LSU Baseball 2010, A Look Ahead

While we've all enjoyed basking in the championship glory over the last few days, many people's attention has immediately turned to next year. Does LSU have a realistic chance of returning to Rosenblatt Stadium one last time before the College World Series moves to Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha? Can LSU repeat as national champions? I think the answer is a resounding YES. To see what the Tiger Baseball Team may look like next year, we must first take a look at the players who are leaving.

LSU loses seniors Derek Helinihi, Louis Coleman, and Nolan Cain. They're also almost certain to lose Jared Mitchell, Sean Ochinko, DJ LaMahieu, and Ryan Schimpf. Those guys were all drafted high and are expected to turn pro. Those 4 players represent 47 home runs and 220 RBIs lost from 2009. Needless to say, that's a lot. Junior Blake Dean was drafted in the 10th round which presents him with a difficult decision. Being drafted in the 10th round had to be a little disappointing for Dean. He could return, work hard in the off-season, earn a position in the field and improve his draft positon. Or, he could leave now and not risk an injury or a downgrade in draft position. It will be something we'll follow closely until August, when a decision must be made. Many seem to think Dean will return to try and show pro scouts he can play in the field, and we'll go with that assumption for now.

LSU still returns quite a bit of talent. And a lot of the projected everyday players in 2010 were true freshmen in 2009, so it's reasonable to expect significant improvement from those guys. Here are some returning position players that you can pencil into the mix for the start of next year:

OF Leon Landry
OF Mikie Mahtook
SS Austin Nola
INF Tyler Hanover
C Micah Gibbs
DH/1B/OF Blake Dean

That leaves a few spots "open", and here are some candidates to fill them:

OF Johnny Dishon - Dishon played quite a bit in a reserve role on the 2008 team, but then redshirted in 2009. The speedy outfielder will be on the roster next year and will be one of the top candidates to win the third outfield position.

INF Grant Dozar - Dozar, a freshman in 2009, played quite a bit earlier in the season. He has impressed in practice all year and those who saw him in Omaha said he really stood out when taking batting practice. He played some first base this year, so he could be a candidate to play there in 2010. He may be a candidate for the outfield as well. I do expect he'll be in the mix somewhere.

INF Beau Didier - Didier, also a freshman in 2009, required surgery this year or else he may have been a familiar name by now. He did manage one plate appearance this year before his surgery, and he hit a home run. Didier is a good candidate to play third base, as I expect Tyler Hanover may get a look at second base.

1B Kyle Koeneman - Koeneman comes to LSU from a junior college, where he hit 50 home runs in two seasons. If he can transfer his power from junior college ball to the SEC, then Koeneman will be tough to keep off the diamond. While probably not as good a prospect out of JUCO as Matt Clark was, Koeneman is close. I wouldn't be surprised if he's LSU's first baseman or designated hitter next year.

C Wes Luquette - Luquette will be a true freshman in 2010, and he's a very good talent. He was drafted in the 27th round out of high school, and he would have been drafted higher if not for an injury. While we know that Micah Gibbs is LSU's catcher next year, Luquette could be his top backup and he could compete for a spot in the lineup as a designated hitter. He will most likely take over as LSU's full time catcher after Gibbs leaves the program.

OF Chad Stang - Stang signed with LSU out of a JUCO in Texas, and he's the best bet to win the third outfielder spot for the Tigers....IF he comes to Baton Rouge. He was drafted in the 8th round, and the odds are very high that he'll go pro. This interview indicates that he's leaning strongly towards signing with the Brewers.

OF/DH Chad Jones - We all know that Jones may be forced to miss a big chunk of the season due to spring football next year. He also may be finished with his career at LSU and preparing for the NFL Draft. We won't know until next year. But we do know he's a heck of a talent. Several accounts from Omaha have Jones hitting 450 foot bombs in batting practice at Rosenblatt. He could be an option late in the season in the field and on the mound. Being a 6'3" lefthander, could Jones learn how to play 1B?

Looking to the mound, LSU's pitching staff looks like it will be a strength once again. Leading the way will be unquestioned leader of the staff and team ace Anthony Ranaudo. LSU will no doubt lean on him to win each weekend. The rest of the starting pitching staff is up for grabs, but here are some candidates:

RHP Austin Ross - Ross was the Sunday starter all year in 2009 and performed adequately. He was 6-8 with a 5.18 ERA. However, in some starts he showed really good stuff. Dominating stuff. In other starts, he got roughed up pretty bad. If Ross can work on being more consistent, then he could emerge as LSU's #2 guy in the rotation. If not, then he could find himself in the bullpen. He has a good fastball and is pretty effective with his off speed pitches. Consistency is the key.

RHP Daniel Bradshaw - Bradshaw was outstanding down the stretch in 2009. He finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 3.04 ERA. Towards the end of the season, Bradshaw allowed just 10 hits and 2 earned runs in his final 19 IP. That comes to a 0.95 ERA. Included in those 19 innings were two starts, where Bradshaw threw 10 shutout innings. He has certainly earned the right to be considered a starter next year. He may be a good candidate to be LSU's mid-week starter. Those mid-week games are important for RPI purposes and helping ensure a National Top 8 seed.

RHP Zach Von Rosenberg - Von Rosenberg will be a true freshman in 2010, but he'll probably be a darn good one. He's a big kid at 6'5" and has a fastball that gets up around 90 MPH. He was drafted in the 6th round in the Major League Draft, but most reports have him coming to LSU. He's from Zachary and comes from an LSU family.

RHP Brody Colvin - Colvin is another true freshman that may be in the mix. Like Von Rosenberg, Colvin was highly drafted being a 7th round selection. I haven't heard much on Colvin's intentions. He's 6'4" and gets his fastball up to 92 MPH. He's also a pretty good hitter. We'll cross our fingers that Colvin comes to LSU.

LHP Chris Matulis - Matulis, a freshman in 2009, started the season off great. He earned the role of being LSU's mid-week starter and was outstanding earlier in the year. About halfway through the season, Matulis started to struggle and by the end of the season, he was nailed to the bench. He finished the season with a 6-2 record and 4.81 ERA. If he can re-gain his early season form from 2009, then he could be in the rotation. He currently looks like LSU's only option as a left handed starter.

RHP Matty Ott - We all know Ott was outstanding as a closer in 2009. He was a First Team All-American as a true freshman. He will most likely continue to be LSU's closer, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ott take on a role similar to what Jared Bradford did for LSU a couple years back. He could be a closer, a spot starter, or a "fire extinguisher" that could take over when a starter gets into trouble and go the distance. I don't think Ott will be a regular weekend starter, but the coaches may want to utilize him in different roles in 2010.

LSU also returns a lot of experience to the bullpen. We already talked about Ott and the possibility that Ross and/or Bradshaw could pitch in relief. Bascially, any of the above guys who don't find themselves in the starting rotation will work out of the bullpen. The Tigers will also have the following options:

RHP Paul Bertuccini - Bertuccini will return as a middle relief guy for LSU that can be counted on. He is more of a specialty pitcher that thrives on getting the team out of jams. Bertuccini throws almost exclusively curveballs, which makes him ideal to show the hitters a different look at key times. He was 2-0 with 3.86 ERA in 2009.

LHP Chad Jones - We talked about Jones above as a batter, but he'll certainly be used as a relief pitcher as well if he's on the team. Jones showed some great stuff at the end of the year, and his dominating performance in the Championship Game crushed the will of the Texas Longhorns. While used as a specialty guy to go against left handers, Jones showed he can be effective against righties too. He looks like he has stuff to be a great closer, but it will be difficult for him to fill that role if he misses a large chunk of the season for spring football.

A couple of other options may join LSU's team from the JUCO ranks:

RHP Bret Bruening was drafted in the 35th round, but it sounds like he's very open to signing a pro contract. However, Bruening was drafted in the 30th round a year earlier and decided to not turn pro, so simple logic says that if the 30th round wasn't good enough, then the 35th round shouldn't be good enough either. We'll have to see what happens. Bruening has great stuff though with a fastball that can get into the mid-90s and would be an asset to LSU's team in 2010.

RHP Mitchell Mormann was drafted in the 20th round, and I haven't been able to find much on him and his intentions. He's another real big guy at 6'6" 220 pounds. All I could find was that Mormann won 10 games in 13 starts with a 3.40 ERA last year for Des Moines Area Community College.

While a lot will certainly change, predictions are fun and I'll give my guess at a line-up and rotation for next year:

Batting Order:

SS Austin Nola
CF Leon Landry
LF Blake Dean
1B Kyle Koeneman
RF Mikie Mahtook
3B Beau Didier
C Micah Gibbs
DH Grant Dozar
2B Tyler Hanover

Starting Rotation:

Anthony Ranaudo
Zach Von Rosenberg
Daniel Bradshaw

All in all, LSU most certianly has the talent to be outstanding again in 2010. As you can tell, a lot of things depend on who signs pro contracts and who decides to be at LSU next year. Many of those decisions will go all the way to August. This blog will be in full football mode by then, but I'll try to update everyone as players sign or decide to go to LSU.

A New Gold Standard! LSU wins 6th National Title!

Boy, This is fun! I really enjoy putting my thoughts down just 30 minutes after winning a national championship. It's a bit tougher after 7 Abita Wheats but I'm going to try and focus here. I'm not even sure where to start really. Going into the Final Series, Tiger fans had a ton of confidence because of their ability to pitch both Louis Coleman and Anthony Ranaudo. Both ended up delivering sub-par performances in their starts against Texas, but LSU went ahead and won the national championship anyway.

LSU delivered a total team effort in the College World Series. The Tigers hit 13 home-runs during their 6 games in Omaha, and they were hit by 8 different players. Things weren't much different from the mound. LSU needed 5 wins to secure their 6th national championship. Anthony Ranaudo started 3 of those wins, and Louis Coleman started the other 2. While things weren't always pretty, those two guys showed a ton of guts and they did what they needed to do. Matt Ott and Chad Jones were spectacular in relief as well.

What can you say about LSU's freshman center fielder? Mikie Mah-TOOK a title away from the Longhorns (that was clever!). He knocked in the winning run in both of LSU's victories, and he also played some great defense in the outfield. For a freshman, he showed gobs of courage by fighting off some poor at-bats to come back and get the big hit in crunch time.

Speaking of great defense, how about Derek Helinihi? I'll admit that I was down on the guy for most of the College World Series. He only had 1 hit in 23 at bats in Omaha for a pretty awful .043 batting average. However, if you consider a hit prevented on defense the equivalent of a hit on offense, then Helinhi would be hitting around .350 for the CWS. His outstanding defense at third base probably saved at least a half-dozen hits and he deserves credit for that. He also gets a tip of the cap for knocking in a run with a sac fly Wednesday night on a hit that I thought was out of the park. I'm sure half half of Louisisna jumped off their couch when he hit that ball to the warning track in left field during the 6th inning.

Sean Ochinko, after earning a spot on the pine in Tuesday's game, responded with a 4 for 5 night with 3 RBIs and a home-run. Sean picked a great time to have a career night at the plate.

While I've talked about a couple of less obvious heroes, the likely suspects deserve their credit too. Ryan Schimpf blasted 3 home runs in Omaha. Blake Dean had 2. Jared Mitchell had 2 HRs including the big 3-run blast to get things started Wednesday night. Mitchell was great during the CWS. And DJ Lamahieu did nothing different than he's done all year, which was to be a consistent, very good hitter.


Lastly, what can you say about coach Paul Maineri? Until the very end, he was always willing to make changes to benefit the team. Monday and Tuesday, Jared Mitchell hit 6th in the order and Micah Gibbs hit 4th. On Wednesday night, Maineri moved Sean Ochinko to 4th and Mitchell to 5th. What happens in the first inning? With 2 outs, Ochinko gets a single and Mitchell blasts a 3-run homerun. Uhhh...good call Coach! Ochinko goes on to have a career night in the most important game of his career. Maineri also stuck with his ace pitcher, Anthony Ranaudo. I'm not sure how many times I said "pull him" when Ranaudo looked done in the 3rd and 4th innings. But Maineri stuck with him and Ranaudo grinded out several very important outs before finally giving way. Chad Jones was just awesome in relief, and his performance really squashed the hopes of any Texas comeback. He threw 5 outs of dominating, perfect baseball and when he was done with the Longhorn hitters, the whole burnt orange dugout was hanging their head. The game was over at that point.

This LSU team started this season ranked #1 in the nation, and they'll finish the same way. They began the year with a 9 game winning streak and they ended it by winning 15 of 16 and 27 of their last 32. In between those two great stretches of baseball were some tense times, but we now know that Coach Maineri was simply working out the kinks and getting things in order. In 3 short years, Maineri has proven himself to be exceptional at making the right moves at the right time. There's no question that he's earned the benefit of the doubt from LSU fans. Hopefully, he'll still be able to point out similar changes in the future, but it might be a bit more difficult with a big heavy ring on his finger.

Simply put, it was an exciting and thrilling summer following this team. THANK YOU to Coach Paul Maineri and the 2009 LSU Baseball National Champions!!



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LSU Ready For Finals; Houston Bates is a Commitment

BASEBALL

After dismantling Arkansas on Friday afternoon, LSU has clearly made their case as the best team in the College World Series. Unfortunately that means nothing from this point forward, and the Tigers will need to win 2 more games in order to be National Champions. While LSU has been impressive on their way to the Finals, the Texas Longhorns have relied on a little luck along with some very timely hitting to earn their way.

LSU has to like where they stand since they're able to throw their senior ace Louis Coleman for the opener Monday night. Coleman will be going against sophomore right hander Chance Ruffin who has also had a fantastic season. Ruffin is 10-2 with a 3.27 ERA on the season. He has 104 strikeouts in 118 innings with just 24 walks. Ruffin pitched the second game for Texas against Arizona State and got roughed up, going just 2 innings and giving up 7 hits and 6 runs. He'll certainly be looking to redeem himself after that poor outing.

The big question mark for LSU is who will Pitch Game 2 on Tuesday? Ideally, LSU would be able to throw Anthony Randaudo, but he just started on Friday. Would he be as effective? Would he be able to pitch as long as normal? The other option would be to pitch Austin Ross, who hasn't started a game in almost a month since he opened the Baton Rouge regional against Southern. Paul Maineri hasn't tipped his hand yet, but the consensus seems to be that if LSU wins on Monday, then Ross will start Tuesday. If LSU loses Monday, then Ranaudo would start on Tuesday. I tend to think that we might see Ranaudo pitch on Tuesday regardless since he only threw 77 pitches Friday.

Texas plans to pitch freshman right hander Taylor Jungmann in Game 2 on Tuesday. Jungmann has also had a great year, going 10-3 with a 2.10 ERA. He has 92 strikeouts and 32 walks in over 85 innings. Batters have a very low .197 batting average against him. Texas coach Augie Garrido has said that he'd be willing to use Jungmann on Monday if the game was close. Jungmann pitched two-thirds of an inning in the Longhorns' first game of the College World Series and gave up a hit and walked a batter. He also came in to their second game and put out the fire that Ruffin started. He did very well, pitching over 5 innings and giving up just 2 hits and no runs to earn the win.

Scheduled to pitch Game 3 for Texas is righty Cole Green. Green just pitched on Friday night against Arizona State and went 6 innings, gave up 8 hits and 2 runs. For the season, Green is 5-3 with a 3.07 ERA. He has 84 strikeouts and 34 walks in 108 innings. Batters hit .235 against Green.

At the plate, Texas is very underwhelming. Only 2 of their everyday starters bat over .300 and they hit .289 as a team. For a comparison, 5 of LSU's everyday players hit over .300 (6 if you count Tyler Hanover) and they hit .318 as a team. LSU has also hit 103 home runs on the season compared to just 45 for Texas. However, the Horns have hit 6 HR during the College World Series while LSU has hit 9. Texas obviously relies on great pitching and good defense in the field with solid execution and timely hitting at the plate.

The thing that stands out to me is that all 3 of the Longhorn starters are right-handers. And has been often reported, LSU has just 3 losses this season when facing a right-handed starter. To face a team with all right handers in the finals is a bit of good fortune for LSU.

Predictions? I think LSU keeps up their very high level of play. And I think they'll be getting fitted for rings sometime Tuesday night. I like LSU in a sweep.

RECRUITING

If you haven't heard yet, St Pauls HS defensive end Houston Bates gave his verbal commitment to LSU last week. Bates is LSU's 15th commitment for the Class of 2010. Much discussion has been made as to what position Bates will play at LSU. He's a defensive end in high school, but he may project better as a linebacker in college. LSU reportedly offered him as an athlete, and they'll figure out where he plays once he gets to campus. I know that LSU offered him after seeing him perform at camp as a linebacker and a fullback.

A new name to watch could be OP Walker HS offensive lineman Charles Barkins.

FOOTBALL

It's been reported by a few that wide receiver Tim Molton has torn his ACL and is out for the season. This is a very bad break for the Tigers. I haven't seen this come from anywhere official yet, so I can't verify whether it's true or not but it seems to be. We've been hearing great things about Molton after spring practice, and he was considered the top guy to be LSU's #3 WR at the start of the season. Senior RJ Jackson, freshman Chris Tolliver, and true freshman Reuben Randle will have to step up to fill the void.

Tigers in Great Shape in Omaha; Post Camp Recruiting Round-Up

After watching LSU outclass Arkansas Monday night, this Tiger team is starting to display a look similar to that of many past Tiger national championship teams. The team has stepped up in the post-season and is now on a 12 game winning streak. They seem to get the big hit or the big strikeout when its needed. Winners of their first two games in Omaha, LSU sits in the catbird's seat for the tournament. The winner of Wednesday's game between Arkansas and Virginia will have to beat LSU Friday, and then beat them again on Saturday in order to advance to the Finals. And they'll have to do it with an exhausted pitching staff.

LSU, on the other hand, gets to rest for 3 straight days. Having pitched only 3.1 innings on Saturday night, Anthony Ranaudo will be more than ready to start Friday's game. My guess is that he'll be plenty motivated and focused after a poor outing against Virginia and that he'll redeem himself nicely. If needed, Louis Coleman may be ready to go on Saturday, at least for a bit. The ideal situation is that Ranaudo pitches LSU to a Tiger victory on Friday which sets up Coleman, on a full week's rest, to start Game 1 of the Finals. Ranaudo could then come back and possibly pitch in Game 3 of the Finals if needed.

I give a special tip of the cap to a pair of freshmen who hit big home runs in the game Monday night. Centerfielder Mikie Mahtook and shortstop Austin Nola (pictured) both hit home-runs, leading the way for a 9-run output for LSU's offense.

RECRUITING

As is customary following a camp for high school prospects, LSU saw quite a bit of activity during or soon after their camp held last week. After getting the great news about Tennessee linebacker Justin Maclin and New Orleans athlete Ronnie Vinson, the flurry of verbal commitments didn't stop.

Georgia tight-end Cameron Fordham gave his verbal commitment to Les Miles just one day after receiving an offer. Fordham's father, Jeff, played for LSU in the early 1980s, so he's very familiar with the program. Fordham doesn't have a terribly impressive offer list with his only other offers coming from Syracuse, Central Florida, East Carolina, and UAB. ESPN does grade him rather high and they have a good evaluation of him. The consensus seems to be that LSU projects Fordham to ultimately end up on the offensive line or as a blocking tight-end in the mold of Keith Zinger. But at currently 6'4 235 pounds, he has a long way to go before he can think about playing on the offensive line. LSU's coaches got a first hand look at Fordham before offering him, so we'll have to trust their judgement on this one.

These camps often bring a surprise from out of nowhere and the commitment of Alabama athlete Sam Gibson surprised many. From talking to Alabama and Auburn folks who follow this stuff, they all speak very highly of Gibson. He is 6'2" 200 pounds and plays QB for his high school team. While some schools recruited Gibson as a QB, LSU just wants him as an athlete. I think he's most likely to end up as a safety although he brings a lot of versatility. I knew that LSU wanted to get a 2nd safety in this class, but I wasn't sure who it would be. I think Gibson answers that question. Here is ESPN's evaluation. And here is a good highlight video of Gibson:

A few days after LSU's camp concluded, Texas QB Zach Lee visited LSU's campus once again. After this visit, Lee decided to give his commitment to LSU. The timing of this is not surprising seeing as how LSU was able to look at other QB prospects Munchie Legaux and Terrance Broadway at camp. Both reportedly turned in underwhelming performances. That set the stage perfectly for Lee to commit just a few days later. I really like Lee as a prospect. He has great size at 6'4" 200 pounds and his skillset reminds me a lot of Matt Mauck. He's got a real good arm and can make all the throws. Though not a "runing QB", he has good mobility and can make some plays with his feet. He can even run some option and keep a defense honest on a zone read running play. Lee is also a big-time baseball prospect as a power right-handed pitcher, and he'll likely be another two sport star at LSU. He may even be good enough to get drafted out of high school, so that is slightly concerning. But it's way too early to worry about that. Sam Gibson could provide some insurance as a QB for this class in case Lee chooses pro baseball over college. I think that Lee's commitment closes the book on LSU's hunt for a QB in the Class of 2010 with the exception of one guy....Jesse Scroggins. In my opinion, LSU will still recruit Scroggins and if they can get him, they'll take him. But I don't think you'll see much happen with guys like Munchie Legaux and Terrance Broadway.

Another guy who turned in a good performance at camp is St. Paul's high school defensive end/linebacker Houston Bates. Bates worked out at linebacker and even worked some at fullback during camp, and his performance earned an offer from Les Miles. Bates is a hard working, hard nosed football player that most coaches love to have on their team. Currently, Bates is the classic "tweener" playing defensive end with a linebacker's body. He's only about 220 pounds right now. If you beef him up to 250 or so in order to play defensive end in college, will he still be quick enough? Regardless of where he ends up, I have very little doubt that he'll soon be an LSU Commitment. ESPN grades him well and has a nice write-up on him. Here is some video of Bates in action:



One of the stories heading into camp was whether Texas cornerback Tony Hurd would earn an offer. He apparently did not...at least not yet. Hurd tweaked an old injury during the camp, but played through it. While the coaches apparently liked what they saw, they asked Hurd to return to the camp in July so they could evaluate him while he's at full strength. Badly wanting the LSU offer, Hurd plans to return to give it another shot. He'll be going head to head with guys like Tyler Stephenson and Curtis Carter, and they may be competing for just 1 open scholarship at cornerback. Hurd traveled to the camp with linebacker Shaun Lewis, who continues to have LSU high on his list. An offer to Hurd would likely result in verbal commitments from both Hurd and Lewis though it doesn't appear that LSU is ready to do that just yet.

Texas athlete James Haynes came to camp in hopes of earning an offer. However, he return to Texas without an offer, and I don't expect LSU to be recruiting him too hard from this point forward unless Haynes decides to come back for the July camp.

Florida linebacker Kevin Nelson and Georgia linebacker Michael Taylor both had excellent camps and both are very high on LSU. It will be hard to pry Nelson away from the Gators but Taylor is a very real possibility for the Tigers. With only 1 open spot for a linebacker, it will be interesting to see how things turn out with Nelson, Taylor, and Lewis.

Shaw high school defensive tackle Elliott Porter earned an LSU offer, but as an offensive lineman. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Porter as a part of LSU's class.

One of the bigger stories out of the camp was the performance of many of the juniors to be in the Class of 2011.

After dominating the Tennessee camp, Lutcher receiver Jarvis Landry did the same at LSU, outshining all of the upperclassmen and earning an LSU offer in the process. He'll be one of the nation's top receiver prospects next year. Though it's early, Josh Reed comparisons (as far as style of play) are plentiful. Here is some film from Landry's sophomore year:



St. James receiver Alonzo Lewis also impressed enough to earn an early offer from LSU. Some of those who are familar with Lewis can't say enough good things about him.

Unrelated to camp, a new name to watch is Atlanta, GA defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who is one of the top DTs in the nation. While he'll be tough to pull away from Georgia, LSU is apparently in the mix for him.

Also it appears that Texas running back Lache Seastrunk is thinking about making a decision in September. With all his recent trips to Auburn, one can only conclude that he's got Auburn on the mind. We'll see if that sticks. Let's hope not.

With 14 commitments on the board and two more (Houston Bates and Storm Johnson) looking like they'll take place very soon, that only leaves about 9 spots available for this class. When you consider that a couple more guys (Jordan Allen and Trovon Reed) can be lightly penciled in too, there's not a lot of wiggle room left for the Class of 2010. Let's take a look at the updated list:


COMMITMENTS:
QB Zach Lee -- McKinney, TX (Dallas area)
FB Brandon Worle - LaGrange, GA
WR Mike Davis -- Dallas, TX
WR Justin Hunter -- Virginia Beach, VA
TE Nick Jacobs -- Many
TE Cameron Fordham -- Duluth, GA
OL Jamarcus Hardrick (JUCO)
LB - Justin Maclin -- Memphis, TN
LB DJ Welter -- Crowley Notre Dame
LB Luke Muncie Klein, TX
S Eric Reid - Dutchtown
ATH Ronnie Vinson (CB or S) -- Newman New Orleans
ATH Tharold Simon (WR or S) -- Eunice
ATH Sam Gibson -- Prattville, AL

PROSPECTS:
QB
Munchie Legaux -- Karr HS New Orleans
Terrance Broadway -- Capitol
Sam Carter -- Houston, TX
Jesse Scroggins -- CA

RB
Lache Seastrunk -- Temple, TX
Storm Johnson -- Loganville, GA (Atlanta area)
Dontae Williams -- Houston, TX
Michael Dyer -- Little Rock, AR

WR
Trovon Reed -- Thibodaux
James Wright -- Belle Chase
DeAndrew White -- Galena Park, TX (Houston area)
Demarco Cobbs -- Tulsa, OK
Glen Coleman -- West Jefferson
Martavious Lee -- CA (JUCO)
Kevin Johnson -- Houston, TX
Armand Williams -- Slidell

TE
Travis Dickson -- Ocean Springs, MS
Naquan Lee -- Crockett, TX

OL
Evan Washington -- DeSoto, TX (Dallas area)
OC Brown -- Memphis, TN
Wes Rea -- Gulfport, MS
Elliott Porter -- Shaw HS New Orleans
Daryl Williams -- Corinth, TX
James Stone -- Nashville, TN
Damien Robinson -- Olive Branch, MS
TJ Leifheit -- Wilmington, NC
Luke Charpentier -- John Curtis
Alex Hill -- Slidell

DT
Rissean Broussard -- Washington Marion Lake Charles (Tennessee commitment)
Torrea Peterson -- San Antonio, TX
Damien Jacobs -- Houma, LA
Harold Legania -- Karr HS New Orleans
Churphy Stewart -- Breaux Bridge
LaCraig Brown-- Monroe
Garrison Smith -- Atlanta, GA

DE
Jordan Allen -- West Monroe
Houston Bates -- St Pauls Covington
Kaleb Eulls -- Yazoo City, MS
Anthony Wilson -- Homewood, AL
Joseph Okafor -- Houston, TX
JR Ferguson -- MD
Benay Pryor -- MS JUCO
Walker Ashburn -- John Curtis
Brandon Willis -- Duncan, SC

LB
Shaun Lewis -- Missouri City, TX (Houston area)
Corey Nelson -- Dallas, TX
Kendall Moore -- Raleigh, NC
Michael Taylor -- Atlanta, GA
Telvin Smith -- Valdosta, GA
Pat Swilling Jr. -- Brother Martin New Orleans

CB
Tony Hurd -- Missouri City, TX (Houston area)
Tyler Stephenson -- Lancaster, TX (Dallas area)
Jonathon McKnight -- John Curtis

S
Tommie Saunders -- San Antonio, TX

ATH
Jarett Fobbs (CB or WR) -- Huntington Shreveport
Curtis Carter -- North DeSoto
James Haynes (CB or WR) -- Orange, TX

Ronnie Vinson Commits to LSU

In some more good recruiting news, Newman HS athlete Ronnie Vinson committed to LSU on Monday. This was another big-time catch for Les Miles. Vinson is highly rated by all the recruiting services. He's a 4-star prospect on both Rivals and Scout and is on ESPN's Top 150 Watch List. The full ESPN evaluation of Vinson is here.
Vinson could play a number of positions at the college level including receiver, running back, safety, or cornerback. LSU supposedly likes him like as a cornerback, though I think he could ultimately end up at safety. I've got Vinson as the #4 guy in the state of Louisiana this year.

On that note, someone asked how I thought the Top players in the state stacked up this year, and here's my opinion on it (Of course, I can change my opinion later):

1. Trovon Reed WR Thibodaux
2. Jordan Allen DE West Monroe
3. Eric Reid S Dutchtown
4. Ronnie Vinson DB Newman
5. Tharold Simon ATH Eunice
6. Nick Jacobs TE Many
7. James Wright WR Belle Chase
8. Jarrett Fobbs ATH Huntington Shreveport
9. Curtis Carter ATH North Desoto
10. DJ Welter LB Crowley Notre Dame
11. Munchie Legaux QB Karr
12. Tyrann Mathieu CB St Aug
13. Rissean Broussard DT Lake Charles Lagrange
14. Houston Bates DE/LB St Pauls
15. Elliott Porter DT Shaw

Looking out of state, Georgia tight-end Cameron Fordham received an offer from LSU today at camp. Fordham's father played football at LSU in the 1980s. Fordham is 6'4" 235 pounds and has offers from numerous smaller schools such as UCONN, Syracuse, Central Florida, and East Carolina. I can only trust the coach's evaluation of him. He's very versatile as he also plays defense in high school. Seeing as how Fordham has LSU blood in his family, I wouldn't be surprised to see him commit to LSU sometime soon.

Mississippi OL Wes Rea did not make it to camp due to an injury but has rescheduled and will now attend LSU's camp in July.

BASEBALL

I simply didn't have time to put together a preview of Virginia for the College World Series.

Instead, I devoted my time to giving a quick preview of the Major League Baseball Draft, which begins Tuesday evening. It's a shame that they have the draft right before the College World Series because it always ends up being a huge distraction to the teams involved.

OF Jared Mitchell looks to be the top Tiger picked in the draft. Though Mitchell has some weaknesses, he also has the most potential of any pro player. His speed, athleticism, and disciplined approach at the plate has lots of Major League scouts thinking they can mold him into a Garrett Anderson type player. Mitchell could go in the first round, and I'd be shocked if he goes past the 2nd. I wouldn't count on him returning next year.

INF DJ LaMahieu could be the next LSU player selected. A projected 1st rounder before the season, DJ's stock has dropped slightly due to his lack of a true position. He didn't quite show enough range as a top round shortstop this year, but he did a nice job at 2B. I think most scouts would project him as a third baseman, but he doesn't have the rocket arm you'd like to see. Regardless, LaMahieu's solid glove and consistent hitting at the plate will get him picked high. Pro scouts see his 6'4" frame and think he can add a lot of bulk and thus, a lot more power. LaMahieu is a likely 3rd round pick or higher, and I can't see him falling past the 5th round. He's another guy almost certain to go pro and not return to LSU next year.

Senior right-hander Louis Coleman improved his stock a great deal by returning to college. He enjoyed a fantastic season and was the SEC Pitcher of the Year. He'll likely get picked in the Top 5 rounds.

Now, the big question marks come into play:

INF/OF Ryan Schimpf has increased his stock quite a bit by switching positions and showing his versatility. Showing he can effectively play 2B, OF, and even some 1B, the pro scouts can draft him for his bat and know that he'll find a position somewhere and not be a liability in the field. Schimpf may have crept into the Top 8 rounds or so of this draft, in which case it will be difficult for him to choose to return to LSU. We'd all love to see him come back next year, but I'd say that's unlikely at this point.

DH Blake Dean, maybe LSU's best hitter, may fall further in the draft than most would expect. This is because Dean hasn't consistently played in the field for the last 2 years. Nobody knows what position Dean can play or how well he can do it. His bat will be tough to resist for a lot of teams, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him slide into Rounds 10 - 15.

1B/C Sean Ochinko is also expected to be chosen somewhere, and the recent rumors are that he's planning on going pro regardless of where he's selected. Ochinko's natural position is catcher, but he knows he won't play catcher next year at LSU since Micah Gibbs has the position locked down. As a first baseman, Ochinko has an average bat. But as a catcher, he becomes a pretty valuable commodity.

LSU also has some signees that are worth keeping an eye on. Here are some that may get selected:

P Zach Von Rosenburg
OF Slade Heathcott
C Wes Luquette
P Brady Colvin
P Mitch Moorman
P Forrest Garrett
1B Kyle Koeneman

Heathcott and Von Rosenburg are the two most likely to get selected very high.

I'll be out until Sunday, but there will be lots to report until then. I'm still expecting quite a bit of recruiting news to come from LSU's camp the rest of the week.

Tigers Headed To Omaha; LSU Football Gets Big Commitment

LSU swept Rice in 2 games to earn their 2nd consecutive trip to the College World Series. What's most encouraging is that LSU went up against a College World Series worthy team and showed they could win 2 in a row riding the backs of Louis Coleman and Anthony Ranaudo. With 3 starts each in the post-season, LSU's top starters have done the following:

Anthony Ranaudo 24 IP 12 H 6 ER 29 K 2.25 ERA
Louis Coleman 23.2 IP 21 H 5 ER 19 K 1.90 ERA

As good as these two guys have been during the season, they have stepped things up in the post-season. The way that the College World Series shapes up, winning the first two games is of utmost importance and now LSU has the confidence to know they can do it against top competition. In fact, if LSU wins the first two games, they may not have to start anyone other than Ranaudo or Coleman for the entire tournament.

LSU is playing their best baseball of the season, having won 10 games in a row and 23 of their last 27. They have to be considered one of the hottest team in the nation right now. LSU will face Virginia in their first game in Omaha. I'll try to do a preview of Virginia for Tuesday's update.

RECRUITING

LSU picked up some fantastic recruiting news when Memphis, TN linebacker Justin Maclin (pictured)gave his verbal commitment to LSU. Maclin is a big-time recruit. He's 6'4" 215 pounds and projects as an outside linebacker. He's rated 4-stars by both Rivals and Scout, and he's on ESPN's Top 150 Watch List. ESPN has a good evaluation of him here. Some think that Maclin may grow into a defensive end in college. Regardless of where he plays, he is oozing with athleticism. LSU running backs coach Larry Porter was very close to Maclin's family, and that connection helped LSU's cause. I think it's also important to note that while Tennessee assistants Ed Orgeron and Frank Wilson are screwing around with 2nd-tier recruits in Louisiana, LSU went to Tennessee and snatched one of the state's top players.

LSU hosted a lot of prospects this week, leading up to the first of 2 summer camps on LSU's campus. The camp will be taking place Monday and Tuesday, and I expect we'll hear lots of news after that. Here are some of the prospects that will be at the first camp:

QB Terrance Broadway
QB Munchie Legaux - Legaux originally planned to attend, but there's some confusion as to whether he will show.
WR/S Tharold Simon - LSU Commit
WR Glenn Coleman
OL Wes Rea
DT Elliott Porter
DT Harold Legania
DE/LB Houston Bates
LB Shaun Lewis
LB Chase Williams
CB Tony Hurd
CB James Haynes

Also, maybe the state's top player for the Class of 2011 WR Jarvis Landry, will be in attendance.

In addition to those guys competing at camp, some players visited this weekend but are not staying for the camp:

WR Trovon Reed
WR James Wright
DE Jordan Allen
LB Ladarious Owens
RB Kenny Hilliard - Class of 2011

Other than Maclin's commitment, some other news from the weekend visitors was that Belle Chase WR James Wright received an offer from LSU. This muddies the water a bit as to who could fill the 4th WR spot in this class for LSU. A couple of weeks ago, it looked like junior college receive Martavious Lee might be that guy. But now that LSU has offered Wright, it makes you wonder if LSU's staff saw something they didn't like with Lee regarding his academic situation. I like Wright a whole lot and think he's one of the Top 10 players in Louisiana this year. You don't have to take my word for it though. Check out some of his highlights here:

2011 running back Kenny Hilliard also received a verbal offer from Les Miles. It's just a verbal offer for now and it can't become official until September, when it certainly will. Hilliard is already on the national radar as one of the top running backs in the country for the Class of 2011. Hilliard is from Patterson and has lots of family with deep LSU ties. LSU is in great shape with Hilliard, even though it's very early.

I won't be able to update everyone on what happens at LSU's camp since I'll be on vacation through Sunday. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see a commitment or two later in the week. I'll hopefully have another update tomorrow with a preview of Virginia and any tidbits coming out of the camp.

Super Regional Preview

The Rice Owls will be making the familiar trip east on I-10 to Baton Rouge for this weekend's Super Regional. LSU and Rice squared off in a Super Regional in 2002 in Houston with Rice sweeping the Tigers. Then in 2005, Rice came to Baton Rouge for a regional and beat LSU en route to advancing to the Super Regionals. More recently, LSU and Rice squared off at the College World Series last year where LSU won 6-5 on Blake Dean's walk-off 3 RBI double. Both teams are Omaha-worthy, and neither team will be intimidated by the other.

As usual, Rice relies on a top notch pitching staff for most of their success. Their starting pitchers have 19 combined wins, and each has an ERA under 3.50. The Owls' top two starters are both right-handers, which is good for LSU. Of LSU's 16 losses this year, only 3 were against opponents who started a righty. But I wouldn't feel too comfortable. Rice's right-handers are as good as any LSU has seen all season. Here's what they've done this year:

Mike Ojala 5-0 1.73 ERA 62.1 IP 57 H 24 BB 68 K .248 BA
Ryan Berry 7-1 2.00 ERA 76.2 IP 48 H 15 BB 62 K .181 BA

As you can see, these guys are awfully good. The Owls' third starter is a freshman lefty named Taylor Wall. Wall has been a workhorse for Rice this year, logging more innings than anyone else on the team. His numbers are as follows:

Taylor Wall 7-5 3.45 ERA 94.0 IP 80 H 37 BB 77 K .237 BA

It's still unclear what Rice's pitching strategy will be this weekend. Ojala (pictured) is their normal Friday starter, but he's dealing with some elbow problems right now and it's unclear whether he'll be able to go. If not, that probably means that Berry will pitch Friday. But then does Rice want to throw their freshman in a possible elimination game on Saturday? It poses some interesting questions on how Rice will handle their staff. If Ojala is OK, then he'll pitch Friday with Berry going on Saturday.

The good news is that while Rice's starting pitching is excellent, their bullpen is suspect. Common sense says that LSU should have a patient approach at the plate early in the game in efforts to force more pitches and run up the starter's pitch count. Once LSU can get into the Owls' bullpen, they should have more success at the plate. However, Paul Maineri must be cautious not to limit LSU's aggressiveness at the plate too much. It's a recipe that could set the stage for the Tigers pushing some key late inning runs across the plate.

LSU has announced that they'll likely stick with their usual rotation, meaning that they'll use Anthony Raunaduo on Friday night, Louis Coleman (pictured) on Saturday, and Austin Ross on Sunday if necessary. However if the Friday game is a tight one, Maineri may bring in Coleman for a few late innings to try and shut things down. Coleman could then be available to start on Sunday if needed. If Maineri decides to do that, LSU needs to be sure to win that Friday game. You'd hate to lose two games in a Super Regional without starting your All-American pitcher.

We've focused on pitching, but what can Rice do at the plate? They're actually pretty similar to LSU in that they have a lineup full of guys that can hit but no real 1st team All-American type of guys. The guy who best fits that category is third-baseman Anthony Rendon, a freshman, who bats .384 with 19 HR and 70 RBI. Only one other player on their team, leadoff man Brock Holt, has double digit HRs on the year. Everyone else looks very solid, and they don't seem to have any holes in the lineup.

LSU has won 21 of their last 25 games, including 8 in a row. They've also won all but 2 series all season long. I'm betting they win one more, and I like the Tigers in 3 games.

Recruiting Update: Louisiana Class of 2010 Deep After All?; Other Recruiting Notes

It initially looked like a pretty shallow year for quality Division 1 prospects in the state of Louisiana for the Class of 2010. However, several prospects have emerged recently which has things looking a bit more promising. Are these late blooming prospects good enough to warrant serious consideration from LSU? The evaluation process is still ongoing, but it looks like a few of these players may get serious looks.

Houma defensive tackle Damien Jacobs is gaining more and more interest from big-time schools. Jacobs is 6'3" 300 pounds and logged 90 tackles and 8 sacks as a junior. He currently holds offers from Florida State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisiana Tech as well as some smaller schools. He also visited Auburn last weekend, and they are showing strong interest. Without any defensive tackle commitments and without any coming in the near future, you can bet that LSU will give Jacobs a hard look. It's unknown whether Jacobs is attending LSU's camp next month, but if he covets an LSU offer, he should go show what he's got.

Slidell High School wide receiver Armand Williams (pictured) wowed scouts at a recent combine. With great size at 6'3" 185 pounds, Williams recorded a vertical leap of 42.6 inches, ran a 4.51 in the 40, and jumped 11'7" in the broad jump. He's also a state champion in the high jump. Those physical skills are as good, or better, than you'll see for any 5-star prospect out there. The question is whether Williams can run routes, catch the football, and block. He states that he's planning on attending LSU's camp so the staff will get a real good look at him. With two WRs already committed and Trovon Reed expected to be a 3rd, Williams will be competing with many others for the final WR spot in LSU's class if they decide to take one. Right now, junior college wideout Martavious Lee and Belle Chase receiver James Wright are thought to be the front runners for that last spot. Williams could shake that up with a good showing at LSU's camp. Williams currently has offers from Tulsa and Tulane.

Shaw High School defensive tackle Elliott Porter is another guy starting to get interest from some BCS programs. Porter is 6"4" 280 pounds and holds offers from Nebraska, Florida State, Mississippi State, Texas Tech, and some other smaller schools. Ole Miss is very interested and LSU is talking to him some. He also has very good weight room numbers with a reported 385 pound bench and 510 pound squat. Porter indicates that he would love to receive an offer from LSU.

Edna Karr High School defensive tackle Harold Legania is also seeing his stock rise. With recent offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State, he claims that Mississippi State is standing out right now. Legania is 6'3" 270 pounds and looks OK, but not spectacular on film. LSU is talking to him , and he may be someone they look at down the line.

Another late riser is Port Allen cornerback Andre Hal. Hal is 6'0" 170 pounds with very good speed, running the 200 in 22 seconds for track and field. Hal currently holds offers from Nebraska and Vanderbilt though Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, and LSU are talking to him. He plans to camp at LSU. With so many cornerbacks on LSU's board, it's hard for me to envision Hall as part of LSU's class unless he really impresses the staff at camp.

Looking out of state, some other prospects have popped up on LSU's radar.

North Carolina linebacker Kendall Moore has a lot of connections to LSU's program. Moore and his family used to live in south Louisiana, and he claims an uncle that lives in Baton Rouge and several cousins who live in Mandeville and attend Fontainbleau high school. Moore attended an LSU game last fall and is very familiar with the area. In addition, his mother attended LSU while his father attended Southern. In addition, LSU tight-ends coach and recruiting coordinator Dan Yanowsky is very good friends with Moore's high school coach. They both previously coached together at East Carolina. Moore projects as an inside linebacker, standing 6'3" 232 pounds. He has good weight room numbers with a 320 pound bench and 500 pound squat. Moore is rated 4-stars by Rivals.com and is on their current Rivals 250 list. He also holds offers from Clemson, North Carolina, Notre Dame, NC State, Florida State, and many others. He recently claimed a Top 4 of Notre Dame, NC State, FSU, and LSU. LSU has yet to offer him, and with other big name linebackers still on the board such as Shaun Lewis and Justin Maclin, it's tough to see him getting one anytime soon. But Moore is definitely a guy to watch.

LSU has thrown their hat into the mix for Mississippi offensive tackle Damien Robinson. Robinson is widely believed to be one of the nation's elite tackle prospects. Rivals rates him as their #67 overall player. Scout ranks him a 5-star and the nation's 4th best OT. ESPN has him on their Top 150 Watch list and has a great evaluation of him here. Robinson hasn't tipped his hand as to who leads for his services but Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn, and Florida State are recruiting him hard. Robinson attends Olive Branch high school, and two former Olive Branch players are big contributors for Ole Miss right now (Markeith Summers and Allen Walker). That will probably give the Rebels a slight edge. We'll see if anything develops between Robinson and LSU.

Georgia linebacker Telvin Smith recently received an LSU offer to go along with offers from Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, and Louisville. At 6'4" 198 pounds, Smith fits the mold of the smaller, faster type of linebacker that John Chavis seems to be recruiting to LSU. Smith is rated 3-stars by both Rivals and Scout while ESPN has yet to evaluate him. He claims a Top 3 of Georgia, Florida State, and LSU.

LSU recently offered Fort Lauderdale kicker/punter Michael Palardy. Palardy seems to have legitimate interest in LSU and is planning a visit sometime this summer. Palardy also has offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Miami, Tennessee, and others. Alabama already has a kicker committed, so the Tide are probably not an option for Palardy anymore.

Lastly, California QB Jesse Scroggins received offers from both Florida and USC offer recently. That significantly lowers LSU's chances with Scroggins. Though he continues to mention LSU, he's made no secret that he coveted a USC offer. He also seems enamored with being the QB for Urban Meyer.

Switching gears to basketball for a bit, LSU may not be done with the Class of 2009 just yet. Georgia small forward Noel Johnson signed a letter of intent with USC. However when news broke that USC head coach paid former player OJ Mayo, Johnson asked for and was issued a release from his letter of intent. That puts him back on the market, and LSU is heavily involved. Johnson is 6'7" and shot over 40% from 3-point range his senior season. Rivals rates him as the #53 overall prospect in the nation. LSU has a few things going in their favor. Johnson seems to come from a strong family background which fits nicely with the types of things that Trent Johnson is trying to do with LSU's program. LSU can also offer immediate playing time to Johnson. Johnson is former AAU teammates with current Tiger Dennis Harris. And maybe the most peculiar, Johnson is working with former LSU legend Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Chris Jackson) who is doing his part to convince him that LSU is the place to be. Georgia Tech is considered the favorite right now, but LSU is in the mix.

Looking to the Class of 2010, LSU is one of 2 leaders for Alabama point guard Andre Stringer. Stringer is just 5'9" 160 pounds but is highly thought of by everyone and is ranked as the #82 player in the nation by Rivals. He is also strongly considering Alabama.

COMMITMENTS:
ATH Tharold Simon (WR or S) -- Eunice
TE Nick Jacobs -- Many
WR Mike Davis -- Dallas, TX
FB Brandon Worle - LaGrange, GA
LB DJ Welter -- Crowley Notre Dame
S Eric Reid - Dutchtown
LB Luke Muncie Klein, TX
OL Jamarcus Hardrick (JUCO)
WR Justin Hunter -- Virginia Beach, VA


PROSPECTS:
QB
Munchie Legaux -- Karr HS New Orleans
Zach Lee -- McKinney, TX (Dallas area)
Terrance Broadway -- Capitol
Sam Carter -- Houston, TX
Jake Heaps -- WA
Jesse Scroggins -- CA

RB
Lache Seastrunk -- Temple, TX
Dontae Williams -- Houston, TX
Storm Johnson -- Loganville, GA (Atlanta area)
Michael Dyer -- Little Rock, AR

WR
Trovon Reed -- Thibodaux
James Wright -- Belle Chase
DeAndrew White -- Galena Park, TX (Houston area)
Solomon Patton -- Mobile, AL
Demarco Cobbs -- Tulsa, OK
Glen Coleman -- West Jefferson
Martavious Lee -- CA (JUCO)
Kevin Johnson -- Houston, TX
Armand Williams -- Slidell

TE
Travis Dickson -- Ocean Springs, MS
Naquan Lee -- Crockett, TX
Garrett Uekman -- Little Rock, AK

OL
Evan Washington -- DeSoto, TX (Dallas area)
OC Brown -- Memphis, TN
Wes Rea -- Gulfport, MS
Daryl Williams -- Corinth, TX
James Stone -- Nashville, TN
Damien Robinson -- Olive Branch, MS
TJ Leifheit -- Wilmington, NC
Luke Charpentier -- John Curtis
Alex Hill -- Slidell

DT
Rissean Broussard -- Washington Marion Lake Charles (Tennessee commitment)
Torrea Peterson -- San Antonio, TX
Damien Jacobs -- Houma, LA
Harold Legania -- Karr HS New Orleans
Elliott Porter -- Shaw HS New Orleans
Churphy Stewart -- Breaux Bridge
LaCraig Brown-- Monroe

DE
Jordan Allen -- West Monroe
Houston Bates -- St Pauls Covington
Kaleb Eulls -- Yazoo City, MS
Anthony Wilson -- Homewood, AL
Joseph Okafor -- Houston, TX
Zach McCray -- VA
JR Ferguson -- MD
Benay Pryor -- MS JUCO
Walker Ashburn -- John Curtis
Brandon Willis -- Duncan, SC

LB
Shaun Lewis -- Missouri City, TX (Houston area)
Justin Maclin -- Memphis, TN
Corey Nelson -- Dallas, TX
Kendall Moore -- Raleigh, NC
Telvin Smith -- Valdosta, GA
Kurt Killens -- Round Rock, TX (Austin area)
Pat Swilling Jr. -- Brother Martin New Orleans

CB
Tony Hurd -- Missouri City, TX (Houston area)
Tyler Stephenson -- Lancaster, TX (Dallas area)
Jonathon McKnight -- John Curtis

S
Tommie Saunders -- San Antonio, TX

ATH
Ronnie Vinson (CB or S) -- Newman New Orleans
Jarett Fobbs (CB or WR) -- Huntington Shreveport
Curtis Carter -- North DeSoto
James Haynes (CB or WR) -- Orange, TX