears to become better. He is willing to do whatever it takes and at all cost.

For starters Branch had to rehab for three months last season after tearing his meniscus. Not only did he rehab, but he bounced back bigger and stronger than ever. He lost over 23 pounds of bad weight putting him at 268 pounds while flipping it into muscle and a leaner look at 275 pounds.

He did it the right way too. There was no cream or needles used like so many of the Major League Baseball players. He did it through hard-work and dedication. Aside from playing basketball, running track, and working out with the football team, Branch also met with a personal trainer three times a week.

His trainer helped him work on vertical and lateral drills, the same ones used at the combines. And recently Branch added another notch to his regimen. He claimed to have spoken to a trainer on the Michigan staff who advised him to do some core exercises which would likely pay dividends at the next level.

And like a sponge, Branch soaked it up and got to work.

“I started a new workout,” Branch stated. “My dad and I met with a trainer from the University of Michigan and he showed us some different core exercises. They are like stabilization exercises that should help me during my games. I still do the basics like bench, squat, and power clean, but I’ve also been standing on one of those exercise balls.

“In some drills I stand on it with two feet or a kneel on it trying to keep my balance, without touching the ground,” Branch added. “It should help me on the defensive line. Usually if an offensive lineman turns you then you’re beat, but by doing these new exercises my body should learn to stabilize in a different way.”

Not only in the weight room, but Branch also challenged himself on the field. He claimed he wanted to get a read to see what level his game was at and he could not think of a better place to go then down south. He took his game to the Army All-American combine in San Antonio, Texas a couple of months ago and Branch was pleased with his progress.

Looking at NFL rosters and the forecast for the first-round of this year’s NFL draft it is clear that most of the talent reigns from the South. To be more specific, it comes from the South Eastern Conference. Although Branch is from Michigan, that is something even he cannot deny.

“That’s why I’d rather play football in the South,” Branch said. “Even though the northern schools have a lot of competition with big guys, I just think by playing in the South I’d have to work harder which would make me a better player and it would bring my game to a whole different level. That’s why I went to the Army All-American combine in San Antonio. I thought by going up against guys that were faster would let me know where I was at as a player. I did well and I felt good. I just think playing against guys like that would give me even more chances of becoming better.”

Nothing worth anything in this life comes easy and obviously Branch understands that. Right now it might seem like a bunch of hard work and without question it is. However, later on down the road the same work will be considered an investment. It is an investment any aspiring high school athlete should look into.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (3.13)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

In the world of recruiting, I am all for the recruits. In most circumstances I am on the player’s side. If they want to take one or 10 visits, I fully support them.

I feel it is extremely important for them to make certain they make the right decision in selecting a university. There is only one National Signing Day (NSD) a year and the decision made on that day will more than likely change their lives forever.

I also believe they should not extend their verbal commitment until they are 100-percent sure the school they are choosing is the right one. I believe their word is their word and they should stick to it. Their word is not something they should give out like sticks of chewing gum.

East (Wichita, Kan.) High School product Bryce Brown decided his Signing Day was to be delayed until mid- March as he was still uncertain of what college he wanted to attend. It seemed odd to me that after over a year’s time he was still unsure of his decision, but it is always better to be safe than sorry so I understood that part.

I also understood that although he had been verbally committed to Miami during that year’s time frame, the change in coaches along with the change in coaching philosophy also made Brown want to double-check his decision. So even that part made sense.

However, the one factor that did appear odd was Brown having an “adviser” or “handler”. I did not understand why that was needed. Thousands of kids are being recruited year in and year out and less than one-percent of them have a “handler” that speaks on their behalf.

(At left) Brian Butler is Bryce Brown’s adviser.

I could see maybe if Brown did not have a father or a guardian and he needed some advice, but not only is Brown’s dad active in his recruitment, Brown also has an older brother than is a member of the Miami Hurricanes football team. So to me an “adviser” was not needed.

With that said, just when I thought it could not get any more bizarre, Brown’s “adviser”, Brian Butler, issued a statement to Rivals.com stating Brown had one more obstacle to hurdle before he would announce his official decision on March 16th at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Butler claimed Brown will be doing a little fasting over the weekend in an attempt to form a closer relationship with God which in turn will hopefully send a message to Brown alerting him to select the correct school on Monday afternoon.

“It’s basically denying your flesh some of your habits, like eating, to try to let God work through you and to be able to be closer to him,” Butler said to Rivals.com. “It allows you to meditate and hear what he has to say, basically.

“When it comes to the Bible, what they try to tell you is really don’t promote when you’re doing it,” Butler added. “This is how we feel it helps you make a good decision, when you have an important one to make.”

In Brown’s case, Butler stated Brown would be participating in a liquid fast where his diet would be limited to protein shakes, water, etc.

I am not one to judge another’s spiritual beliefs. Believe me, I am no angel. However, from a realistic standpoint I do not think God cares what college Brown is going to attend.

I could see if Brown had a loved one dying and he was praying to God asking God to wait just one more day before ripping the soul out of his loved one’s chest. I think God might listen to that. I could also understand if Brown was fasting to show God his appreciation for giving him the gifts that granted him the opportunity that has been set before him.

But to me, using fasting as a guide to making a college decision is like using fasting to decide what toothpaste to buy at the grocery store. I don’t see anything spiritual about that.

(At left) Bryce Brown (Photo Courtesy of SI.com)

On top of that, if Brown and Butler truly believe fasting will guide Brown to a decision then why couldn’t have Brown fasted the weekend before NSD and signed his name on NSD like nearly every other recruit in the Class of 2009?

Finally, what was the point of graduating early from high school if he had no intention of enrolling early in college? That part is also a little confusing to me. That is why I believe there is more to this story than what is being said.

Regardless though, I wish Brown the best of luck on Monday and I hope he selects a program for the right reasons. I also hope he selects the school that is best suited for him and not for his dad, his “adviser”, or his brother.

When it comes down to it, Brown’s decision is no different than any other recruit whether they are un-ranked or a five-Star prospect. Brown needs to do what is best for him, and him only.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (3.9)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

In the world of recruiting if the biggest decision for a prospect to make is selecting the school, then not far behind, in second place on the difficulty chart is the timing of the decision.

When is the best time to make the announcement?

Some seem to think it is easier to decide before their senior seasons because they believe it will not make their recruiting campaign as stressful. They feel the questioning from the fans, the media, and the coaches will not be as rampant as compared to waiting it out. For the most part that is true, but not completely.

They also believe an early commitment will eliminate any distractions from their senior seasons.

Notre Dame High School product D.J. Welter is a prime example of this approach as he committed to LSU last Tuesday. Not only did Welter want to be able to focus solely on his final season, but he simply knew in his heart there was no other option outside of the Tigers.

D.J. Welter

“All of my life, since I was a little kid I watched a lot of teams play, but LSU was the main one I pulled for,” Welter stated. “I pretty much grew up there around LSU. I was always a Tiger fan. The facilities are beautiful and everything is just amazing. I guess I committed early not only because I knew that was where I wanted to go, but also because now I can take my mind off of that stuff and focus on my senior season”.

Others elect to take as many visits as possible to avoid any second guessing when it comes time to sign their name. And who could argue with that? After all, it was the player who shed the blood, the sweat, and the tears to put himself in the position he is in, so why not shop around?

LSU hopefuls Jordan Allen and Trovon Reed fit that description.

“I heard about the guys that committed and I’m glad they made their decisions,” Allen stated after LSU’s second Junior Day. “It’s a little early for me though. I don’t want to commit this early. I’ve only been to LSU and I still want to see what other places have to offer.”

Jordan Allen

“I think it’s cool that I have offers already, but I think I’m probably going to wait it out before I make my decision,” Reed claimed. “I know it will be a decision of a lifetime for me and I do not want to mess it up.”

And then there are the guys such as Bryce Brown who take their recruitment past National Signing Day. These are the players that are usually misunderstood.

Most people cannot not fathom why after a year or so of going through the recruiting process that players such as these still do not know where they want to attend college. And while that is understandable, the point is, it is still the player’s decision.

As Reed stated, it is his one chance to make a decision of a lifetime. It is a decision that will very likely change his life forever. And if he has a choice, then why rush it?

If the NCAA allows prospects the benefit of taking their recruitment past National Signing Day and if college coaches continue to pursue the prospect, then who can blame the kid?

The bottom line is, it is the players decision. And in the case of a Reed, the timing really is not the issue as far as LSU fans are concerned. It is more about the location. If he would elect to play out of state, many LSU fans would never forgive him whether he announced in June or on National Signing Day.

With that said, if a prospect like Brown would elect to come to LSU after waiting over a year to decide LSU fans would forgive him and welcome him with open arms. And that goes not only for LSU, but any state school from around the country.

What often gets over looked is the player. It does not matter what the fans, his family, coaches, or friends want. And it does not matter when he decides to make his decision. All that matters is he does what is best for him, his life, and his future.

Lord knows, he is not going to get a second chance.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (3.4)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

After LSU signed its 24 players on National Signing Day in February and after Janzen Jackson made his decision known the following day it seemed like that was it for the Class of 2009. It was signed, sealed, and delivered.

It seemed like an appropriate time for LSU fans to shift their attention towards the Class of 2010, but this past weekend made it difficult to do so. Even with four prospects (Nick Jacobs, Brandon Worle, Tharold Simon, and Mike Davis) committing over the weekend and D.J Welter committing on Tuesday, the Bryce Brown circus still managed to still the show.

Not because he is a part of the Class of 2010, but because he is in the Class of 2009! Aside from that, Rivals.com has him listed as the nation’s number-one prospect and Brown used his fifth and final official visit to Baton Rouge this past weekend.

Everything out of the Brown camp sounded positive for the Tigers.

“LSU is high on his list now,” Brian Butler (Brown’s adviser) told the Shreveport Times. “Bryce had a great visit to LSU. It was phenomenal. He loved it. LSU is definitely a contender.”

LSU is contending against the likes of Miami, Oregon, Kansas State, Tennessee, and USC. And although Brown no longer has any official visits remaining, Butler claimed Brown still intends on taking an unofficial visit to Miami before making his official announcement on March 16.

(Bryce Brown, Photo courtesy of SI.com)

Brown has been verbally committed to Miami for over a year now which has many people confused to why he has not signed with the Hurricanes yet. One of the factors rumored to be behind Brown’s delay is the change in offensive coordinators. It has been said that Brown and coach Mark Whipple do not see eye to eye.

The same cannot be said for Brown and LSU’s running back coach Larry Porter. On the www.potentialplayers.com website Brown stated, “I liked how they were planning to use me. (LSU running backs) coach (Larry) Porter was real cool and I see why he’s considered one of the top running back coaches and recruiters in football.”

A signature from Brown to the Tigers would hands down make it not only one of the most memorable/dramatized classes in LSU football history, but also one of the greatest (from a high school prospect point of view).

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (3.2)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

It did not take long for coach Les Miles and his staff to get the Class of 2010 going. With National Signing Day for the Class of 2009 just finishing less than a month ago, Miles has already added four names to the Class of 2010.

Three of which were added on Saturday afternoon as Nick Jacobs, Tharold Simon, and Mike Davis extended Miles their verbal pledges.

Jacobs is a tight end out of Many High School. He is a big tight end standing at 6-foot-5 240 pounds with the speed (4.8) needed to stretch the field.

(Nick Jacobs)

Jacobs was a First Team All-District selection as a junior while serving as a tight end and defensive end for his team.

Like Jacobs, Simon also has a nice frame that will make it difficult for opponents to defend. Simon stands at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds and has good speed (4.5) to go along with it. Before committing to LSU, Simon also held offers from Texas A&M and Tulsa. Last year while playing defensive back Simon racked up 75 tackles and five interceptions. On offense he caught 22 passes for 340 yards including five touchdowns. While Simon possesses the build to play on either side of the ball, he will likely be a receiver for the Tigers.

Davis may have been the biggest surprise of the weekend. With Davis not only reigning from Texas, but also possessing offers from just about every major university, his verbal pledge was not expected to come so soon.

(Above right) Mike Davis (Photo courtesy of Dallas News)

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound shifty wide-out held offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Florida, Stanford, California, and many others. The Skyline High School product tallied 58 receptions for 1,138 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

And perhaps the most important pledge of the weekend came from Brandon Worle as the Tigers were in desperate need of a true fullback. And without question Worle fit the bill. The Troup County High School product can not only block like a fullback, but can also move like a running back. He is listed at 6-foot-1, 243-pounds with 4.6 speed. He will be a good option late in games when opposing defenses are tired. Worle will be the last person they want to see carrying the rock.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (2.27)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Outside of the Dallas Cowboys locker room or around Alex Rodriguez in the batting cage there is perhaps no other place for better drama than in the world of high school recruiting.

Possibly the last segment of drama for LSU’s Class of 2009 will come to an end this weekend as East High School product Bryce Brown is expected to make an appearance in Baton Rouge today (Friday) for a visit.

The five-star running back has been verbally committed to the Miami Hurricanes for over a year now, but refused to sign his letter of intent on National Signing Day. Instead, Brown will make his decision official on March 16 at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita.

Whether or not Brown’s visit to LSU will be of the official or unofficial variety will be decided once the nation’s top back reaches the Baton Rouge. Brown will be escorted by his father Arthur Brown Sr. and his “adviser” Brian Butler.

Brown has already taken official visits to Clemson, Missouri, Tennessee, and Oregon. If he spends his final official visit to LSU than a trip to South Beach would have to come out of his pocket and with the economy in the shape it is in it appears that would be a stretch.

On top of that, Brown Sr. announced earlier in the week the Miami trip might have to be canceled due to a recent “death in the family”.

“We just had a death in the family,” Brown stated to Rivals.com. “My whole intention was to take this visit this week (to LSU), then when Bryce comes back he would fly to Miami Tuesday for an unofficial visit. With everything that’s going on and the funeral arrangements that are being made, I’m not sure even if that’s going to be possible.”

Heading into his pilgrimage to Louisiana, Brown admitted to being torn between the Hurricanes, Oregon, LSU, USC, Kansas State, and Tennessee.

With drama to the side, there is no denying Brown would be significant addition to any of those programs.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (2.20)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III
Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Nearly all of the Class of 2009 prospects have already signed their letters of intent with the exception of a few. Perhaps the most highly regarded that has yet to sign is East High School product Bryce Brown (5-11, 210, 4.45).

For almost a year now Brown has been a verbal commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, but after a mediocre 2008 season by the Canes, the signings of premier running back Lamar Miller and new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple feelings have changed for the Kansas native.

In fact, the change in feelings was so great that the five-star running back elected to delay signing his letter of intent until March 16th.

Many believe the team to beat right now is really Oregon after Brown stated to Rivals.com, “At night when I go to sleep, I try to imagine myself at each school. When I think about Oregon, I go to sleep and I feel like that’s the place for me.”

(Bryce Brown)

If it is not the Ducks or the Canes then that leaves a bunch of schools, but USC and LSU would likely be the remaining contenders for Brown’s signature.

It was reported on PotentialPlayers.com that Brown will take an unofficial visit to Baton Rouge on February 27-28th and an official visit to Miami on March 3rd-5th.

LSU may be the dark-horse in the whole Brown debacle as Brown’s older brother and current Miami linebacker Arthur Brown was a heavy lean to the Tigers during the 2008 recruiting campaign. Ironically enough, it was the big brother who opened Brown’s eyes to the purple and gold.

“I don’t really know much about LSU other than what my brother (Arthur Brown) said when he went down there last year,” Brown explained to Rival’s.com. “LSU came in second to Miami on my brother’s list of colleges, and it was really, really hard for him to turn down. I don’t know much about it other than the things he told me about the game-day atmosphere.”

Brown also had this to say about the Tigers on potentialplayers.com, “LSU is sounding for real. They have some great linemen and they got Rueben Randle and Craig Loston. LSU is definitely in the running for my final visit.”

LSU’s Class of 2009 was already considered by some experts as the number-one rated class and a signature by Brown would likely change the votes of others. A signature by
Brown to LSU would grant the Tigers’ Class of 2009 not only the number-one running back in the nation, but also the number-one quarterback in Russell Shepard, the number-one safety in Craig Loston, and the number-one receiver in Rueben Randle.

Hands down that would be one of the greatest recruiting classes in college football history.

Looks can be deceiving though and that is what has some LSU fans in doubt. Many LSU fans as well as fans from other programs would rather if Brown elected to go elsewhere because some fear Brown’s signature would bring unwanted attention.

For example many despise the fact that Brown has an “advisor” (Brian Butler). Butler serves as the spokesman for the Brown camp. He interacts with the media, Brown’s family, and college coaches. His role in Brown’s recruitment is as big as anyone.

(Terrelle Pryor courtesy of SI.com)

That is a big turn-off for some fans because to them Brown comes off like he is bigger than the game or a team. He seems to carry himself as if he is Walter Payton and yet he has never played one down at the collegiate level much less in the NFL.

Others feel Brown’s delay in signing may also invite the NCAA to investigate the program he elects to attend because some teams may use desperate measures to gain the highly-touted prospect’s signature.

While those worries are legit, it is also understandable for Brown to want to double or even triple check his decision before he officially signs his name. And who could blame the kid. After all, it is a once-in-a-lifetime decision.

Brown’s recruiting process mirrors that of Terrelle Pryor’s from last year and the Buckeyes could not be any happier with the way things turned out. Luckily for Pryor, he matched the hype he carried with him to school at Ohio State and for Brown to save face he will have to do the same. Otherwise he will have to live with the can of worms he opened for the rest of his life.

Only time will tell.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (2.16)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

When watching a phenomenal play by a superior athlete, I’ve always heard someone use the phrase, “they make it look so easy”. And while I’ve always understood the phrase, I considered it to be more of a figure of speech than something that should be taken literally.

That was until I spoke to Lancaster High School product Quentin Hayes (6-1, 183, 4.4).

On Sunday evening Hayes informed me he picked up his first two scholarship offers from Tulsa and Baylor. After congratulating him I asked if he was surprised he received an offer because sometimes when a dream becomes a reality it is difficult to believe.

Quentin Hayes (#25 second from left in back row)

He admitted to being surprised for two reasons. The first reason was the timing of the offers. He thought they would come later on down the road. He figured he would pick one up during his senior season or somewhere close to that time frame. But it was his second reason that took me by surprise.

He said he always thought it would be harder to receive a scholarship offer than what it was. After hearing those words come out of Hayes’ mouth my immediate response was, “so you thought it was easy”. And Hayes responded, “Yeah, all you have to do is just play football”.

That is when it hit me that maybe, “they make it look so easy” because perhaps for the truly gifted ones it really is. I remember in my high school days while playing football for Archbishop Hannan High School I had to work hard for everything. Practices seemed like hell and I had to soak up every technique drill just to be able to compete.

Now maybe that was because I was 5-foot-8, 170-pounds and on the offensive line, but still it was no walk in the park even when going up against guys my size. So when Hayes worded it as “all you have to do is just play football”, I said yeah maybe it is easy for you because you have what they call a “gift”.

And without question he does.

Playing football comes to Hayes like sitting on the sofa and watching a game comes to us arm-chair quarterbacks. I mean how difficult is that?

So the next time you see Chris Paul almost break someones ankles on the hardwood, Larry Fitzgerald one-hand a touchdown reception, or Ken Griffey Jr. hit one out of the park without breaking a sweat remember “they make it look so easy” because for them it is.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (2.13)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

As expected on Tuesday afternoon it was announced Josh Henson was headed to Missouri. Henson spent four years at LSU coaching the tight ends and managing the Tigers’ recruiting efforts as the coordinator. Henson’s skills on the recruiting front was recognized nationally as LSU’s last four classes finished in the top-10 including last seasons as ESPN listed it as number-one.

It was a mystery to most as to how coach Les Miles was going to replace Henson, but on Thursday evening the question was answered. Don Yanowsky was named as the Tigers’ newest tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.

Yanowsky’s ability to haul in some of the nation’s best talent will probably be a work in progress, but his experience as a coach is undeniable and Miles confirmed that on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to have a coach of this caliber join our staff,” Miles said. “Don brings a great deal of experience on both sides of the ball to our staff as well as having experience in the area of special teams.”

Yanowsky started as an offensive guard at Toledo for two years before graduating in 1982. He then went on to coach for the next 20-plus years for eight different programs including Toledo, East Carolina, Utah, Memphis, Minnesota, Arkansas State, Duke, and Boston College. He has coached on both the offensive and defensive lines , served as a linebackers coach, special teams coach, and recruiting coordinator.

As an assistant at Boston College coaching the tight ends he coached Ryan Purvis to a All-ACC First Team selection. He also led the Eagles defensive special teams’ units to a top-20 ranking. At Duke he brought their kickoff return unit from being one of the nation’s worst to one of the best as the Devils improved from being ranked No. 113 to No. 21.

His networking between universities is what Miles believes will ultimately keep LSU amongst the nation’s top in recruiting.

“He’s a tremendous recruiter who has been involved in recruiting the Houston area all the way to Florida,” Miles claimed. “He’s a veteran in terms of recruiting battles and he’ll bring tremendous energy and innovation to the position of recruiting coordinator for us.”

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (2.11)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

For most of the programs and prospects around the country, the Class of 2009 ended last Wednesday on National Signing Day. For Wichita East High School product Bryce Brown (6′0, 210), signing day was just another day as he he announced his college decision will be made on March 12th instead.

Brown is listed by Rivals.com as the Nation’s overall top prospect and is regarded by many other recruiting analysts as the best high school recruit as well. The 5-star running back has been a verbal commitment to the University of Miami for a year now, and like Terrell Pryor elected to do last year before choosing the Buckeyes, Brown wants to reevaluate his recruitment a little longer.

Bryce Brown (Rivals.com)

“It’s obviously a big decision, and it’s an important decision not just for me but for my family as well,” Brown explained to Rival’s.com on February 10th. “I want to find a program that’s going to be committed to me for life and not just the three or four years that you are there. You want to be connected with good people because these are people you’re going to be associated with after you graduate. These will be your real friends when you graduate. You want to be around great people.”

One program included in Brown’s search is Tennessee. He will pay an official visit to the Volunteers this weekend and then spend his final visit on February 28th to a university that has yet to be determined. As of now, Brown is considering his final stop to be to either Miami (a place he’s visited several times unofficially), USC, or LSU.

LSU also happens to be a program Brown’s older brother and current Miami Hurricane linebacker Arthur Brown was very fond of last season. For Tigers’ fans, hopefully the feelings held by the elder Brown may be enough to get the younger Brown in Baton Rouge on February 28th.

“I don’t really know much about LSU other than what my brother said when he went down there last year,” Brown told Rival’s.com. “LSU came in second to Miami on my brother’s list of colleges, and it was really, really hard for him to turn down. I don’t know much about it other than the things he told me about the game-day atmosphere.”

However, as of today it appears Oregon may have taken a slight lead for Brown’s signature.

“At night when I go to sleep, I try to imagine myself at each school,” Brown said to Rival’s.com “When I think about Oregon, I go to sleep and I feel like that’s the place for me.”

A trip to Death Valley at the end of February could very way alter those feelings.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (2.9)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Last week there were many surprises surrounding Signing Day. A couple of which happened to land in the heart of Tiger Land as DeAngelo Benton and Janzen Jackson elected to go elsewhere. Although neither picked LSU, their situations were completely different.

Benton had been planning to attend LSU since 2007. Unfortunately the Bastrop High School product’s grades were always in question until last week. For the first time in years, Benton was eligible to take his game to the next level.

(Janzen Jackson)

Heading into Wednesday his eligibility for the Class of 2009 remained as a question mark to everyone except for those on the “inside”. It appeared as if coach Les Miles and his staff were going to surprise the rabid Tiger fans on signing day with Benton’s announcement which would have been the topping on the cake.

However, those plans were changed on Tuesday night after Rueben Randle’s father (Emmett Randle) made his feelings known on KNBB 97.7 FM radio show in Monroe. It was indirectly made clear Benton’s signature may have some kind of effect on Randles.

When it came time to sign on Wednesday, Benton surprisingly signed with Auburn, a team that had not entered the picture until just a few weeks ago. Shortly after Benton’s decision Randle signed with LSU.

On Wednesday evening wiith National Signing just about wrapped up, coach Miles held a press conference to dissect all of the signatures the Tigers had received thus far. When it came time for the media to unload questions to the headman, Miles was asked if Benton still possessed an offer from LSU prior to his signing with Auburn and Miles replied with a simple, “no.”

He was then asked if the revoking of the scholarship offer had anything to do with the Randle situation and Miles responded, “I have to be real honest with you, recruiting has its own view. And I’m not going to dispel or concern myself with how that all fits”. Then Miles followed his response with a “No.”

At that point it became obvious Benton picked Auburn because he had no other option.

On Thursday following the Benton-Randle fiasco, LSU received its second surprise as Jackson committed to Tennessee. The Barbe High School product’s decision sent many LSU fans up in flames as they were furious to hear the long-time LSU commit went back on his word.

And like a good dad would do, Lance Guidry (Jackson’s father) informed TigerBait.com why his son decided to go elsewhere.

Guidry explained how Jackson was hesitant to go back on his word because it meant a lot to him. From Guidry’s explanation, it seemed as if Jackson was willing to sacrifice his future to honor his word to the Tigers. But once again, as only a good mentor or father would do, Guidry painted the young Jackson the bigger picture.

“The way it went down, of course people are going to look at it like he pulled out in the end and he stabbed LSU in the back,” Guidry told TigerBait.com “But I said to him, ‘You know what Janz, you gotta do what’s in your heart because you’ve got one time in your life to make a decision for your future. You’ve got one time, because LSU’s going to recruit another Janzen Jackson next year and this will all be forgotten’.”

Guidry followed that with, “But you know, people are always going to see it (in terms) of LSU and winning the national championship. They’re not going to see it as what’s best for that kid.”

And to anyone with a kid, a brother, or a friend, Guidry’s explanation made sense.

The thing with high school recruiting, college athletics, and the professional level is it is a business, plain and simple. Was Miles decision to pull Benton’s offer any worse than Jackson’s late decision? The truth of the matter is neither were handled properly.

The two situations should set a good example for prospects coming up though. Recruits should always keep their options open to as many universities as possible until they sign their name to protect themselves from something like the Benton situation from happening to them.

My advice to upcoming recruits and coaches would be this, and I think it is a good policy and it is a policy some coaches have already attempted to follow.

Recruits should not offer their verbal commitment until they have taken all of their visits and have seen everything they believe they needed to see. Once the recruit feels satisfied and decides to give his verbal pledge to a particular school then he should not be allowed to take any other visits or have contact with other schools.

There would be no reason to, right?

However, if the recruit decides to continue taking visits then he should be informed he is risking having his offer revoked and the coaches should then continue to recruit other prospects at the desired position.

Obviously, that is easier said then done. In a perfect world it would not have to come to this and it shouldn’t. However, in this world, winning is all that matters.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (2.6)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

On Thursday morning Barbe High School product Janzen Jackson decided the University of Tennessee was the best place for him leaving LSU’s Class of 2009 nearly complete.

Of the 13 in-state prospects (including Rockey Duplessis) out of the 25 Coach Les Miles hauled in only one remains to be a question mark. Will Josh Johns’ signature be counted towards this class or the next?

During yesterday’s press conference Miles spoke highly of the Central High School product stating, “He’s tough and in my opinion is going to give us a great overview of the secondary”.

(Photo courtesy of The Daily Advertiser. Johns (No. 1) deflecting a pass versus Acadiana High School)

Then Miles added,”We expect he’ll have a great career”.

The high praise combined with Jackson’s de-commitment should allow Johns to participate alongside his fellow Class of 2009 members sooner rather than later.

While the Tigers missed out on Jackson as well as long time LSU commit Kenny Bell, they did manage to bring in 4-Star defensive end Sam Montgomery. Leading up to Montgomery’s National Signing Day decision many recruiting sites as well as myself considered Montgomery to be a long shot, but in the end the 6-foot-5, 260-pounder proved everyone wrong by signing his name with LSU.

(Sam Montgomery/Rivals.com)

Perhaps in many ways Montgomery’s decision evened the blow between the three prospects.

In the end LSU added 25 prospects (Louisiana-13, Texas-4, Georgia-2, Alabama-1, California-1, Kansas-1, Mississippi-1, South Carolina-1, and Tennessee-1) to its roster. Not only were nearly half of them from out-of-state, but five were USA Today All-Americans and four were Parade All-Americans.

Miles along with LSU proved they have made a name for themselves. Miles showed his doubters he could recruit as good, if not better than Nick Saban, while the Tigers proved they were not just some team from Louisiana. They are a program that is known and desired by some of the best high school prospects from coast-to-coast.

“We do what we can to control this state and we’ve done so very effectively during our tenure here,” Miles stated. “It’s always been our view that ‘in-state first’, but we offer national credentials with our academics; our school is well respected throughout the country, so we have great attraction to those surrounding states and those people that have proximity.”

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (2.4)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

LSU could not add another commitment to its current list of 24 (including Josh Johns and Barkevious Mingo) and it would still be regarded as a solid class.

However, that scenario is unlikely. Prior to Barkevious Mingo announcing he will be selecting LSU on National Signing Day I thought it was probable for LSU to add at least another two of the nation’s remaining top prospects. Now that Mingo has revealed his selection, I think LSU will add at least one more.

Below is a list of the prospects in question:

1. Rueben Randle WR

Schools of interest: LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma
My prediction: LSU

2. Sam Montgomery DE

Schools of interest: UNC, LSU, Tennessee
My prediction: UNC

3. Jarvis Jones LB

Schools of interest: Florida, LSU, Georgia, USC, Texas
My prediction: FLA

4. Darren Myles Jr. S

Schools of interest: Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, Ohio State
My prediction: Alabama

5. Xavier Su’a Filo OL

Schools of interest: Utah, USC, LSU, UCLA
My prediction: Utah

6. Kendall Kelly WR

Schools of interest: Alabama, LSU, Clemson
My prediction: Alabama

7. Trent Richardson RB

Schools of interest: Alabama, Florida, and LSU
My prediction: Alabama

Note: DeAngelo Benton WR (originally class of 2007)
Schools of interest: LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss
My prediction: LSU (if indeed he is eligible)

Surprise Picks: Darren Myles Jr. and/or Kendall Kelly

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (1.30)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Obviously one of the most important factors in landing a scholarship to play football for a major Division-1 program is having the skills to perform on the field with the ability to get it done in the classroom as well.

However, one of the most important factors that often gets over looked and not mentioned in the mainstream media, conversations with friends at work or at the games is a recruit’s background. Where is he from, how did he get to where he is. How important is football to him and what type of character does he possess.

It seems like the only time a player’s character is mentioned is when he is at a strip club or a bar at two o’clock in the morning either emptying his clip or dodging bullets himself.

Over the past couple of years of covering recruiting for LSU, I’ve come across a few recruits that revealed their living environments and real life testimonies during our conversations. They expressed why football and the opportunity set before them was so vital not only to them, but to their families as well. For them, football was more than a game. It was a way out.

It made me admire their courage and their determination to not be another statistic. Some of these kids are given every opportunity to give up. Some would even have valid excuses for not making it, but to them excuses are for losers and they are in it to win.

Although the recruiting class for 2010 has not even begun to heat up, I have already come across one of those special players. His name is Kevin Nelson and he plays linebacker for Gainesville (Fla.) High School.

While Nelson resides in Florida, you will not find Mickey Mouse roaming the streets of his neighborhood. There are no fairytales on his block. However, Nelson may be what is needed to prove to the underclassman at his high school and to the kids in his community with a little hard work anything is possible. And if you stay determined and keep fighting through the hard times, dreams do come true.

Nelson is on the verge of achieving one of his childhood dreams within the next week as he is set to visit the University of Florida for its Junior Day over the weekend. He believes his first Division-1 scholarship may be there waiting for him.

“I might have an offer from Florida and Arkansas after National Signing Day,” Nelson claimed. “I was supposed to meet with coach [Urban] Meyer today, but we had to re-schedule because I think he still has some more work to do for the class of 2009.

“No one has told me they were going to offer me, it is just a feeling I have,” Nelson added. “Just by listening to what my coach has been telling me lately, I guess I can read through subliminal messages. It feels good.”

Nelson’s pursuit of achieving his dream started years ago as he was sitting in front of the television.

“I grew up playing basketball,” Nelson explained. “That was my first love. In fact, I didn’t really get into football until my freshman year of high school. After playing for a little while I thought wow, I might have a future in this.

“I’d watch college football games on television and it motivated me because I thought maybe that could be me playing on Saturdays in front of the whole country. So I started running and working out on my own just trying to become the best.”

Nelson’s relentless workout habits paid off for him last season as he racked up 125 tackles (10 TFL) and two sacks. But it was during his sophomore season in which he received his first letter.

“The first letter I ever received was from LSU,” Nelson explained. “I think I got it during like the third week of my sophomore season. I got it at school and I was like wow! I didn’t want to open it at school though so I waited until I got home and once I opened it at home I almost started crying. I was finally seeing that my hard work was starting to payoff.”

LSU also happened to be one of the three schools Nelson had his eyes set on with the other two being Miami and Florida. His admiration for those three programs came as no coincidence. He saw something in them he believed no other programs possessed. It was something he could relate to.

“Some teams have OK players,” Nelson explained. “And some teams or schools have students that make good grades and they see it as their way out. But I’m just OK in class (2.7 GPA). I want to go to a school where the players aren’t ever going to quit because football is the only thing they have. That’s how I am. I look at football as the only thing I have that will get me out of the predicament I am in.

“The type of players that go to LSU, Miami, and Florida are big, tough, and rugged,” Nelson continued. “They have that Pit Bull in them, that dog in them! They’re the type of players that will hit you and knock you to the ground and then laugh in your face. They will let you know they’re going to be in your face all game long for four quarters.”

His longing and ambition to get the opportunity to suit up for one of those teams some day has opened his eyes to the truth. According to Nelson, the beginning of the recruiting process revealed to him taking the easy way out was not the answer.

“Everyday it seems like I’m realizing more and more what’s important,” Nelson admitted. “I can tell that some of the guys I go to school with are different from me even though we come from the same background. And I’m not going to let where I come from hold me down and stop me from achieving my dream.

“Those guys don’t like to read,” Nelson concluded. “Well I like to read. Those guys don’t go to class, I go to class. And some of those guys even sell drugs and I don’t. I feel like I’ve set my priorities straight in order to become a man. And by doing that I believe once I step foot on campus somewhere I’ll already be ahead of the game.”

—

There has been a buzz in the air for quite some time about Bastrop wide receiver Rueben Randle. The nation’s top-rated wideout is expected to make his announcement next Wednesday, choosing between LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Miami.

But the “other” Bastrop wide receiver has been in the news lately.

DeAngelo Benton was originally part of LSU’s 2007 signing class. However, he wasn’t academically eligible to report to LSU and the highly-regarded wide receiver has spent the last two years trying to get his academic affairs in order.

It seems all that remains between Benton and college football is a ruling by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Benton,who is set to visit LSU this weekend, is ready to sign a letter of intent on Wednesday. Will he stand by his prior commitment and choose the Tigers?

It seems likely he will.

In other news from Bastrop, while most people are on the edge of their seats waiting for Randle and Benton to make up their mind, Rams defensive tackle Josh Downs is firm on his LSU pledge.

—

It seems LSU has weathered the storm of the possibility of losing Lake Charles cornerback Janzen Jackson to Tennessee.

It was rumored he might switch his pledge should his dad, McNeese assistant coach Lance Guidry, get a job on coach Lane Kiffin’s staff. Guidry never interviewed for the job and Jackson stayed put for the time being.

Now, the Tigers wait once again.

Jackson will visit the University of Alabama this weekend. You can bet Nick Saban will looking to put the hard sell on Jackson when he visits Tuscaloosa.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (1.26)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Baton Rouge was a bit busier over the weekend as several football prospects took in their official visits for the first time.

However, it was not the first time on campus for many of the committed prospects. For them it was an opportunity to see the academics side of the university as well as to possibly persuade some of the visitors who were still deciding on whether LSU fit their needs or not.

It is still unclear if their needs were met as no one publicly committed, but according to LSU commit Chris Faulk some of the visitors were feeling the pressure, from his end anyway.

“I was talking to Trent Richardson and Rueben Randle trying to get them to come here (LSU),” Faulk stated. “It looked like they were having a good time, but it is still the same thing with them. They’re undecided and waiting until Signing Day to make their decisions.

“I also talked to Bennie Logan and Sam Montgomery,” Faulk added. “Bennie was quieter than Rueben! And Sam was like another Chris Davenport. He’ll talk to anybody.”

Another commitment who was sure to make his presence felt over the weekend was none other than Russell Shepard. Shepard has been one of the masterminds behind the Tigers class of 2009 and there was no way he was going to miss out on the opportunity set before him.

Trent Richardson has become familiar with Shepard over the course of the recruiting campaign. They even participated in the Under Armour Bowl together. Throughout the process Shepard was constantly reminding Richardson why LSU was the place for him.

That was then, this is now and Richardson could tell the difference.

“Russell stayed on me the entire time,” Richardson explained. “There were times he’d be telling me why I should go there, but then there were other times where we’d be joking around. He knew his limit and I respect him for that.

“He drew up formations and was telling me who would be on the field at the same time and how it would be hard for anyone to stop us,” Richardson continued. “It was something that caught my attention and something I am really going to have to think about. As of now I do not know what I am going to do. I’ll decide on Signing Day.”

Only time will tell just how big of impact this weekend had on the Tigers’ class of 2009 as it is set to receive letters of intent on February 4th. The worst case scenario would be for LSU to finish with the 20-21 verbal commitments it currently possesses which would probably land them a top five finish.

On the other hand, if LSU were to pick up a couple of the visitors in question it would not only secure the top spot for this year‘s recruiting class, but arguably the best class in LSU football history.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (1.23)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Outside of a game day, this weekend looks to be one of the year’s biggest for the future of LSU football. As many as 14 class of 2009 recruits are expected to make an appearance on the Tigers’ campus as well as the few that have already enrolled.

Seven of which have already given their verbal pledges to coach Les Miles so the goal of their visit will be to get a better feel for the university as well as to possibly persuade some of the other undecided visitors into adding their names to LSU’s class of 2009.

The most talked about visitor of the weekend will undoubtedly be Rival.com’s number-two ranked prospect Rueben Randle. Being that Randle reigns from the Bayou State makes his commitment to the Tigers even more vital. Coach Miles would hate to lose one of his own to the likes of Oklahoma or even worse, a bitter rival such as Alabama.

Randle will not be the only highly-rated prospect on hand who has yet to make a decision, however. Alabama commit Trent Richardson, receiver Kendall Kelly, linebacker Jarvis Jones, and defensive end Sam Montgomery will be taking in their official visits as well.

At one time Montgomery listed LSU as his favorite, but a visit to Ann Arbor a little over a week ago even things up between Michigan, LSU, North Carolina, Oregon, and Tennessee. Montgomery claims he will not name a favorite until all of his visits are taken.

Hopefully his visit to Death Valley will leave a lasting impression.

Although Richardson extended his verbal pledge to the Crimson Tide, he still claims to be sincerely
interested in the Tigers. A part of me wants to believe Richardson in his words because the 5-Star
running back has taken plenty of pilgrimages to Baton Rouge and if he continues to make trips that must mean something.

However, even with all of the travel miles under his belt, I still consider him to be a long shot.

Many consider Jones to be leaning towards the Gators, but I really believe a good sit-down talk with
linebacker guru John Chavis could increase the Tigers chances of landing the 6-foot-3, 220-pound man-child.

A signature from Jones would change the image of LSU’s recruiting class. Jones is a mirror image of what Russell Shepard brings to the offense, only he delivers it on the defensive side of the ball. Being
able to possibly add Shepard and Jones to this class would make this year‘s class hands-down the one to remember.

The sleeper of all of the visitors may be 4-Star receiver Kendall Kelly. For a while it appeared Kelly
was a lock to Alabama, but perhaps the idea of he and Randle spreading the field together at LSU could open his eyes to a different kind of opportunity.

It is always good to go into battle having the numbers on your side. LSU will enter the final round of the 2009 recruiting battle with plenty of commitments preaching the Tigers’ gospel and possibly making the undecided visitors an offer they cannot refuse.

***

Wednesday (1.21)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Even though the class of 2009 is still up for grabs, that does not mean it is too early to begin taking a look at the class of 2010.

The thought of high school teammates or family members wanting to play together at the collegiate level was a common topic for the class of 2009 as Craig Loston elected to follow his cousin Russell Shepard to LSU and Seminole High School teammates Ray Ray Armstrong and Dyron Dye agreed to team up for the next four years at Miami.

It appears the same idea is on the minds of two of LSU’s class of 2010 prospects. Thibodaux High School product Trovon Reed and his cousin Lache Seastrunk (Temple H.S, TX.) have openly stated playing together in college is a good possibility.

“Yeah, that is something we’d like to do,” Reed commented on playing with his cousin in college. “I think it would be great! Teams wouldn’t know how to cover us because we’d have Lache coming out of the backfield and then I’d be at wide-out. We’re going to try to do it.”

By looking at their junior numbers it is difficult to argue against Reed’s claim. Last season Seastrunk tallied 1,403 yards rushing while scoring 14 touchdowns and Reed passed for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns, rushed for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns, and racked up 344 yards receiving with another score.

When Seastrunk was asked to comment on Reed’s claim, Seastrunk responded, “That’s my brother! If we were on the same team in college, defenses would have to play honest against us. It would be great to play with him.”

As of now Seastrunk holds a few more official offers than Reed, but it is more than likely the pair of four-star athletes will each get to hand pick the university of their choosing when it is all said and done.

If they stick to their plan, one lucky college team will undoubtedly be receiving a lethal one-two punch.

With National Signing Day just two weeks away, commitments are getting a little antsy.

The end of a long journey is rapidly approaching as a new one is set to begin. Rayville (La.) wide receiver Kenny Bell is pretty anxious to get his name on the dotted line.

“I’m ready to get it over with,” Bell said. “I thought if I committed early I wouldn’t have to worry about recruiting anymore. I’m just relieved that it is almost over. I won’t have people asking me if I’m still going to LSU anymore.”

Rumors began swirling a few months back when Bell seemed to re-open his options, including comments about a possible trip to Alabama. But the four-star wide receiver confirmed his intentions to sign with LSU on Feb. 4.

“I’ve been dreaming about playing in college since I was playing pee-wee football,” Bell said. “It has been a long time coming.”

—

The hoopla surrounding Bastrop (La.) wideout Rueben Randle never seems to stop.

Randle, the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver by Rivals.com, recently received a visit from Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. According to Randle’s father, the 6-4, 200-pound standout plans on visiting The Plains.

“He’s going to check out the school (Auburn) on Jan. 30,” Emmitt Randle said.

And speaking of Auburn, new coach Gene Chizik is making a late push for some of the nation’s top prospects. The first-year coach is hoping to make a late splash on the recruiting trail and hopefully cut into Alabama’s current stranglehold on in-state prospects.

—

The official word is in on Navasota, Texas running back Dexter Pratt.

Formerly an LSU pledge, Pratt was supposed to report for class at LSU when the spring semester began on Jan. 12. Word is he showed up, but he wasn’t academically eligible.

After a few days of confusion, Pratt returned home revoking his commitment to the Tigers. It now seems the Lone Star State standout is headed to Stillwater and will play for Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys.

—

There have been some minor rumblings that LSU tight end coach and recruiting coordinator Josh Henson might be interested in leaving the Tigers in search of greener pastures elsewhere.

It’d be a shame for Miles to lose Henson, who is widely considered one of the nation’s top recruiters. According to one poll, he ranks second in the nation among recruiting coordinators as Henson stands on the brink of reeling in the nation’s top-rated class in 2009.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (1.19)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Early on it appeared LSU was going to finish with the nation’s top recruiting class and possibly one of the best ever.

The class contained several verbal commitments from top-line prospects including Russell Shepard, Chris Davenport, and Michael Ford with hopes of adding finishing touches with in-state products such as Rueben Randle and Barkevious Mingo.

In between stages however, the Tigers suffered some de-commitments as Rantavious Wooten elected to go to Georgia and Willie Ferrell lost his connection with the university. Then last week five-Star defensive back Janzen Jackson’s status with LSU was declared a “soft verbal” with rumors of his father’s coaching career at Tennessee being unclear.

(Janzen Jackson)

The All-Star weekend did not help matters either as LSU hopefuls Andre Debose chose Florida and William Campbell elected to stick with Michigan.

As if that were not enough, Navasota High School product Dexter Pratt informed Rivals.com on Sunday evening he decided to officially de-commit from the Tigers and side with Oklahoma State instead.

Pratt’s decision came after his meltdown in Baton Rouge just a week earlier. Pratt arrived on campus at LSU last weekend expecting to enroll for the Spring semester before being told his status with the NCAA clearinghouse was under investigation due to an issue with an on-line class Pratt had taken.

A source close to the situation confirmed LSU had initially cleared Pratt to enroll at LSU, but once the clearinghouse received the paperwork it put a hold on any Pratt advancement. Therefore Pratt was to not be allowed to enroll until the matters were solved.

From there, with Pratt feeling rejected and confused, he returned home with a bitter taste in his mouth. He believed LSU could have handled the situation a little better while some of the administrators at LSU wished Pratt could have been a little more patient with the matter. Perhaps both sides had a valid argument.

Heading into Sunday night an LSU offer was still on the table for Pratt. Depending on the finalization of Pratt’s paperwork, it would have been possible for him to enroll either in the summer, the fall, or next Spring if he so desired.

Obviously the mix-up in Baton Rouge from last weekend remained fresh on Pratt’s mind as he elected to get a clean start at Oklahoma State.

Losing a talent in Pratt will undoubtedly hurt the Tigers’ class of 2009. Now it will be interesting to see how coach Les Miles and his staff handle the situation. Would they extend an offer to a running back like Christine Michael or will they stay on track with how things are as of now?

One thing is for sure, for LSU to keep the number-one spot they must land the majority of the top players remaining on its recruiting board. Keeping Janzen Jackson with the purple and gold would not hurt anything either.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (1.16)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Coach Les Miles and his staff have been on the hunt this recruiting season to add some additional support to the Tigers’ secondary.

And so far so good. Earlier in the recruiting campaign LSU landed verbal pledges from corner backs Janzen Jackson and Drayton Calhoun while adding safety Craig Loston just a couple of weeks ago.

It appeared the Tigers next target was going to be safety Darren Myles Jr., but on Thursday evening the LSU staff received a pleasant surprise as Central (La.) High School product Josh Johns informed the LSU coaches he wanted to suit up for the purple and gold.

(photo courtesy of Rivals.com)

Johns met with two of LSU’s newest staff members in defensive backs coach Ron Cooper and defensive coordinator John Chavis last Friday. After the meeting both the coaches and the 3-Star safety walked away impressed which is undoubtedly what led to Johns’ decision.

The only concern for now is whether Johns will be accepted as a member of the class of 2009 or will he be asked to gray-shirt until 2010 like Belle Chase High School product Rocky Duplesis was asked to do so last year.

Johns stands at 6-foot-2, 210-pounds and carries a 4.5 second 40-time proving that he possesses the size and the speed for the position and is not far away from being linebacker material if so desired. So perhaps the uncertainty of what role Johns will serve for the Tigers is the reasoning behind his recruiting class status.

Once the news broke of Johns’ commitment many of LSU’s Internet football message boards flared up. Many fans were excited to hear the news that one of Louisiana’s own elected to play for the Tigers while others were disappointed in the staff’s decision to offer a spot for Johns.

Some began questioning Johns’ skill level on the field as compared to some of the other players who were remaining on LSU’s recruiting board. Some thought maybe the Tigers staff was settling on Johns. That is hard to comprehend when Johns earned Class 5A All-State honors while recording 60 tackles and six interceptions.

After looking at coach Miles’ and Chavis’ track records in recruiting and player development that could not be any further from the truth.

It seems as if the coaches saw something in Johns that perhaps no one else did. For one, Johns was a die-hard LSU fan growing up and that could mean a lot for the LSU locker room. It is nice to have guys that can flat out fly to the football and jump out of the gym, but sometimes that does not do much for a team that is in search for leadership. And in college football, leadership is vital.

Johns appears to be the type of player that would give all of himself for the betterment of the team. In fact, Johns already has. He agreed to grayshirt if that was what it was going to take to become a Tiger. Many other recruits would have looked the other way.

Another trait the coaches may have discovered in Johns was his upside. Maybe they saw a player that was fundamentally sound, but with a little more coaching they believed had the ability to become a star. Maybe they viewed him as a “project”. Maybe they wanted to see how Johns would respond to some additional pounds of muscle landing him a spot at linebacker.

Regardless of what the coaches saw in Johns, it is obvious something caught their attention. The coaches could have easily went out and got another player or no one at all for that matter. The last time I checked, LSU was not exactly struggling in this year’s recruiting class.

Johns will be a player to keep an eye on and I am confident in time LSU fans will all be happy Josh Johns is a Tiger.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (1.14)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

To outsiders with National Signing Day approaching in three weeks it would appear college coaches could finally take a break from the recruiting scene. Coach Les Miles as well as every other collegiate coach wished it were that easy.

The LSU campus welcomed five early enrollees’ on Monday for the first day of the Spring semester. Russell Shepard, Drayton Calhoun, Chris Garrett, Kevin Minter, and Derek Helton are five of the members of the class of 2009 that will get a jump start on their college careers.

According to Murray Hollis getting an early start was the main reason his younger brother, (Kevin) Minter selected the Tigers over many other prestigious programs. The early start was to be not only in the classroom, but also on the field.

“We would bounce stuff off of each other as far as what we were looking at in a school,” Hollis claimed. “We would really pay attention to the depth charts because we wanted to see what program gave him the best shot at early playing time. That was something that was very important to Kevin.

“The LSU coaches told us Kevin would have a legit shot at playing right away,” Hollis continued. “We decided to check them out and we fell in love with LSU once we stepped on the campus.”

Minter arrived in Baton Rouge on Saturday morning and was as excited as ever to finally be living his childhood dream of being a NCAA student-athlete.

“I’m in Baton Rouge,” Minter informed TigerRag.com on Sunday evening. “Actually me, Russell (Shepard) and Drayton (Calhoun) are getting our books right now. We have class in the morning and I know I can’t be late!

“Yesterday we met with the tutors and some people from the study hall,” Minter added. “Russell and Drayton seem like cool guys and right now we’re just trying to get know each other better.”

And while coach Miles is pleased to have added a talent like Minter to the Tigers’ roster, it is important the headman does not become complacent if he wants to keep LSU atop of the rankings. After speaking with class of 2010 prospect Jordan Allen it proves recruiting for Miles never ends.

“I spoke to coach Miles from LSU right before the Ole Miss game this past season,” Allen explained. “One of the coaches said coach Miles wanted to talk to me and so I went and sat with him before they went out on the field. He said I have my eye on you and you have no choice, you are coming here.

“I was really surprised about that, especially hearing it from coach Miles,” Allen added with excitement. “When you always see someone on television you just don’t expect to hear that. I like LSU. I’ve never seen a better fan base from any other school. Just the roar of the crowd in Tiger Stadium alone, nothing compares to that.”

LSU’s class of 2009 is still considered to be the nation’s number-one class, but it will probably take an additional five-star talent such as a Rueben Randle to maintain the position. Regardless, Miles’ recruiting efforts are obvious to anyone in the recruiting world as Miles continues to grow his reputation as one of the best recruiters in college football.

It seems there is some shuffling the latest recruiting rankings. Rivals.com has made some last minute changes to its rankings of some of the nation’s top prospects.

The question that seems most baffling is, how can rankings change this late in the recruiting season when the players haven’t played a “real game” in over a month? But that is exactly the case as both Russell Shepard and Rueben Randle have dropped in the latest ratings.

—

Another player who fell in the latest rankings published by Rivals.com is running back Michael Ford.

The Leesville running back, who rushed for nearly 3,000 yards as senior for the Wampus Cats, fell to the No. 59th rated prospect by the national recruiting service. Ford, who was an early commitment to LSU, talked with TigerRag.com earlier this week and expressed some frustration with some of the national recruiting services.

After a brilliant career at Leesville, Ford got snubbed by the postseason all-star games, including the Under Armour Game in Orlando, an event he had hoped to attend.

“I was kind of mad I didn’t get to go to the Under Armour All-Star Game,” Ford said. “But I guess all things happen for a reason.

And as the recruiting season enters the 11th hour, a day hasn’t gone by without plenty of chatter about the nation’s top-ranked receiver, Bastrop’s Rueben Randle.

In an interview with Sean Fox of Fox and Co. on 97.7 FM (North Louisiana) earlier in the week, Randle said his choices will come down to LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Miami. The race was believed to be a shootout between the Tigers and the Tide. But Miami has been one of Randle’s favorites throughout the recruiting process and the Sooners got in late on the 6-4, 195-pound receiver.

But during that interview with Fox, Randle mentioned continue interest in - of all teams - the Ole Miss. This may come as shock to some, but Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt has visited Randle several times in Bastrop. And the growing possibility that former Bastrop quarterback Randall Mackey could end up in Oxford, makes this a possibility.

Mackey, who originally committed to Ole Miss, is currently lighting up the record books at East Mississippi Junior College. He is expected to play for the Rebels in the future and Randle would be a great target for him in Nutt’s spread offense attack.

At any rate, the race for Rueben continues. And according to the Mobile Press-Register, no one knows yet where Randle might go, but it will not be Auburn, says his dad.

One more thing on Randle: It’s amazing what might make a recruit fall in national player rankings.

It seems Randle lost his top spot in the Rivals.com rating system because he was hampered by a strained hamstring at the U.S. Army All-American Game. Even though, he had seven catch in the game, a minor injury cost him the nation’s No. 1 slot.

All one can say about that is “WOW!”

Wichita running back Bryce Brown is now ranked No. 1 as Randle falls to the second spot. Hopefully, Brown doesn’t sleep on his shoulder the wrong way, he might plummet to No. 5 should someone find out about it.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (1.12)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

There was a good turnout for the inaugural Sportsman’s Paradise Bowl which was held at St. Thomas More High School on Saturday afternoon. Beneath the sun-turned-cloudy skies several of LSU’s commitments/prospects made good showings.

The first score of the game came early in the first quarter as running back Michael Ford turned a 5-yard reception into a 78-yard touchdown after making precise cuts and avoiding several defenders. The Leesville product also added another score while rushing for 17 yards on seven carries which granted him offensive MVP honors.

“Everybody out there was doing their job,” Ford commented on his long touchdown reception. “Everybody was blocking for me on that play and I tried my best to get away from the defenders. It seemed like when I was running everything just kind of slowed down and I made my moves.”

Ford’s impressive run for the Red Saints proved to be the beginning of the end for the Blue Grizzlies as the Saints went on to win the contest 38-7.

(Michael Ford)

The route came as no surprise because the lineups between the teams appeared to be a little unbalanced. The Saints’ offense alone consisted of fullback Alex Singleton, Michael Ford and quarterback Blake Matherne.

The Red teams’ defense contained Tahj Jones, Darrington Sentimore, and Kenny Cain who was named defensive MVP after returning a fumble 60 yards and intercepting a pass late in the game.

Ford was not sure what the problem was for the Blue team.

“I think maybe we just practiced better than them,” Ford stated. “I guess my team clicked more. I’m not going to say anything about the lineups because it was them that picked the teams.”

While the Grizzlies were no where near as potent on offense as the Red team, they did have a few defensive stars. Mansfield High School product Chris Davenport towered over his Blue teammates as well as the Red team’s offensive line as he required a double team just about all game long.

Davenport may have been the only bright spot for the Blue team, however his good showing came prior to the opening kickoff. Davenport was asked to sing the National Anthem and the 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive lineman did not disappoint. He sounded like the next American Idol sensation.

As for special teams, the Red team dominated that area of the game as well. St. Thomas More product Tyler Listi stole the show. It seemed as if all of his kickoffs were nonreturnable as they repeatedly reached the back of the end zone. Listi also connected on a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter. It is rumored Listi will be a “preferred walk-on” at LSU for the class of 2009.

Overall it was nice to see so many talented players from the state of Louisiana playing on the same field at the same time. Hopefully next year the organizers will do a better job at balancing the teams.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (1.9)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Three of the nationally known high school football games took place last weekend as the Offense vs. Defense game was played in South Carolina on Friday, the U.S Army All- American game was played in San Antonio on Saturday and then the Under Armour Bowl capped off the weekend on Sunday night in Orlando.

Those events hosted some of the nation’s top talent as players such as Russell Shepard (TX), Chris Garrett (MS) Matt Barkley (CA), Bryce Brown (KS), and Rueben Randle (LA) headlined the games. Lafayette, Louisiana will host a similar venue this Saturday (1/10) at Cougar Field on the St. Thomas More High School campus at 1:00 p.m.

It will serve as the beginning of what should become a tradition within the Bayou State. Some of the state’s top high school seniors will be competing in the Sportsman’s Paradise Bowl. The game should not be mistaken for a second tier bowl game either as commitments from some of the nation’s top collegiate programs will be participating.

LSU commitments such as Chris Davenport, Lamin Barrow, Michael Ford, and Kenny Bell will be on hand as well as commitments to other programs. Future Texas A&M products Patrick Lewis and Michael Lamothe will be featured as well as Crimson Tide commit Darrington Sentimore.

Some players who will be playing at the next level, but are currently undecided will be making an appearance as well. Bennie Logan, Tahj Jones, Alex Singleton are a few of the many.

It should be an exciting event for the fans and a memorable one for Louisiana’s class of 2009.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (1.7)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Over the high school All-America Bowl game weekend LSU was expected to land at least three verbal commitments.

Craig Loston, William Campbell, and Andre Debose were all expected to give the Tigers a boost in the recruiting rankings, but unfortunately for LSU there was a change in plans.

Craig Loston stuck to his cousin’s (Russell Shepard) prediction as he committed to the Tigers on Friday afternoon at the Burger King High School All-America Skills Challenge at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. However, Saturday and five-star defensive tackle William Campbell were a different story.

(Craig Loston - Photo courtesy of Rivals.com)

After removing the Wolverines from his top three schools a week earlier, Campbell decided Michigan was indeed the best place for him as he selected the Wolverines as his college choice. The Cass-Technical High School product’s decision surprised not only the media and the LSU fans watching the game, but also a few of the current Tigers’ commitments as well.

“I figured he would be coming to LSU,” Chris Davenport stated regarding Campbell. “In the end though I guess he felt he made the best decision for himself. I was happy for him. As long as he does the right things on and off of the field he has the chance to make something out of himself. And so I can’t be mad at him for that.”

LSU’s top commitment Russell Shepard had this to say regarding Campbell.

“That’s just how it works sometimes,” Shepard claimed. “I think Campbell was really considering LSU, but Michigan was where his love was at.”

Sunday served the Tigers in the same fashion as Saturday as LSU suffered yet another letdown as Andre Debose placed a Florida Gators hat on his head symbolizing his commitment. For months it was rumored Debose was more than likely heading to LSU, but like Campbell he had other plans.

Shepard went on record claiming the Tigers would land one of the three Seminole High School recruits with it more than likely being Debose. And even after Debose’s announcement at the Under Armour game Shepard still claimed LSU to be in the mix for the five-star receiver’s signature.

“I wasn’t disappointed with Andre’s decision,” Shepard claimed. “Right after he made his announcement he came over to me and talked to me about it. I know he still plans on talking to coach Miles and I believe we are still in it for him. It is not over yet.”

Head Coach Urban Meyer and the Gators landed a couple of other commitments over the weekend with one coming from linebacker Jon Bostic. Shepard believes Bostic’s commitment may end up helping the Tigers in the end.

“I think by Bostic committing to Florida that may help us (LSU) with Jarvis Jones because I know he was considering them as well as us,” Shepard stated. “I also think we have a good shot at getting Darren Myles because I think he wants to play with Craig (Loston).”

The Tigers currently possess 21 verbal pledges and will more than likely land another four-five. Between now and National Signing Day (Feb. 4) coach Les Miles and his staff will be hosting five more official visitors.

Those visitors includes: Linebacker Tahj Jones - 1/16; Running back Trent Richardson - 1/23; Defensive back Janzen Jackson - 1/23; Defensive end Bennie Logan - 1/30; Linebacker Jarvis Jones - 1/30

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (1.5)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Outside of National Signing Day, this past weekend served as one of the two most popular days of the recruiting year.

The best-of-the best competed in the U.S Army All-American game on Saturday and then in the Under Armour All-America game on Sunday. The Army game was televised nationally on NBS while Under Armour was carried by ESPN.

For LSU fans, the big day came on Friday as five-star safety Craig Loston, the nation’s top-ranked safety, verbally committed to the Tigers during the Burger King High School All-America Skills Challenge at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Loston’s commitment marked the 21st on the year for LSU’s current class of 2009 and it looked as if the weekend was going to be a memorable one.

Indeed it Loston’s pledge was a memorable one, but perhaps for the wrong reasons; it was the only one of the weekend.

A few days prior to Saturday’s U.S Army All-American game, Cass Technical High School product William Campbell claimed to be down to three schools: LSU, Miami, and Florida State. The Detroit native had previously de-committed from Michigan and re-iterated his plans to go elsewhere in an article in the Detroit Free Press two weeks ago. Campbell’s decision was to comedown to those three schools during the game.

However, when it was Campbell’s turn at the microphone, there were three hats on the table bearing the logos of LSU, Miami, and… Michigan. It looked as if the Army staff had made an error by placing the Michigan hat on the table, but oddly enough it was no mistake at all. The five-star defensive tackle reached for the LSU hat, but then placed the Wolverines’ cap on his head.

One has to wonder did Campbell get a late offer from Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez – or did he just get caught up in the drama of recruiting and was playing games.

Whatever the case, that was just the beginning.

On Sunday, many LSU fans were certain the wounds left by Campbell would be healed by the commitment of five-star wide receiver Andre Debose. For quite some time, it had been speculated Debose had made a commitment to the Tigers as far back as the Georgia game. LSU commitment Russell Shepard even went on record at the Under Armour combine claiming LSU was certain to land one of the three prospects from Seminole High School.

But in the second half of the Under Armour game, LSU was the first hat Debose eliminated from the mix while stating, “I know I’m staying home in Florida”. He then followed that up by placing a Florida cap on his head.

Debose wasn’t the only LSU target that chose the Gators. Florida linebacker Jon Bostic and offensive lineman Xavier Nixon both chose Urban Meyer’s team in what turned out to be a big day for the Gators.

The losses of Campbell and Debose certainly hurt LSU’s class of 2009, but all is not lost by any means. The Tigers still remain atop of the recruiting charts with USC, Florida, and Alabama slowly creeping up.

For LSU to closeout the year in the nation’s top spot, I believe the Tigers must land Rivals.com No. 1 prospect Rueben Randle. Randle had a decent game on Saturday afternoon in San Antonio recording seven passes for 75 yards in the U.S. Army Game.

Speaking of Randle, the Bastrop wideout made headlines in The New York Times late last week.

In the article, the first quote was Randle saying how a classmate at Bastrop High School offered to pay him to go to LSU. Nice.

“This guy, I believe a freshman, he wants me to go to LSU,” Randle told the NY Times. “If I sign with LSU, he’ll pay me. It was just crazy how he just came up there and approached me with something like that.”

What a story, huh?

But if you look a little closer, the author who penned the article will come as no surprise to LSU fans - Houston based freelance writer Thayer Evans. It was Evans, who just two weeks ago, penned the infamous JaMarkus McFarland that sparked nationwide controversy. And how can anyone forget Evans’ 2005 signing day piece on Ryan Perrilloux.

The article opens with mention that Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford said he plans to return to Oklahoma should Randle sign with the Sooners. Considering Evan’s last hatchet-job revolved around McFarland’s commitment to Oklahoma, it’s pretty clear where this Evans’ loyalties lie.

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

© 2009 Tiger Rag

***

Friday (1.2)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

The Tigers may have brought home a huge bowl-game victory over the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday evening, but oddly enough that may not be the biggest game of the week.

The LSU staff will be keeping a close eye on the two high school All-American bowl games which will be held over the weekend as seven prospects will be announcing their college decisions with the Tigers being a piece of the mix.

On Saturday, during the U.S Army All-American Bowl, which will be broadcast at noon on NBC , Cass-Technical (Mich.) five-star defensive tackle William Campbell will be announcing his college decision and according to one of LSU’s current commitments things are looking good for the Tigers.

(Above, at right) William Campbell. (Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

“I’ve met so many good guys here at the combine, but me and William Campbell have become good friends,” said Northshore (La.) offensive tackle Chris Faulk, who is also taking part in the game. “I think he should come to LSU. I know he is going to make his decision at the game and and I think he might pick LSU, but we’ll have to wait and see. He is down to three schools, LSU, Florida State, and Miami.”

Two other prospects in San Antonio who have LSU on their short lists are five-star linebacker Jon Bostic and five-star offensive lineman Xavier Nixon. Rumor has it that both are likely to choose the Gators.

The other All-American bowl will be hosted by Under Armour in Orlando at 7 p.m Sunday on ESPN. Several prospects in this game are scheduled to make their decision live on television. Four of them have LSU listed among their remaining schools of interest.

I believe it is likely five-star receiver Andre Debose and five-star safety Craig Loston will select LSU as their future home while four-star defensive end Dyron Dye and four-star linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong are remaining question marks. It’s a good bet no matter if it’s LSU, Miami, or Florida, they will likely be playing together on Saturdays.

If the weekend goes as many project it to, it seems pretty hard to imagine the Tigers won’t be at the top of everyone’s national recruiting rankings. LSU currently holds 20 commitments. By Monday, I expect them to have at least 23.

ESPN.com has LSU currently listed at No. 2 behind USC. The Tigers have nine prospects of ESPN.com’s Top 150 listed as commitments. That number is expected to rise soon.

Of course, class rankings are subjective. Rivals.com has LSU listed as owning the No. 1 class as of now with USC a distant fifth. Ohio State, Texas and Alabama are listed second through fourth.

Tiger Town is buzzing after LSU’s recent trouncing of Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl two nights ago.

And it wasn’t just that the Tigers whipped the heavily-favored Yellow Jackets 38-3, it was the fact true freshman quarterback Jordan Jefferson looked near-flawless in directing the LSU offense up and down the field.

Jefferson had seen limited action throughout most of the season and finally got in the game when Jarrett Lee went down with an injury in the second quarter of a 31-13 loss to Ole Miss. Jefferson lost his first start when Arkansas stunned the Tigers 31-30 in Little Rock.

But what a difference a month makes?

Taking all the snaps as the first-team quarterback throughout the duration of bowl practice, Jefferson looked like a different player from the onset of Wednesday night’s clash with Georgia Tech. By halftime, the 18-year-old Destrehan product completed 11 of his first 12 attempts and LSU had a 35-3 advantage.

And we’re talking about a quarterback who was considered “raw” by national recruiting services coming out of high school. Jefferson barely drew a three-star rating by the “experts” while Jarrett Lee, who Jefferson supplanted under center, was a four-star standout who attended the prestigious Elite 11 passing academy.

Like Jacob Hester did a few years back, Jefferson once-again disproved the all-so-popular star rankings and showed rankings aren’t everything.

With that being said, plenty has been written about LSU’s star prospect in the upcoming 2009 class. Houston-area quarterback Russell Shepard is rated as the nation’s top overall prospect by ESPN.com. The 6-2, 200-pound Shepard has drawn comparisons to Vince Young and many expect Shepard could contend for playing time as a true freshman.

Who knows yet what Shepard will bring to LSU on the field when he arrives in one week as an early enrolling freshman. But what the boisterous and confident Cypress-Ridge senior has done already for the Tigers off the field has the LSU faithful gushing about one of the most celebrated recruits in the history of Tiger football.

© 2009 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Wednesday (12.31)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Sometimes it appears like making the actual decision is the most difficult part of a prospect’s recruitment process.

No doubt it is certainly not the easiest thing to do, but maybe moving away from home is the scariest. Some of the kids being recruited have never flown on an airplane, have never been out of state, and have definitely never lived on their own hundreds of miles away from home.

A program such as LSU’s lands prospects from around the nation year-in and year-out so the Tigers’ roster is full of personnel from out-of-state. For an out-of-state player to decide to attend LSU, feeling comfortable on campus, in the locker-room, and year’s down the road is a must.

Linebacker Willie Ferrell recently decided to de-commit from the Tigers after being committed for several months. Ferrell claimed his late decision had nothing to do with the coaches or the players, but perhaps more to do with where he thought LSU would place him in the future.

“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.”

The words “comfortable” and “fit in” are common amongst recruits while being interviewed. Outside of “playing time”, those are probably the words most often used.

(Trent Richardson)

Five-star running back Trent Richardson is another prospect who has decided to rethink his recruitment. Earlier in the year he elected to give his verbal pledge to the Crimson Tide, but now he is considering LSU and Florida as well. He had this to say about LSU.

“I’ve made friendships with just about everyone on Alabama’s team and I have some friends on Florida’s team and every time I visited there, a bunch of the guys would talk to me,” Richardson stated. “It made me feel comfortable. When I visited LSU most of the guys already on the team didn’t really talk to me that much.

“It is different for every team,” Richardson continued. “The leadership shows how they recruit I guess. You never really know until you’re around them and I haven’t really been around them (LSU players) enough to know how they run their program. I do like the LSU coaches though. They are good guys and the recruits I have spoken to all seemed cool.”

And finally LSU is still on the Darren Myles Jr. radar as he intends on making his final decision on National Signing Day. He claimed the schools remaining on his list are LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, and West Virginia.

When asked how would it feel to be a part of LSU’s 2009 recruiting class if it were to end up at number one, Myles responded, “It would feel great if in the end I think LSU is the best fit for me.”

It seems as if Myles is already comfortable with his relationship with two of LSU’s biggest-named recruiting prospects.

“Russell Shepard is cool,” Myles stated. “I feel like him and I already have a good relationship. It’s going to be cool playing with him this weekend. Me and Craig Loston also have a good relationship. It wouldn’t bother me if LSU took the both of us because we could always end up playing on the field together at the same time.”

—

Speaking of Shepard, the LSU-bound quarterback, who is the No. 1 rated prospect in the nation by ESPN.com, is currently in San Antonio at the U.S. Army All-American Game.

The vocal Shepard was featured on ESPN.com today as his monumental career at Houston’s Cypress-Ridge High School was detailed by Jeff Miller. Shepard enjoyed his high school career, but is looking forward to getting on the LSU campus in a little less than two weeks and beginning the next chapter in his football career.

(Photo by Troy Field/ESPNRise)

“I have the opportunity to come in fresh, come in early and contribute,” Shepard said. “Worst case scenario, I come in and do what [Florida's] Tim Tebow did his freshman year.”

Cy-Ridge coach Gary Thiebaud said Shepard had his heart set on playing for Texas. But when the time came to choose, his sights turned to LSU. Thiebaud compared Shepard to another Houston-area quarterback, who starred for the Longhorns a few years back.

“Russell’s a very explosive player; (former Texas quarterback) Vince (Young) is very explosive,” Thiebaud said. “Vince is bigger; I think Russell is faster. I don’t know the intangibles about Vince. His work ethic. I’ve heard stories. Character. I don’t know those.

“I do know Russell Shepard, and he’s not second to anybody.”

—

The news of Ed Orgeron coming to LSU should make the offseason interesting.

Glenn Guilbeau of the Gannett News Service broke the story Tuesday night that Orgeron is expected to come to LSU as defensive line coach, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

The question now is, what about Josh Henson.

Henson has served as LSU’s recruiting coordinator the last three seasons and is on the verge of reeling in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. What gives? We shall see.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (12.29)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Coach Les Miles and his staff have done an excellent job thus far with the recruiting class of 2009. According to ESPN.com LSU currently holds the number one class in the nation with 20 commitments and by the looks of things the Tigers will not be losing ground any time soon.

For a while I listed LSU as having 21 commitments because I refused to remove Florida native Willie Ferrell (6-1, 225, 4.5) from the Tigers’ commitment list until I received the official word from Ferrell himself. It was rumored earlier last month Ferrell had de-committed from the Tigers, but after speaking with Ferrell on November 16th he declared the rumors to be false, but did mention his desire to explore other options.

Sunday evening Ferrell revealed to me LSU was no longer the place for him.

“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’s “future” is what happens after college and not during it. I believe Ferrell’s ultimate goal is to one day play in the NFL and to be able to remove himself as well as his family out of their current predicament. Obviously Ferrell no longer believes LSU provides him with the best opportunity to reach his goal.

Only time will tell if Ferrell made the correct decision in de-committing from LSU, but it was what Ferrell believed to be the best choice for himself and it is a decision people should respect.

Deciding on what college to attend is not like selecting a sandwich from the dollar menu at McDonald’s. It is a decision that will effect recruits for the rest of their lives. It is a decision of a lifetime and they are allowed just one chance to make it. Once they sign their name, there is no using White Out or an eraser. It is inscribed forever.

Their decision is not about the school, the team, the fans, or the coaches. It is a decision about the player and his life. It is one of the few times a player should be given a free pass on being selfish.

LSU seems to be in good shape with Michigan defensive tackle standout William Campbell.

Campbell, who is currently on display at the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, said Monday he has eliminated Michigan from his possible collegiate destinations.

The Detroit News said Campbell, who is a former high school teammate of LSU offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, “won’t pick Michigan” and has whittled his list of options to Florida, Miami and LSU.

—

The hoopla surrounding Lufkin, Texas defensive tackle JaMarkus McFarland continues to grow.

A controversial story in The New York Times detailed some rather sensational remarks made by McFarland and his mother about three other schools McFarland visited. (LSU, USC and Texas).

Several contradictory stories have been published and Tiger Rag offers its insight on the matter.

—

Over the Christmas break a handful of in-state LSU commitments and prospects from Class 5A earned All-State honors.

The three commitments were offensive tackle Chris Faulk-Northshore H.S, linebacker Lamin Barrow-John Ehret H.S (in just eight games he tallied 71 tackles, and 13 TFL), and defensive back Janzen Jackson-Barbe H.S- (57 tackles, and 5 interceptions).

One prospect was West Monroe linebacker Barkevious Mingo who was named Class 5A Defensive MVP as he recorded 59 tackles (4 TFL), 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles as well as 4 fumble recoveries. Mingo’s top three schools are LSU, USC, and Alabama.

The other prospect was linebacker Tahj Jones- Sulphur H.S (80 tackles (11 TFL) and 7 sacks. It is down to LSU an Ole Miss for Jones’ signature.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Friday (12.26)

Posted by Matt Deville

Tiger Rag Senior Editor

The wide world of recruiting took a one-day hiatus on Thursday to celebrate Christmas.

But it was back to business as usual on Friday as the recruiting trail heated up. And a day in the life of recruiting wouldn’t be complete without a little controversy.

The latest – Lufkin, Texas defensive tackle JaMarkus McFarland picked Oklahoma as his college destination.

As many of you have followed, McFarland was one of the top targets for the LSU coaching staff. The No. 1 defensive tackle in The Lone Star had narrowed his list to Oklahoma, Texas and LSU.

Just recently, McFarland trimmed the Tigers from his list of choices and focused in on Texas and OU. LSU’s prized commitment Russell Shepard focused all his efforts on trying to sway McFarland keeping in constant contact with the Lufkin standout.

It seems the Sooners suited 6-3, 290-pound prep star as he pulled the trigger notifying Oklahoma defensive line coach Jackie Shipp on Christmas Day.

But as soon as McFarland notified Oklahoma of his intentions, that’s when the media firestorm began.

Back in July, McFarland’s mother, Kashemeyia Adams, granted a New York Times reporter full access to the recruitment of her son. Houston-area journalist Thayer Evans was commissioned with covering the McFarland story throughout.

(Note: Evans was the writer who covered the entire Ryan Perrilloux saga back in 2005. In that story, which appeared in USA Today, were the infamous remarks Perrilloux made about his future teammates and his aspirations at LSU.)

The McFarland story was equally sensational.

In Thursday’s edition of The New York Times, intimate details of McFarland’s recruitment process were laid out in full. Comments from both McFarland and his mother were quite revealing.

McFarland took four official visits throughout the recruitment process including trips to Texas, Oklahoma, USC and LSU.

McFarland, who had his heart set on playing at Texas, detailed his feelings on each trip and even wanted to commit to USC at one point. But Adams had other plans.

The story went on in depth about her devotion to the Pentecostal faith and she expressed her displeasure in detail about each place she and her son visited.

Adams wailed on about the number of flat screen televisions in Mack Brown’s home, how USC players rented a stretch hummer to celebrate after beating Notre Dame and a wild, alcohol-drug and female infested party in Austin.

And she had plenty to say about LSU as well.

Adams didn’t like the fact female recruiting hostesses sat on the laps of prospects when McFarland visited Baton Rouge. She also disliked the fact that LSU football players have a maid service clean their dorm rooms.

She also said of Les Miles, “he was very dry.”

The story focused on the fact “Mother Knows Best” and how she helped influence her son to choose Oklahoma.

McFarland said he wasn’t too crazy about Oklahoma stating, “there ain’t nothing to do at Oklahoma except football.”

In the end, McFarland eventually chose the Sooners and it seems mother does know best.

Or does she?

Adam’s had her best son’s best interest at heart in helping convince him to go to Oklahoma. But in the long run, her allowing the media to cover his recruitment will further lead to the conjuring up of Internet rumor and speculations.

Her unsubstantiated comments and accusations about the way other school’s recruit players will further incite speculation and innuendo in the future. The sensational story is quite similar to the melodramatic picture painted by the Willie Williams saga some years back.

But in the end, high school football recruiting has become synonymous with words like rumor, innuendo and speculation.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (12.24)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Some may argue winning is sometimes the difference between landing a recruit and losing one. No doubt, that is often true, but sometimes winning isn’t everything.

Sometimes it is the makeup of a team. It is what is on display week-in and week-out. Sometimes it is not about the win or the loss, but instead the passion of the team throughout the battle.

Rivals.com’s team recruiting rankings from the last couple of years support this claim. In 2007, LSU won the national championship, but finished outside of the top 10 in recruiting for 2008 while Florida and Miami ended at No. 3 and No. 5 respectively.

Fast forward the tape to this year and the Tigers are coming off of a mediocre 7-5 season, but currently possess the nation’s top recruiting class. Florida on the other hand will be playing for the national title and they are listed as have the 14th ranked class.

Kevin Nelson, a prospect targeted for the Class of 2010, pointed out it is not so much the school or the coaches that draw a recruit to a team, but instead the heart displayed on the field from the players. He claimed their energy is contagious and it is what has Nelson anxiously awaiting an offer from the Tigers, the Gators, and the ‘Canes.

“Some teams have OK players,” Nelson explained. “And some teams or schools have students that make good grades and they see it as their way out. But I’m just OK in class (2.7 G.P.A). I want to go to a school where the players aren’t ever going to quit because football is the only thing they have. That’s how I am. I look at football as the only thing I have that will get me out of the predicament I am in.

“The type of players that go to LSU, Miami, and Florida are big, tough, and rugged,” Nelson continued. “They have that Pit bull in them, that dog in them! They’re the type of players that will hit you and knock you to the ground and then laugh in your face. They will let you know they’re going to be in your face all game long for four quarters.”

A handful of LSU commitments and prospects from Louisiana’s Class 4A recently took home All-State honors. Bastrop’s Reuben Randle and Joshua Downs were named to the list along with Leesville’s Michael Ford. Fair Park’s Morris Claiborne earned honorable mention honors.

The accolades continue pouring in for Bastrop’s Randle. Recently bumped up to the nation’s top spot as the No. 1 overall prospect, Randle was named to the USA Today First-Team All-American team. He is Louisiana’s lone offensive representative while Barbe High defensive back and LSU commitment Janzen Jackson was named to the first team defense.

—

It has been no secret that we here at Tiger Rag have cherished our relationship with Houston quarterback standout Russell Shepard.

Shepard’s exploits both on the field and off have been well documented in Tiger Rag magazine, on TigerRag.com and here in the Tiger Rag Recruiting Blog.

Shepard has acted as one of LSU’s best recruiting tools as he has helped the Tiger coaching staff target the nation’s top prospects. He has done his best to try and steer those players to Baton Rouge as part of the Class of 2009.

In Wednesday’s edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, two future Tigers hailing from the Peachtree State Drayton Calhoun and Kevin Minter were recently in Baton Rouge for a visit. Calhoun and Minter are two of the six incoming freshman who plan to enroll at LSU early.

Classes are schedule to begin for the spring semester at LSU on Jan. 12. Calhoun and Minter signed there letters of intent last weekend. When they arrive on campus, the Georgia tandem plans to bunk with Shepard as freshmen.

“The visit went great,” Calhoun told the AJC. “It was easy to get around campus, considering that classes were already out. We got to see a lot of the campus.”

—

Michigan prospect William Campbell will join several other stars from the Wolverine State in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio next week.

Campbell, who was originally committed to Michigan, re-opened his options some time ago and has been entertaining suitors from LSU, Alabama, Florida and Miami. Campbell told the Detroit Free Press he will announce his college choice while in San Antonio for the all-star game.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (12.22.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

There are many college football fans out there that are still convinced Head Coach Les Miles won the 2007 National Championship because it was with Nick Saban’s players.

Now for anyone that has ever played the game of football it is understood talent can only take a team so far. Winning calls for a good coach to lead the team to victories as well.

And for anyone who watched the 2007 season, it took some gutsy play calling to win a few of those close games. For many, that was not good enough evidence, however, especially after this season. Some LSU fans are concerned now that the Tigers’ stable no longer contains Saban’s players, LSU’s football program may be on the decline.

Carneal Ainsworth (Photo courtesy of Parkview Baptist)

Judging by the looks of the 2009 class it appears their worries may be over. LSU should be in good shape for years to come as Rivals.com has LSU atop of the recruiting charts. Players like Russell Shepard, Chris Davenport, and Janzen Jackson are among the many making headlines for the class of 2009.

There were also two other commitments that recently made local headlines throughout the state. The class 3A All-State team was selected and a pair of future Tigers made the cut as Rayville High School product Kenny Bell and Parkview Baptist High School product Carneal Ainsworth were selected.

It is likely coach Miles will land a variety of the members of Louisiana’s All-State teams once they are all announced. Players such as Michael Ford, Chris Faulk, Janzen Jackson are some that are likely to be among the All-State group. And one of the biggest goals for a head coach in recruiting is taking care of the in-state talent before anything else and it appears coach Miles has that covered.

And the Tigers’ recruiting efforts don’t seem to be sagging whatsoever as is reflected in recent recruiting class rankings. Rivals.com has LSU No. 1 while ESPN lists the Tigers’ current collection of commitments as the countries second best.

LSU currently holds commitments from a trio of the nation’s top players including Russell Shepard, Chris Davenport and Michael Ford. Miles and his staff are still in the mix on several other top-rated players including Rueben Randle, Andre Debose and Craig Loston.

“That’s one of the things that would be so impressive,” Rivals.com analyst Barton Simmons told The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. “They have a chance to get six-to-eight five-stars. It probably won’t happen that way, but the fact they’re in that position is absurd.”

LSU reeled in a couple of the nation’s best recruiting classes in 2001 and 2003. According to some experts, if things continue to progress as expected, Miles’ 2009 class could be the best in LSU history.

It has been two weeks since one of the top running backs in the state of Mississippi died mysteriously.

And they’re still now answers as to what happened.

George Country running back Billey Joe Johnson died from a shotgun blast in the early morning hours of Dec. 8 during a routine traffic stop by a local sheriff deputy.

Billey Joe Johnson (Photo courtesy of Biloxi Sun-Herald)

Initially, the shooting was ruled an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound that Johnson incurred while the deputy was running Johnson’s driver’s license.

It was later learned a 911 call was made just minutes before Johnson was stopped for running a red light. The caller indicated Johnson had been trying to obtain entry to her house, in which lived a minor believed to be Johnson’s girlfriend.

The 17-year-old’s death is shrouded in mystery and has raised eyebrows in the community. His family isn’t satisfied with the explanation stating they do not believe their son committed suicide.

The family was upset when they weren’t allowed to identify their son’s body until two days after the shooting. Also, the wounds on Johnson’s body have been questioned by attorneys.

An investigation is underway and all the evidence will be reviewed by a grand jury, which will convene on Feb. 12.

One of the biggest mysteries in this recruiting season has been Bastrop (La.) wide receiver Rueben Randle.

Rated the No. 1 wide receiver in the country by every major recruiting service, even the nation’s top overall prospect by Rivals.com, Randle has yet to tip his hand as to where he will play his college ball.

The general consensus is the 6-4, 200-pound Bastrop product is torn between LSU and Alabama in what is considered to be a dash to the finish line. But Oklahoma is still considered in the short list of possibilities.

One thing is certain, though. Randle is quite resigned to the fact that he isn’t going to say anything until signing day.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Friday (12.19.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

For Louisiana, as well as much of the country, the high school football season is officially over.

Many seniors have already said their goodbyes to their coaches and teammates and are focusing on getting into college next year as as students only. There are some fortunate ones, however, that will be heading to the next level on a free-ride due to their outstanding performances on the gridiron as well as in the classroom.

It is those proud, few that will serve as models for the underclassman. This year’s junior class will want to grab a piece of the same prestige their fellow seniors walked away with. And for them, the road to accomplishing that feat begins now.

Some people may find it absurd for any coach or player to begin thinking about scholarships and next year’s football season already because the 2008 season just ended. It may appear that way for some outsiders, but for those of us on the inside football and recruiting never ends. There are no red lights, it is always on green, and the players are always on the go.

College coaches already hold verbal commitments for the class of 2009 and have a good idea of how their class is going to finish. According to Rivals.com, LSU currently possesses the nation’s top recruiting class for the class of 2009. Because it is virtually impossible to fill every hole in one recruiting class, including LSU’s, college coaches will now look to patch the remaining open holes with prospects from the class of 2010. This trend continues year after year.

LSU’s class currently possesses 21 verbal commitments and will more than likely add another five to six names to that list once signing day arrives. With that said, coach Les Miles and his staff have extended scholarship offers to an elite group of juniors who have already proven themselves worthy of a chance to play for the Tigers.

Below are the standout juniors who have received an LSU offer.

QB Jake Heaps

QB Nick Montana

DE Jackson Jeffcoat

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz

TE Travis Dickson

CB Adrian White

LB Alec Ogletree

LB Justin Maclin

RB Lache Seastrunk

FB Maurice Hagens

WR Jeremy Richardson

DE Craig Sanders

DE Reggie Wilson

DT Denzel McCoy

OG Chad Lindsay

Putting a limit on the number of scholarship players (85) a team is allowed to contain has made the world of recruiting a competitive business. The sooner a coach can begin to cement his foundation with a recruit, the better the chance becomes at landing him. Therefore, there is no such thing as “it being to early” to recruit a player. In the reality of today’s game, it is not early enough.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (12.17.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with dozens of the most highly-touted recruits in the nation.

Each player had a different story, different hopes and dreams, different goals to accomplish. But no one player has stood out to me like Cypress Ridge High School’s Russell Shepard.

And by saying “stood out,” I don’t mean on film or on the football field…

I mean as a person.

For many people, they spend most of their life as a young adult searching for what they want to do in life. For the 18-year-old Shepard, there’s no doubt. The nation’s top prospect is headed to LSU in a few weeks with a mission set and failure not being an option.

A lot of young people wish they could do more. They have an idea in mind what they hope to accomplish, but are usually not motivated enough to go after it. Instead, they look back years later and say, “what if?”

But, no one needs to tell Shepard how life works because it appears he sees the bigger picture.

So many young people, especially young athletes, have trouble grasping the reality of “it.” For many of them, by the time they realize what “it” is, it’s usually too late.

At 18, Russell gets “it” already.

The Cypress-Ridge senior understands he has the chance of a lifetime and no way is it going to pass him by. Working 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, juggling school, practice, and studying, Shepard has earned the privilege of being ranked the nation’s No. 1 prospect, according to ESPN.com.

For many athletes that would be enough.

At that point, it’d be easy to rest on their laurels, enjoy a senior year of high school showered by praise and admiration. Once senior prom and graduation was in the books, it’d be time to ease into summer workouts and prepare for August camp. No need to overdo it, you know, being the No. 1 prospect and all.

Well, that might be the case for some, but definitely not Shepard. All the hoopla associated with a typical senior year of high school is being bypassed. Shepard is set to enroll at LSU on Jan. 9, his focus on becoming the Tigers’ starting quarterback.

“I’ve been throwing five to six time per week,” Shepard said. “Then I lift three time a week with some conditioning drills in between. I know I have to stay on top of it because if you do not use what you got then you’re going to lose it.”

Shepard is set to enjoy one last hurrah as a high school senior when he takes the field in the 2009 Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 4 in Orlando, Fla.

“I want to be in the best shape that I can possibly be for that game because once I get down there I want to impress the coaches at the Under Armour camp,” Shepard said. “It is my last chance to play at this level before college so I want to go out with a bang.”

Obviously, Shepard doesn’t need to impress anyone. Already the nation’s top prospect, Shepard holds offers from every major program in the country.

And he backed it up on the field.

Although his Cypress-Ridge team didn’t win a state title, Shepard gave it his all and single-handedly produced 538 yards of total offense in his final high school game, which was a 55-48 loss to Copperas Cove. In that game, Shepard rushed for 311 yards while passing for 227.

Shepard is truly special because for him, simply being the best is not good enough. He wants to be the greatest. Shepard’s refusal to underachieve does not end there.

However, not only does he want to be the greatest player, Shepard also wants to have the greatest recruiting class. Most guys preach how their class is the best or how they intend on achieving the best class and that is as far as they go.

But as time passes, the all-star games and the hype surrounding their own recruitment causes them to lose focus and their actions fall into words. They end up being known as good talkers, but not Shepard. He works the phones everyday trying to convince other highly-regarded prospects to join him in Baton Rouge.

“We have the opportunity to land several of the nation’s top recruits in this class,” Shepard said. “In the beginning people didn’t believe me when I said we were going to have the number one recruiting class in the country. They thought I was crazy. Some people said we wouldn’t beat out the USC’s or Ohio State’s for the top class. But the last time I looked, I believe we did have the No. 1 ranked class.”

It is not by chance that LSU holds the top spot either. Behind the scenes Shepard studies film on the guys LSU is recruiting… or otherwise stated, the players he’s recruiting. He networks, finds out when the players can be reached and then initiates contact. Shepard then introduces himself, tells them how he feels about their game and finds out if they share the same dreams. He concludes his pitch inviting them to travel on the journey together.

So far, Shepard’s passion has been contagious.

Many of the recruits and journalists I have spoken with are amazed at his knowledge of the game – as well as the game of others. Many have titled him as LSU’s recruiting coordinator. Shepard has grown to be more than a coordinator; he is more of a Shepherd. He is a leader of men and refuses to leave anyone behind.

Lufkin High School product JaMarkus McFarland informed me over the weekend he was strongly considering Oklahoma and Texas with LSU being a distant third option. Shepard had targeted McFarland since day one. To any normal person, the news of McFarland’s choices would have been discouraging, but not for Shepard. The glass is always half-full.

“Hell no,” Shepard exclaimed when asked if he was giving up on McFarland. “I haven’t yet because I still think we have a chance. It is probably a small one, but it is better than nothing!”

It would be easy to go on and on about how Shepard amazes me, but the one thing that really stood out the most occurred over the weekend. I asked Shepard what were his plans for Christmas, you know, how he’d spend the holidays – with family, friends, etc.

Shepard’s response took some digesting. He began outlining his workout routine leading up until Christmas Day!

Christmas Day?

I cut him off by saying, “no Russell, I meant are you dressing up as Santa, spending time with the family?”

I guess I failed to remember I was not talking to your average teen-ager. He responded by saying how he was on a mission and had goals set out for himself. That was all he was focused on right now.

Shepard went on to say he wakes up, goes to school and works out everyday. That is all he intends on doing from now on. Put the Egg Nog on ice and hold off on the Christmas Carols.

And then, the well-spoken Shepard ended our conversation with this, “I just want to be considered as an all-around person, a person who had a plan… and made it.”

Shepard, my man, in time I believe you will discover you already have.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (12.15.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

The New Orleans Superdome served as host to the 2008 Louisiana High School football championships.

Ten deserving teams were granted the opportunity to prove they were the best in their class. However, only five could walk away with the trophy.

Here, we look back at this weekend’s results, including who won and which players stood out.

Class 5A: Prior to the game between West Monroe and Destrehan, I figured it to be a close one, but with the Rebels coming out on top. In the end, the Wildcats proved me wrong while claiming the crown, 14-3.

The game was much closer than the score indicated. Destrehan was leading 7-3 late in the fourth quarter with D.J Banks attempting to make a game-winning drive for the Rebels. The attempt failed as Destrehan linebacker Rufus Porter intercepted a pass and returned it nearly 100-yards for a score putting the game out of reach.

Sentimore sacks Banks. (Courtesy of NOLA.com)

Banks, a Tulane commitment, took home the offensive player of the game award after completing 10 passes for 122 yards and rushing for another 69 yards on 18 carries. Crimson Tide commit (Darrington Sentimore) put plenty of LSU fans at unease as he earned the defensive player of the game award with six tackles and two sacks.

This game was an instant-classic.

Class 4A: Belle Chase defeated Shaw 28-7. I thought this game would be a little closer, but I expected the Cardinals to win. It is difficult to beat a team twice in the same season so in a way Shaw was doomed from the beginning.

Belle Chase’s quarterback Blake Matherne was an eye-opener as he did it all. I knew he was a dual-threat quarterback, but Martherne showed the elusiveness and the desire needed at the next level. He finished the game with 112 yards passing including one touchdown with 183 yards rushing and an additional two scores.

There is no doubt Matherne is an elite athlete. However, the only negative regarding him is his height as Matherne stands just under 5-foot-10. His quickness and toughness may find him a spot in the defensive backfield at the next level.

Matherne actually topped Bastrop’s Rueben Randle and Leesville’s Michael Ford, two of the state’s top prospects, for Class 4APlay of the Year honors.

Class 3A: This game shared some of the same characteristics as the 4A game as Lutcher’s quarterback Gavin Webster and the Bulldog’s defense stole the show. Notre Dame simply did not have the speed on either side of the ball to keep up with the 2008 state champions.

The Pioneers were shutout 17-0, but penalties and mental errors kept the game within reach. This game could have easily been a blowout. Webster completed 17 of 26 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Webster also showed his ability to avoid tackles as he rushed for 55 yards on 18 carries.

Class 2A: I would have lost a ton of money on this game if someone would have told me John Curtis was going to destroy Evangel 35-14. This game was over at halftime and I am still trying to figure out what happened. The Patriot’s Kenny Cain had his way on the ground all game long as he gained 78 yards on 15 carries including three scores.

One of Cain’s three scores (Courtesy of NOLA.com)

The only bright spot for Evangel was the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year (Dez Duron), but even he appeared kind of dull. Duron finished the game with 212 yards passing and one touchdown.

The Patriots brought it all game long. They looked like a team that had been there before and they have as they took home their fifth straight championship.

Class 1A: There is no doubt John Curtis embarrassed Evangel winning by 21 points, but that game had nothing on the South Plaquemines vs. Christian Life match-up. Christian Life may have had a better shot at winning from the stands as the Hurricanes punished them all game long.

The final score read 62-16, but if it was not for special teams, Christian Life may have never put up a point as they finished the game with just 41 total yards of offense including two first downs!

To add insult to injury, South Plaquemines set a record for scoring the most points in a Louisiana State championship game.

Now that the 2008 High School football season has officially come to an end, the players who were fortunate enough to be invited to the national all-star games can now shift their attention.

Here are the Louisiana prospects that were invited to play in the U.S Army All-American game on Jan. 3, at noon on NBC at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas.

DT Chris Davenport - Mansfield High School

OT Chris Faulk - Northshore High School

WR Rueben Randle - Bastrop High School

LB Barkevious Mingo - West Monroe High School

Complete roster

On Jan. 4, three others will compete in the Under Armour All-Star game held in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl. The game will be aired on ESPN at 7.pm.

DB Janzen Jackson - Barbe High School

DL Joshua Downs - Bastrop High School

RB Montrell Conner - Ouachita High School

Complete roster

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Friday (12.12.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

They say football is a game of inches. While that may be true, it is also a game of memories and a game full of regret. Game after game, players review film and point out what an extra block and tackle here or there would have done for their team.

In football, like in life, what is done is done and there is no going back. All one can do is attempt to not to make the same mistakes in the future.

For many, another opportunity to change one’s fortune never arises, but for the fortunate it is imperative they take full advantage of their situation. Two members of LSU’s class of 2009 were a part of teams that ended their seasons on sour notes. And for them there will never be another opportunity to change their team’s fate at the high school level.

Chris Garrett and Chris Davenport see something in their future team they wished they could have - a chance for redemption.

“It’s going to be a tough match-up,” Garrett stated regarding LSU’s Chick-fil-A bowl game against Georgia Tech. “Georgia Tech runs the ball good, but LSU held their own against the run this season. It was defending the pass that they really struggled with.

“I think LSU goes into the bowl game with something to prove after having a disappointing regular season,” Garrett added. “And I think because of that they will come out with a win and head into the spring on a positive note.”

Davenport seconded the notion.

“I figured after Ryan Perrilioux was gone and they were forced to deal with that quarterback situation they would go 8-4 this season,” Davenport claimed. “I think the team came out and played hurt in every game, but the quarterback situation hurt the season. In the end I think they got what they wanted by going to a bowl game. Overall it was a good year to me even though there were some disappointments.

“I seen them (Georgia Tech) play in a few games this year,” Davenport confirmed. “They have a good running game with that triple-option or whatever they run. It almost looks like the Wing-T. I think LSU can stop it though if the defense comes out focused. I think LSU will beat them.”

There will be many other high school players like Garrett and Davenport competing over the weekend inside of the Louisiana Superdome. They too realize this is the end of the road as far as their high school careers go. They must make the most of it now because there will be no second chances.

Here’s a quick look at the weekend’s top matchups in the LHSAA State Championships in the Superdome:

Class 5A: West Monroe vs. Destrehan - Earlier in the year I spoke to Destrehan defensive lineman Darrington Sentimore and he claimed his team’s offense was not nearly as good as last year’s. He said the defense would have to step up this season in order for them to be successful.

Obviously the planned worked as Destrehan made it to the state title game, but I think that will be as far as the Wildcats will go. Defensively I believe both teams are evenly matched, but West Monroe’s offense will serve as the difference in the game as they will be led by quarterback D.J. Banks. His dual-threat ability will be enough to give the Rebels another championship ring.

Class 4A: Belle Chase vs. Shaw - This will be the second time these two teams will face each other this season. On October 17th Shaw defeated Belle Chase, 28-27. I’ll be the first to admit I had Bastrop circled in for this game, but I guess that’s why they play the game. And like last week, I believe Belle Chase’s quarterback Blake Matherne will find a way to lead his team to victory.The football experts always say it is difficult to beat a team twice in the same season and I’m siding with them on this one.

Class 3A: Notre Dame vs. Lutcher - Oddly enough both teams made it this far after losing dynamite talent from last season (OL Andrew Welter, DL Michael Casanova, and LB Ryan Champagne for ND and QB Blaine Gautier for LHS). With that said, I believe Lutcher’s quarterback Gavin Webster will serve as the difference maker in the game. He will be too much for the Pioneers to handle as he can beat them with his legs as well as his arm.

Class 2A: Evangel vs. John Curtis - This was by far the easiest preseason title game match-up to predict. Both of these programs could compete at any level in the state in my opinion and it is only fitting they must face each other for the crown. This game could easily go either way, but I feel the arm of Dez Duron wins the game for Evangel especially after the Patriots lost defensive backs P.J. Smith and Robby Green to graduation last season

Duron was named the 2008-09 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year after completing 292 of 428 passes for a ridiculous 3,993 yards while throwing just seven interceptions. On top of that Evangel also traveled to Bastrop and won 28-22. After looking at Evangel’s results from this year, the Eagles do not just beat teams, they destroy them.

Class 1A: Christian Life vs. South Plaquemines - This is an easy one, South Plaquemines. I do not see Christian Life scoring many points, if any, against a defense that surrendered points in just five of its 13 games this season! Sixteen of the starters from last year’s championship team will be returning to the Dome once again this year.

One of which will be quarterback Ridge Turner. While he may only stand at 5-foot-10, 180-pounds, last season he set a state record for total offense with an amazing 5,544 yards and 69 touchdowns. So far this season, Turner has put out 3,459 total yards offense to go along with 45 touchdowns.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Wednesday (12.10.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Too many times 18-year old recruits are put on the spot and asked questions in which their answers sometimes come back to haunt them.

These players are caught off guard by a phone call. A said prospect can be at home watching television, doing their homework, visiting with their girlfriend; the phone rings and an unfamiliar voice is on the other end asking - sometimes personal - questions about their future.

Sometimes these answers are said without thinking. Sometimes the player wishes to be polite and responds to an inquiry, in an effort to end the phone conversation as quickly as possible. Then, whatever was said, can sometimes be taken out of context - or simply misunderstood.

And when those statements are published in the papers or on an Internet site, the players’ comments are misinterpreted and their own words used against them.

For many, their senior season is the first time they are exposed to the media, the hype, and all of the attention surrounding their recruitment. And for many, what started out appearing to be a fantasy ends up being a nightmare.

Rayville High School product Kenny Bell (6-1, 170, 4.4) officially put his name on the map of the recruiting trail last season while playing alongside current LSU receiver Chris Tolliver. Although Tolliver was the one being heavily recruited, it was Bell who led the receiving corps statistically with 58 receptions for 990 yards and 12 scores.

This season was just as successful for the four-star wide-receiver as he hauled in offers from big-named programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Arkansas, and several others before giving his verbal pledge to LSU in early August.

Since his commitment to the Tigers, Bell confirmed his commitment was nearly 100 percent, but he wanted to take a few visits to other universities to be certain LSU was the place for him. Word of those plans traveled across LSU message boards and recruiting sites like wildfire as LSU fans became in an uproar over an 18-year old kid electing to double-check on one of the biggest decisions he will be making in his lifetime.

After speaking with Bell, it was obvious someone advised him not to disclose any of his future travel plans or inner feelings until it was an appropriate time to do so.

“I haven’t been talking about football or recruiting,” Bell expressed. “And I will not talk about it until it gets closer to Signing Day. That’s when I’ll talk about football again.”

I had spoken to Bell on several prior occasions and he had always come off as a sincere, honest kid, but I discovered on Tuesday night that was no longer the case. It was not that he no longer possessed the same good-natured qualities, but it was the fact I could tell in his voice for the first time he was afraid of what to say and was hesitant in what news to offer.

Part of me was in shock because I could not believe the transition Bell had made in a month’s time, but then the other half of me completely understood his situation. There was a time I was 18-years old and I am not sure I could of handled half of the pressure that is placed upon high school athletes today in deciding what college to attend.

So before Bell and I went on our separate ways, I simply wished him the best of luck in making his college decision and I hope that others will do the same. In life nothing lasts forever, and being a kid is no exception.

People in George County, Miss. are mourning one of their own today after a Monday morning tragedy.

One of the top recruits for the Class of 2010 died on Monday after an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Jackson, Miss. standout running back Billey Joe Johnson died from a shotgun blast early Monday just after being pulled over for a routine traffic stop.

(Photo courtesy of the Biloxi Sun-Herald)

Authorities have not indicated whether or not the shooting was a suicide. Johnson, who was one of the nation’s top-rated running backs by Rivals.com, already had scholarship offers from LSU, Alabama and all three Mississippi schools. Johnson was scheduled to be honored at a banquet on Monday night in Hattiesburg.

Details of the shooting are sketchy and an investigation is underway. Johnson’s body has been released to his family an funeral arrangements are being made. Friends, family and teammates remain in a state of shock over Johnson’s passing.

Family members say it is unlikely Johnson, who was a popular student at George County High School, didn’t committ suicide.

Authorities are declining comment at this time and will make no further statements on the matter until the investigation is complete. Obvious speculation into the cause of death is fueling controversy among locals as racial tensions heighten over the tragic death of this rising star.

—

Check out Friday’s edition of the blog, which we will preview each of the state championship matchups. Not only will you get the lowdown on who should do what in which game, we’ll offer insight on who to watch in each game as well as our pick of which team should come out on top.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (12.8.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

I stated in Friday’s blog that perhaps Belle Chase would serve as a ‘trap game’ for the two-time reigning state champions, i.e. the Bastrop Rams.

This season Belle Chase appeared out of nowhere while Bastrop, since day one, was expected to take a walk through the park on their way to the Superdome. Friday’s match-up was anything but that as the Cardinals crushed Bastrop’s dreams, 35-34.

The defeat was so gut-wrenching that some of Bastrop’s players are currently still in shock.

-Terrance Armstard/The News-Star (Downs gets a sack vs. Belle Chase)

“I do not know the answer as to what happened,” Bastrop senior defensive lineman Joshua Downs stated. “I really cannot even express how I am feeling right now. At the end of the game I really didn’t have a thought either. I’ve done watched the game over and over and I still do not know what happened.”

What happened was a battle between quarterbacks as both Blake Matherne and Rueben Randle gave it their all. Matherne’s name may not have received the notoriety of Randle’s this season as far as recruiting goes, but it is certain his name will now remain in the minds of many.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Matherne finished the game with 345 yards passing including three touchdowns as well as 54 yards on the ground with another score. Even in defeat, Randle still managed to put on a show passing for 239 yards and one touchdown with an additional 81 yards rushing.

The loss was just the second in 57 games for the Rams and they were hoping to reach the Dome for the fourth consecutive season. Instead, the Cardinals will now face the Shaw Eagles this Saturday for the Class 4A state title. Ironically, Belle Chase’s only loss of the season was a 28-27 setback versus Shaw on October 17.

-Tom Morris/The News-Star (Mingo causing a fumble)

Unlike the Class 4A showdown, Class 5A contained more of a blowout as Barkevious Mingo and West Monroe dismantled Barbe 47-12. Mingo was in on three fumbles while holding Barbe’s offense to under 300 total yards.

West Monroe will face Destrehan for the class 5A state title. It will be the first time since 2005 West Monroe will be playing for a state title. The Rebels know what it takes to defeat the Wildcats. They beat a Rondell Mealey-led Destrehan team 28-21 in 1993 to win the first of six state titles.

As for the LSU Tigers, their season will end on Dec. 31 in Atlanta when they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Chick Fil-A Bowl.

LSU (7-5) will be playing in a school-record ninth straight bowl game, a streak that began with a victory over the Yellow Jackets in the 2000 Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The Tigers will be making their fifth appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and are 4-0 all-time in their previous appearances.

Last year, the Tigers won the school’s third national title with a 38-24 win over top-ranked Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans. LSU will be the first reigning national champion to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Friday (12.5.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Season after season coaches welcome new players and offer their farewells to the veterans leaving.

While just about every class contains some form of talent, it is rare to find a prospect that truly gets it. It is not everyday coaches come across a player that is relentless both on and off of the field, manages to always say the right things, puts the team first, and shows respect to the coaching staff all while carrying the ability to play for anyone.

The Northshore High School coaching staff discovered its diamond in the rough in LSU commit Chris Faulk (6-6, 305). Faulk has been a dominant force at the prep level as he earned All-District honors as a sophomore as well as All-State honors as a junior while playing on the offensive and defensive lines.

Faulk’s senior season recently came to an end, but not before the hog-molly added a couple of more accolades to his resume.

“I gave it my all,” Faulk stated. “My coach told me at our team banquet they were retiring my No. 75 jersey. He said they were doing that because every minute of every play I left it all out on the field and now no one at Northshore High School will ever be able to wear my number on their jersey.

“I was also named MVP of my team,” Faulk continued. “Playing on the offensive and defensive lines I never thought I’d be named MVP of the team. I’ll admit, it was a very emotional moment for me. I know I couldn’t have done it without the help of my coaches though and I owe them a lot for what they did for me.”

After interviewing Faulk on several occasions, I could tell he was one of the special ones. In our conversations, I could feel the passion he possessed for his team through his words and in the tone of his voice. I could feel the joy when his team won and the pain when they lost. There is not a doubt in my mind Faulk will be a pleasant surprise for LSU’s offense for years to come.

—

The only thing that can be said is,” what were they thinking?”

The Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year was announced on Thursday and Evangel Christian quarterback Dez Duron brought home the top honors. What?

Yep, all 5-11, 165 pounds of him.

With some of the top football players in the nation (with the stats to back it up), including Leesville running back Michael Ford and Bastrop wide receiver Rueben Randle, they were surpassed by the senior quarterback from Shreveport,who brought home the award.

Duron completed 292 of 428 passes for 3,993 yards this season and became the third Evangel player to capture the award. Quarterback Brent Rawls (2000-2001) and defensive tackle Eric Jefferson (1995-96) were past winners.

Only a pair of LSU’s commitments have made it to the state semi-finals this weekend.

Game 1: Belle Chase (10-1) will journey to Bastrop to challenge LSU commit Joshua Downs and LSU hopeful Rueben Randle. This could be a trap game for the Rams.

Game 2: This game will feature a pair of undefeated teams as Barbe (12-0) will travel to West Monroe (12-0) in hopes of pulling the upset. LSU commit Janzen Jackson will have to watch the game from the sidelines however, as he suffered a knee injury early last week. This game looks to be a defensive struggle.

—

Did you miss the Tiger Rag Recruiting Chat Wrap on the Tiger Rag Radio Show. CLICK HERE to check it out.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Wednesday (12.3.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

As discussed in Monday’s blog regarding Josh Boyd’s recruitment and the firing of Mississippi State Head Coach Sylvester Croom, coaches play a vital role in a recruit’s final college decision.

I stated how I believed it was unfair to penalize a recruit if he decided to de-commit from a program after committing due to a head coaching change.

I thought it was only right to allow the players the option of transferring if the coach that recruited him decided to leave or was fired once the player had signed the papers whether that was during his freshman year or junior year. After speaking with an LSU class of 2009 member as well as another prospect, it appears they support my claim.

Orson Charles

Tight-end Orson Charles has offers from just about every major college football program in the country including LSU. Charles has remained patient throughout his recruitment as he wants to be certain he makes the correct choice. Charles claimed a major factor leading into his final decision will be his relationship with the coaching staff. Incidentally, that is part of the reason why Charles is being cautious with LSU.

“I didn’t get to see the LSU vs. Arkansas game, but I did see some of the highlights,” Charles stated. “They kind of had a rough season and so now I’m waiting to see if anything happens to their coaching staff. I do not want to see anything happen to them, but I know when you’re not winning games, coaches get fired. That’s just how college football is today. You just don’t know what to expect anymore.”

Four-star running back Dexter Pratt on the other hand, committed to LSU in March, but even he understands the importance of a coaching staff. I interviewed Pratt on Tuesday evening and informed him on Charles’ situation and Pratt said he totally understood Charles’ take.

Dexter Pratt

“Coaches are a big factor for recruits,” Pratt admitted. “They are the ones recruiting the players and they are the people the players build relationships with. I can see where he (Charles) is coming from, but everybody thinks differently. The roles coaches play in final decisions varies from player to player.”

It is obvious to see why some players might elect to go elsewhere if a coach were to leave. After all, it was the coach who spotted him, met his parents, sat down in his living room and offered promises, and served as his father away from home. It was the coach that sold the university and so it should be the coach’s responsibility to maintain the players’ commitment.

If the coach decides to leave or the higher powers believe it is time for a change then the players should be given the same options. Why not?

—

Well, the LSU football regular season came to a crashing end last Friday in a 31-30 loss at Arkansas. Want the long and short on what happened this season, check out Tiger Rag’s summation of a very disappointing 2008 season.

Not enough? Not miserable yet… Then Read This!

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

***

Monday (12.1.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

It appears during each recruiting cycle players commit and decommit from various programs. In the end the recruits are viewed as the bad guys because it was them that reneged on the verbal agreement.

That is expected when dealing with 17 and 18 year old kids, but age and uncertainty are not always the reasons behind de-commitments. Sometimes it is the men recruiting them that lead them to mixed emotions.

Over the weekend Mississippi State Head Coach Sylvester Croom announced he would be stepping down as the Bulldogs’ skipper. His decision was the kind that alters recruiting classes. It may turn a decent State class into a dismal one while turning an opposing program’s class into a promising one.

Four-Star defensive lineman Josh Boyd committed to Mississippi State earlier in the year, but the news of Croom’s decision has since brought the Philadelphia High School product back to the crossroads.

“The news came as a surprise to me,” Boyd stated regarding Croom’s situation. “He was really the main reason I committed to Mississippi State. Now I guess I’ll wait and see what happens there.

“Right now, I really do not know what I’m going to do,” Boyd added. “I think I’m just going to start looking into everybody that offered me.”

For several months Boyd kept his loyalty to the Bulldogs even though he was being heavily pursued by universities such as LSU, Alabama, and Michigan. Now, however, it is fair game. I think it would be hard for anyone to be upset at Boyd if he were to commit to a different program.

One of the programs that remained in contact with the 6-foot-3, 275-pound lineman was LSU. The Tigers were also a program Boyd respected.

I really like LSU,” Boyd admitted. “I’m definitely going to give them another look. I stayed in touch with coach [Earl] Lane and I even spoke to coach [Les] Miles not too long ago. They said they understood if I wanted to stay in-state to play, but they really wanted me to go to LSU. They said they had a spot for me and I could come in and play early.

“LSU has been a big name school for a long time,” Boyd continued. “I know this year has been kind of a down year for them, but I still consider them as a big time program. I could see myself playing for them.”

It is unfortunate the players get punished if they de-commit during a season after giving their signature to a program, but coaches can be fired or decide to accept a bigger contract at another school while deserting the players they recruited and receive no punishment for their actions.

Some may argue the players should select a school for the school and not for the coaches, but that is like buying a car for how it looks and not how it drives or what it offers. Most of the kids accepting athletic scholarships have dreams of one day making it to the NFL. And for the most part they are looking for the team with a coach that has the best shot at getting them there.

I feel it should work both ways. A player should have the option without punishment to leave a program if the head coach that recruited him is dismissed during the four years he was entitled to. If a coach or a school has the option to make a change then so should the players.

I believe by giving the players that option would force schools to try their best in turning things around with the man they originally hired as head coach. I think it would prevent short-term coaching tenures.

LSU’s class of 2009 has two players on two different teams that have made it to the semifinals of the Louisiana state playoffs:

Joshua Downs and LSU hopeful Rueben Randle crushed Zachary last week 40-7. They are set to take on Belle Chase.

Barbe dismantled Trevon Reed and Thibodaux 48-14 without the assistance of defensive back Janzen Jackson. Jackson went down earlier in the week at practice with a knee injury. The injury will cost him the rest of the season. Barbe will challenge West Monroe for a ticket to the title game.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

***

Wednesday (11.26.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Some programs are fortunate to have one featured back and some running backs are lucky to have a decent offensive line. However, in rare cases team’s are able to showcase both and it appears LSU will become one of them beginning in 2009.

The Tigers will have a boatload of incoming offensive linemen as well as solid running backs next season. Two of the more intriguing players mentioned in this group are running back Michael Ford and fullback Dominique Allen. Coincidentally, Ford and Allen are also two of the freshmen with a legit chance of seeing playing time in their first season.

Allen, a Tennessee native, proved he had the skills to carry the rock during his junior campaign as he achieved All-State honors while rushing for over 1,500 yards and 30 touchdowns for his Henry County High School team. This year however, proved what he could do without the ball in his hands.

He showed various collegiate coaches as well as opposing high school coaches that he was just as dangerous at making holes for his teammates as he was at carrying the load himself. It was something Allen wanted to accomplish before heading to the next level.

“My stats are a little down from last year because a lot of the teams we played last season are the same ones we played against this year and they’ve been keying on me,” Allen claimed. “So I haven’t been running as much this year. Instead, I’ve been blocking more, opening up holes for our two speed backs. I believe I did better at blocking this season than anything else. That was the one thing I knew I had to work on to become a complete back.”

Dominique Allen (Photo courtesy of Rivals.com)

Although his individual numbers were down due to obvious reasons, his team’s numbers were up due to his unselfish play. Henry County High School will be appearing in the semi-finals of the state playoffs this Friday with a perfect 13-0 record. Out of their 13 games, they scored less than 35 points just one time and that was last week in their win over Melrose, 28-26.

Allen will certainly be a player running back Michael Ford will be grateful to have leading the way out of the backfield. Ford was the go-to guy for his Leesville team all season long as he finished the year with 2,952 yards rushing including 29 touchdowns. The main difference between this season and next will be the fact that next year Ford will have a wrecking-ram like Allen paving the way.

“I haven’t met him (Dominique Allen) yet, but I know what he will mean to me,” Ford explained. “It’s very important to have a good fullback because it’s on him to pick up the next man in line that the offensive line does not pick up.”

The Tigers’ ground attack will undoubtedly inflict fear on its opponents for seasons to come.

—

© 2008 Tiger Rag

***

Monday (11.24.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

Some players elect to hold off on the recruiting talk while they focus on their seasons. Others are willing to sneak a peak at the recruiting scene, but they hide from the media because they do not want to be bothered. Some guys are willing to discuss their recruitment, but they do not interact with other recruits. It seems as if they hesistate to put too much on their plates, or at least what appears to be more than they can handle.

Then there are the unique players. Those are the players that are media friendly, scholars in the classroom, leaders on the field, and begin assiting their future teams before they take one step onto the field. At times they seem like they can do it all. Those are the players that usually leave a legacy at their chosen university while finding a career at the next level as well.

LSU has found its diamond in the rough in the nation’s number one prospect Russell Shepard. Shepard has conducted pregame, post-game, preseason and postseason interviews both with the media and the guys he believes will help his future team (recruits). He hits the books in the classroom and and blows snot-bubbles at practice day-in and day-out. In his brief spare time he gives back to the community by being a board member for the Oliver Foundation (non-profit organization for kids dealing with obesity).

LSU has found its diamond in the rough in the nation’s number one prospect Russell Shepard. Shepard has conducted pregame, post-game, preseason and postseason interviews both with the media and the guys he believes will help his future team (recruits). He hits the books in the classroom and and blows snot-bubbles at practice day-in and day-out. In his brief spare time he gives back to the community by being a board member for the Oliver Foundation (non-profit organization for kids dealing with obesity).

Everyday is a constructive one for the rising star and this weekend was no different as he led his team to a stunning 42-32 victory over Lufkin High School in the second round of the playoffs. Shepard finished the game with a whopping 323 yards on the ground with five touchdowns while adding another 87 yards through the air.

Russell Shepard (Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

Lufkin’s Head Coach John Outlaw could not believe his eyes as Shepard took control of the game single-handily. Outlaw told the Lufkin Daily News Shepard looked like ‘a man among boys’.

No one could argue against that assessment, except for Shepard as he remains humble. In the moments where he could say look at me and look what I did, he prefers to turn the spotlight on his teammates. It is just his nature.

“”It was a fun game,” Shepard stated. “It wasn’t easy. Lufkin has an amazing team and they’re usually mentioned as one of Texas’s top three high school teams year-in and year-out. We just came out with a good scheme and it worked.

“Every play I scored on was a play that our entire offense executed,” Shepard added. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. Lufkin probably has the best defensive line in the state of Texas and our offensive line did an amazing job of blocking. Our receivers caught the ball, ran their routes well, and did a good job of blocking too. It was a team win.”

Most players would have been exhausted after rushing for 323 yards and escaping the grasp of five-star defensive tackle JaMarkus McFarland all game long, but not Shepard. Being the do-it-all that he his, he was still lobbying for McFarland to come to LSU in his own way after the game.

JaMarkus McFarland (Photo courtesy of PrepTicket.com)

It was reported McFarland eliminated LSU from his top two, but Shepard refuses to give up on his pursuit of landing the nation’s top recruiting class. The five-star gunslinger understands McFarland would be a perfect fit to the remainder of LSU’s recruiting puzzle. Some players would turn their back on McFarland after hearing his top two teams did not include LSU, but that is not Shepard’s style.

“I’m hoping he’ll change his mind and reconsider coming to LSU,” Shepard continued. “We talked a little after the game and we’ve been talking all day today (Sunday). He’s been giving me some advice on how to keep things going in order for us to advance in the playoffs.”

To some it may seem like harmless chatter. It may seem like Shepard is simply receiving some helpful pointers for his team to succeed in the playoffs, but you better believe Shepard is working his magic. Why would Shepard need advice on how to win from someone on a team he just dismantled?

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Aside from the playoff talk, school, practice, interviews, and the Oliver Foundation, Shepard continues to monitor the recruiting scene and he admitted to being impressed with two of LSU’s latest commitments.

“I love it,” Shepard stated on the Tigers latest recruiting fortunes. “I fell in love with Dominque Allen when I watched him on film. I was very impressed with what I saw. Its unbelievable for him to be that big and to be able to move with his feet like he does.

“And Lamin Barrow looks like he is an amazing player too,” Shepard continued. “I think it was a good move to get a player from that area that is from inside of the state. It is good to get guys like that because they know the tradition of LSU. Sometime you get guys from out-of-state and they do not understand what LSU football is all about.”

Another player Shepard has his sights on is Bastrop High School product Rueben Randle. Shepard heard the news Randle was supposed to be in attendance for the Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech game. Shepard claimed it came as no surprise.

“I think Rueben has an ambition to travel,” Shepard stated. “A lot of guys that are from small towns are like that and Bastrop is not that big of a town. I think his mom and dad want him to weigh his options and not to make his decision too early. I’m just hoping when it’s all said and done he’ll pick the purple and gold.”

In the news on Monday, it seems a handful of recruits still have LSU among their favorites, according the The State (Columbia, S.C.).

On Monday, The State listed Greenwood, S.C. defensive Sam Montgomery still hasLSU on his list of schools to visit. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) running back Travis Ward said he is still hearing from LSU regularly and Sanford (Fla.) defensive end Dyron Dye is apparently down to LSU and Miami as his collegiate choices.

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One of the nation’s top uncommitted prospects recently saw his prep career come to an end.

Jarvis Jones, a 6-4, 210-pound linebacker from Columbus (Ga.), underwent season ending surgery on an injured thumb. The Atlanta Journal Counstitution’s Super 11 standout must now watch his Carver High School team go on in the playoffs without him.

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Some in-state LSU commitments were playing in playoff games of their own. Here are their results from over the weekend.

Game 1: Leesville running back Michael Ford gave it his all while rushing for 299 yards, but it was not enough as his team fell to Zachary, 21-19.

Game 2: A pair of future teammates went head-to-head as Kenny Bell and Carneal Ainsworth squared off. Ainsworth’s team got the better of Rayville as they won in style, 42-19. Now hopefully Bell and Ainsworth can be friends again.

Game 3: Bastrop and Joshua Downs continued on their path to the Dome as they defeated Helen Cox, 36-22.

Game 4: Janzen Jackson’s Barbe team scored just enough points as they squeaked out a close one over Dutchtown, 28-26.

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And finally, things have gone totally awry with the LSU Tigers.

On Saturday, LSU dropped its third straight SEC home game and fell to 7-4 on the year, 3-4 in the SEC. The LSU defense looked helpless and the offense continued to sputter as Ole Miss rolled past the Tigers 31-13.

Jordan Jefferson was forced into action when Jarrett Lee left the game with an injury. The Rebels’ offense torched an embattled LSU defense as Ole Miss spoiled Senior Day for 20 LSU seniors.

However, the wheels aren’t necessarily off just yet. LSU needs to get into the offseason badly as Les Miles will have somedifficult decisions to make.

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© 2008 Tiger Rag

- Matt Deville contributed to this report

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Friday (11.21.08)

Posted by Daniel Mingea III

Tiger Rag Recruiting Analyst

It appears the recruiting cycle mirrors that of Louisiana’s weather as you never know what tomorrow is going to bring. Sometimes weeks, months go by with no breaking news of commitments.

And as soon as you close your eyes (decide not to take your umbrella), stories break everywhere (it pours). Global warming must be affecting LSU as it went over three months without a commitment before landing four prospects within the last two weeks.

Rayville High School product Kenny Bell offered his verbal pledge to the Tigers on August 4th. LSU and its coaching staff waited patiently as if they knew the storm was about to come. Three months later, on November 9th coach Les Miles added commitment number 18 by way of JUCO defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (6-6, 295, 4.8).

The commitment came as a shock to many, but what may have been the bigger surprise was coach Miles not extending an offer to Destrehan defensive tackle Darrington Sentimore earlier in the year. Apparently coach Miles had good reasoning behind his decision to hold-off on the offer.

Two days later Miles added Fair Parks High School athlete Morris Claiborne’s name to the list. Claiborne’s commitment made sense due to the fact wide-receiver Rontavious Wooten decommitted from the Tigers earlier in the year. Claiborne is expected to come in and play as a corner, but his athletic ability should open up doors at receiver if needed.

Many were relieved the Alabama loss did not affect the recruitment of Hicks and Claiborne, but the scare to Troy State a week later brought back the same worries. The heart and desire shown by the Tigers’ players in that game may have been just what the doctor ordered as two more recruits decided to join the purple and gold.

On Nov. 16, it rained again as Tennessee native Dominique Allen pledged to coach Miles after having decommitted from the Vols. Three days later, John Ehret’s Lamin Barrow turned his dream into a reality as he informed coach Miles he was coming to LSU.

That brings us to today, Nov. 21. LSU currently holds 21 commitments for the class of 2009 (including Willie Ferrell). The Tigers are allowed to extend just 25 scholarships per year so it will be interesting to see how this class pans out.

I believe five-star safety Craig Loston and five-star receiver Andre Debose are locks to LSU which would bring the total to 23. I also have a good feeling West Monroe linebacker Barkevious Mingo will strap on a Tigers’ helmet next season as well.

Therefore, with one spot left there is room for possibly five-star receiver Reuben Randle who I consider to be a toss up at the present time as well as five-star defensive tackle William Campbell who will be taking an official visit to Baton Rouge this weekend for the Ole Miss game.

That’s just two of several recruits who are currently deciding on LSU. There are long-shots remaining such as Orson Charles, Darren Myles Jr.,Ray Ray Armstrong, Dyron Dye, Jon Bostic, Jarvis Jones, John Martinez, Xavier Su’a Filo, Jamarkus McFarland, etc.

Will coach Miles refuse a commitment from say one of the prospects he has already offered in hopes of landing a more highly-touted recruit? If Loston, Debose, and Mingo commit as I expect them to, will Miles accept one more and close the door on those who waited too long?

That’s like trying to predict the weather. Who knows?

Five of LSU’s class of 2009 commitments have guided their teams to the second round of the playoffs. They are as follows.

Game 1: Leesville (10-1) vs. Zachary (6-4). Leesville running back Michael Ford is on pace to set a single season rushing record as he nears the 3,000 yard mark.

Game 2: Rayville (8-3) vs. Parkview Baptist (9-1). Future teammates Kenny Bell and Carneal Ainsworth will go head-to-head in this match-up. Ainsworth joked earlier in the week stating he hoped his Parkview Baptist team would beat Bell this week and then they could be friends at LSU.

Game 3: Bastrop (9-1) and defensive tackle Joshua Downs hope to hurdle Helen Cox (7-3) in route to the Dome.

Game 4: Janzen Jackson and a stingy Barbe (10-0) defense are set to face a dynamic running game orchestrated by Dutchtown (8-2).

Other playoff games of note involving Louisiana prospects being targeted by LSU:

Linebacker Barkevious Mingo and the West Monroe Rebels (11-0) travel to St. Thomas More (8-3). The Rebels should win the game, but on the road in Lafayette could make for a difficult outing for Don Show’s club. West Monroe has been bounced out of the Class 5A playoffs in the second round each of the last two seasons.

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