Saturday Night Slant - LSU Sports & Recruiting

The Saturday Night Slant Has A New Home!

2010-06-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

I'm very pleased to announced that the Saturday Night Slant now has a new home as part of the Blougin network of sports bloggers. Bloguin has plenty of sports blogs dedicated to various teams and topics, and I encourage you to check out any that strike your interest.

I'm very appreciative of the team at Bloguin for giving me the opportunity to join up with a talented group of writers. They did a fantastic job designing my new site, and you'll immediately notice the new and improved look and feel of the site.

The address for the new site is easy to remember at http://www.saturdaynightslant.com/

Not only does the new site look and feel better, but it offers a lot of new features, both for me and you. Most notably, the new site will have a forum where you can post messages, ask questions, or respond to any my posts or articles.

I will continue to have an e-mail newsletter feature to alert subscribers via e-mail when new articles are posted. If you're signed up for the e-mail feature at the old site, I have already signed you up at the new site. For anyone else interested, just enter your name and e-mail address in the box on the right hand side of the new site and click "Subscribe". That's it. You're all set.

I will send out the first e-mail newsletter on Thursday sometime. If you don't receive it, shoot me an e-mail at lsu.newsletter@gmail.com and I'll get you squared away.

I will keep the old site active, and this post will be my last. I'll leave this on the front page for anyone who stumbles across it and for any stragglers who haven't found their way over yet.

Expansion Settles Down; Big-12 Survives; CWS Field Set

2010-06-14T21:41:00.002-05:00

Just days after it appeared the Big-12 would completely crumble, it now looks like it's going to hang around....for a while anyway.

A late push by the Big-12 Commissioner has apparently convinced all of the remaining ten schools to commit to staying in the conference. A new TV deal will apparently make the deal lucrative enough to entice each school to remain.

Texas A&M was calling the shot on this one because they were strongly considering joining the SEC. Had they decided to leave, the Big-12 likely would have crumbled as a nine team conference could not have worked. For that reason, I'm sure the Aggies faced an incredible amount of political pressure to stay on board with the Big-12. But they also faced the prospect of finally getting out of the shadow of Texas and joining the best and most powerful conference in college athletics. At the same time, they could have, for once, dictated what happened to the University of Texas. They had the chance to be bold but in classic Aggie fashion...they caved to the pressure. I really believe that Texas A&M missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the fortune of their athletic department. Now, they'll probably continue to wallow in mediocrity. Suit yourself. Those east Texas recruits will continue to help LSU win football games.

In the short term, I think we'll see the PAC-10 add one more team, probably Utah, to bring their total to 12. Then, they can play a conference championship game and enjoy the financial benefits of doing so.

Each Big-12 team will play a nine game conference schedule, and they will not play a conference championship game. They will function exactly like the PAC-10 has functioned for the last several years.

So, is all of this over with?

Not so fast. The Big-10, which started all of this, said some time ago that they were looking to possibly expand past 12 teams. They have been awfully quiet since adding Nebraska, and I think many are making a mistake by assuming the Big-10 will stand pat. You could still see them raid the Big East (Rutgers, Syracuse, UCONN) or the ACC (Maryland), and it could start a similar domino effect that was rumored over the weekend.

For fun, here is what the Big-10 could look like if they stick with what they have:

WEST
Nebraska
Iowa
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Northwestern
Illinois

EAST
Ohio State
Michigan
Penn State
Michigan State
Indiana
Purdue

BASEBALL

In case you missed the Twitter update on Monday, LSU pitcher Austin Ross has signed a contract with the Brewers and will not return to LSU in the fall.

The College World Series is set, and I'm glad to say that I'll be there this weekend to take in some of the action. Here is how the first weekend of games shapes up:

(1) Arizona State vs. Clemson
TCU vs. Florida State
(3) Florida vs. (6) UCLA
South Carolina vs. Oklahoma

The Latest On Expansion

2010-06-13T22:57:00.000-05:00

Between USC getting hammered by the NCAA and all of this expansion and conference realignment, college football has never been so prominent in the month of June.

Rumors on expansion have been running rampant, and it has been tough to sift through everything. But I tried my best. Here is what we've got.

- Nebraska is leaving the Big-12 and joining the Big-10, effective for the 2011 season.
- Colorado is also leaving the Big-12 and is joining the PAC-10, tentatively effective for the 2012 season

The PAC-10 is also trying to court Big-12 South members Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M. That would give the PAC-10 a total of 16 teams. They would reportedly form two divisions. One would consist of those five teams along with Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State. The other division would consist of USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, and Oregon State.

However, Texas A&M and the SEC may be throwing a wrench into those plans. Texas A&M prefers the SEC over the PAC-10, and the SEC seems open to taking them.

Meanwhile, the Big-12 conference commissioner is doing everything he can to keep the remaining 10 members of his conference in tact. However with a conference needing 12 members in order to hold a conference championship game, it does not appear that this option is financially tenable when compared to the option of leaving for another conference. However, the commissioner is doing all he can to sell this angle.

Suddenly, Texas A&M and the SEC hold all the cards. Even if the remaining schools in the Big-12 want to stay put, Texas A&M's decision could dictate what happens. If they pull the trigger and decide to bolt for the SEC, then the others would certainly take off to the PAC-10.

Oklahoma is the source of many rumors as well. They also appear to be considering the SEC in place of the PAC-10, and it has been reported that the SEC is pursuing them.

What about the Big-10? After all, they started this whole thing. They added Nebraska last week to give them 12 teams. They now have enough to host a conference championship game. Are they going to stop at 12 though? Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt, UCONN, Missouri, and Maryland continue to be rumored additions to the conference.

The SEC and Big-10 could have a bit of a standoff. Aside from Texas A&M and Oklahoma, the SEC may be looking to expand further, possibly to 16 teams. If they do, they'll almost certainly be looking east in efforts to expand their television empire. Teams like Virginia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Miami will be rumored additions. However, the SEC does not want to openly raid the ACC or Big East. But if the Big-10 strikes first and the ACC or Big East is in shambles, the SEC will have no problem adding teams at that point.

Mostly what we have is a lot of rumors and an unsettled situation. But expect a lot more to come this week. The biggest thing to watch is what the Big-12 South schools, especially Texas A&M, decide to do.

LB Kyle Prater transfers to Rice; Southern Pigskin thoughts expansion

2010-06-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

Sophomore linebacker Kyle Prater has decided to transfer to Rice according to this article. Prater was way down the depth chart for LSU, and it looked like he would be a career special teams player and reserve. With LSU needing to get down to 85 scholarships by the fall and with the staff trying to make room for as many of the talented 2011 prospects as possible, this move makes sense for both parties.

EXPANSION

I have not had time to put together all my thoughts on all of the expansion talk. That may be best because by the time I get something written, things are likely to change. With big announcements expected to come Friday concerning Nebraska and the Big-10, I may let the dust settle over the weekend before posting something.

However, I know you want to read about it right now.

Check out what my Southern Pigskin brothers have put together.

B.J. Bennett, one of the best writers around, gives his thoughts on expansion.

Also, Brandon Rink provides his insight on expansion as it relates to the SEC and ACC.

MLB Draft Report - Day 2; Southern Pigskin Features

2010-06-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

MLB DRAFT

In Day 2 of the Major League Baseball Draft, LSU fared pretty well. The following players and prospects were chosen on Tuesday:

C Micah Gibbs - 3rd round (pictured)
OF Leon Landry - 3rd round
INF Garin Cecchini - 4th round
P Kevin Gausmann - 6th round
P Austin Ross - 8th round
1B Blake Dean - 8th round
OF Lucas Leblanc - 11th round
SS Jacoby Jones - 19th round
OF Austin Southall - 19th round
P Ryan Eades - 19th round

I think we have three categories of players: those that are definitely gone, those that are likely to stay, and those that are on the fence.

Here is what I think LSU is looking at:

GONE
P Anthony Ranaudo
2B Delino Deshields Jr.
P Cam Bedrosia
C Micah Gibbs
OF Leon Landry
P Austin Ross
INF Garin Cecchini

LIKELY STAYING
SS Jacoby Jones
P Ryan Eades

ON THE FENCE
P Zach Lee
P Kevin Gausmann
OF Lucas Leblanc
OF Austin Southall

Late Tuesday night, some reported that Garin Cecchini had already signed a contract but I could not find anything official. Regardless, I fully expect him to sign if he has not already.

Normally, I would expect any first round pick to sign; however, both Zach Lee and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in unique situations. Because of that, I still give LSU a fighting chance to ultimately land Lee. Meanwhile, Lee has arrived at LSU and enrolled in summer classes along with the rest of the incoming true freshmen.

Kevin Gausmann was selected in the sixth round. That is very high, but it is significantly lower than most expected him to go. Because Gausmann expected to go much higher, he has a higher dollar amount in his head as far as what it will take for him to sign. Here is an article on Gausmann's thoughts on the draft and his future. I give LSU a chance at landing him, though not a great one.

The best news of the draft was when shortstop Jacoby Jones fell all the way to the 19th round. Jones was expected by most to be selected in the top 5 rounds. It now seems that Jones will end up at LSU, and he's someone that can compete for playing time immediately, perhaps at third base.

Even though we'll be fully ramped up for football season, when the August 15th deadline for draft picks to sign comes and goes, I plan on doing a full look ahead to the 2011 baseball team.

SOUTHERN PIGSKIN

I've got a couple of new pieces up on Southern Pigskin as Justin Davis and I continue to get together on ranking the top players in the SEC West.

Over the last few days, we have ranked the quarterbacks as well as the wide receivers.

LSU had a strong showing on the wide receiver list. Go to Southern Pigskin and check out everything going on over there. It's a great site to read up on everything going on in the SEC and ACC.

MLB Draft Report; LSU Holding Camp

2010-06-07T22:10:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

The first round and compensation round took place on Monday night. Here is how the LSU players and prospects fared:

First, Anthony Ranaudo (pictured) was selected 39th overall by the Boston Red Sox. The Slant wishes him the very best in his pro career.

Delino Deshields Jr. was selected eighth overall by the Houston Astros, and he'll certainly sign. He never seriously considered attending LSU, and this is no surprise.

Pitcher Cam Bedrosian was selected 29th overall, and he's expected to go play pro ball. I don't expect much drama with his contract situation.

In a bit of a surprise, LSU quarterback and pitcher signee Zach Lee, was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers. My first instinct was that no team would have selected Lee so high unless they had assurances that he would bypass LSU and sign. However, I learned about a rule Monday night that if a team does not sign their first round pick, they are awarded a first round pick the following year.

The Dodgers are reportedly in some financial trouble. Many, including Kevin Goldstein from Baseball Prospectus.com speculate that the Dodgers selected Lee with no intention of signing him. The strategy would be to wait and use the pick next year. He even put 5-1 odds that the Dodgers sign Lee. We'll see.

We now play the waiting game with Lee to see if he signs by August 15th.

I'll update again after Tuesday as the draft continues.

RECRUITING

LSU is currently hosting a number of prospects on campus as part of the first of two summer camps.

A lot of the eyes were on the quarterbacks as all in-state prospects were on hand in efforts to earn an offer from the Tigers. The consensus was that Catholic HS's Zack Oliver was the best of the bunch and that he would be the one to ultimately earn the offer. However, Clinton's Stevie Douglas is competing neck and neck with Oliver and putting on a good show. Haughton's Dak Prescott is also making a name for himself and has caught the eye of the coaches.

In addition to the in-state quarterbacks, South Carolina's Justin Worley is on campus and competing. Worley has some big-time offers from places like Tennessee, Notre Dame, Stanford and Florida State.

South Carolina defensive back Ronnie Martin is on campus and reportedly standing out as the top defensive back in attendance. Martin has an offer from LSU and is very high on the Tigers. He also recently received an offer from Nebraska and South Carolina. The offer from the Gamecocks may prove difficult for LSU to overcome, but hopefully Martin has a good visit.

LSU Commitment Trevon Randle is attending camp and reportedly doing very well. Some rumors have been swirling that Randle could be re-considering his commitment to LSU, but that does not appear to be the case.

Thought not at LSU's camp, Tampa, FL quarterback Phillip Ely received an offer from LSU recently. Ely has performed very well at a number of camps this summer and has earned offers from the likes of Arizona State, South Florida, Michigan State, Rutgers, and others. LSU's offer stands out as one of Ely's best, and that will hopefully put the Tigers near the top of his list. I love Ely as a prospect.

East St. John defensive back Floyd Raven attended a camp at Ole Miss and really put on a show. He ran a 40-time of 4.44 and measured at 6'2". He will likely shoot up the rankings. He is scheduled to attend LSU's second camp in July and he could very well earn an offer at that time.

LSU's Baseball Season Ends; Major League Draft Preview

2010-06-06T21:10:00.002-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU lost 4-3 to UC Irvine on Sunday, ending a bizarre season for the Tigers. The Tigers came out smoking this year, owning a 32-6 record and Top 5 ranking near the end of April. But then the wheels came off, and LSU lost 13 of their next 15, including an embarrassing 9-1 loss to Tulane. The Tigers seemed to get their act together by winning six of the next seven including four in a row to win the SEC Tournament. That brought us to this weekend's regional. The Tigers competed, but missed several opportunities at the plate and ultimately bowed out.

The season has to be considered a disappointment considering the high pre-season ranking and the way the first half of the season played out. A few things contributed to the team not meeting expectations.

First was the injury to Anthony Ranaudo's elbow early in the season. Not only did Ranaudo miss about a month but once he returned, he never matched the expectations we all had for him based on how he played last year. The team was counting on him to be the rock of the pitching staff this season and when that didn't happen, the staff found itself in disarray.

On offense, the team was hitting the ball well but they were not producing the power numbers of the last two seasons. Blake Dean had a very good season, but the home runs just weren't there in 2010...for whatever reason. The team also struggled to find the right guy at third base. Wet Delatte and Beau Didier both gave it a shot without much luck. Grant Dozar then took over for a while. Regardless, the offense was producing. But then, left fielder and leadoff man Trey Watkins injured his elbow. That left another hole in the lineup, and it forced the batting order to be re-shuffled. The offense stopped producing as much.

Once the losing streak started, the attitude of the team changed and it proved difficult to break out of. Eventually, they did. Austin Ross pitched well down the stretch and helped settle the pitching staff. Also, Mason Katz and Alex Edward played well at left field and third base respectively. Their late season performance gives us something to look forward to next year.

Speaking of next year, the Major League Baseball draft starts on Monday night, and it will be of great interest to LSU Baseball (and football) fans. As far as returning players to LSU's roster, I did a piece on that last month.

MLB DRAFT

With the draft starting tomorrow, I thought I'd re-visit LSU's players and prospects and their projection for the draft.

Anthony Ranaudo will almost certainly be a first round pick tomorrow. While he was at one point considered a Top 5 pick, he's now more likely to get selected around #20 overall. Regardless, he has almost certainly thrown his last pitch as an LSU Tiger, and I wish him well.

Micah Gibbs is also projected to be a first or second round pick. That means he's almost certain to have played his last game for LSU.

Things get more interesting after those two.

Leon Landry is projected to be a high round draft pick and may go as early as the fourth round. If picked anywhere in the top eight rounds, which seems like almost a certainty, then Landry will probably go pro.

Austin Ross is a real wild card. He is highly thought of by Major League scouts and could go as high as the sixth or seventh round. Ross pitched well down the stretch this season, which is encouraging. It would be nice if he could return to LSU's staff next year. Right now, I'd give it a less than 50% chance that he returns.

Blake Dean should be picked somewhere between rounds five and ten.

Now, we'll take a look at LSU's incoming freshmen. Not much has changed with these guys since my report last month. Here are the guys to keep an eye on:

Pitcher Kevin Gausman from Colorado looks like he's going to be a first or second round pick. However, his stock has dropped some recently, and the word is out that his commitment to LSU is very strong and that he's very serious about playing college baseball. You can bet that if a team takes him high, they have received word from him that he's willing to sign. I'd put him in the "Doubtful" category as far as him coming to LSU in the fall. But if he drops into the later part of the second round, then it will be interesting.

Pitcher Cameron Bedrosian from Georgia looks like a first or second round draft pick, and I think it's highly doubtful he plays for LSU next year.

Infielder Delino Deshields Jr. has every intention of signing a pro contract and likely only committed to LSU in order to gain leverage in his negotiations with whoever drafts him. I wouldn't get too excited about having him at LSU next year.

Infielder Jacoby Jones from Mississippi currently has a second or third round projection right now, and he also has a strong commitment to LSU. He is described as a very raw shortstop, but he could make an immediate impact at LSU next year. The Tigers return Austin Nola, but he could certainly compete for a spot at third base or in the outfield.

Infielder Garin Cecchini (pictured) from Barbe high school is another guy who could be drafted in the top five rounds, maybe as high as the third. Cecchini injured his knee in March which did not help his draft status, although it has been rising of late. One site even has Cecchini going in the first round. He's also considered to have a strong commitment to LSU. He could fill an immediate need for LSU next year at either third or first base.

University High school outfielder Austin Southall could be picked somewhere in the top ten rounds and is one to watch. Hopefully, he'll slide and ultimately end up at LSU.
Lastly, there is Zach Lee from Texas who, as we know, is LSU's quarterback recruit for the Class of 2010. Based on talent alone, Lee is one of the Top 50 prospects in the draft. However, teams know that Lee is seriously considering both sports at LSU. That could push him farther down the draft. One recent report from ESPN suggested that Lee has put word out that he's willing to sign. I have a feeling that his situation will drag out until August. At this point, call it a coin flip as to whether Lee plays for LSU next year.

Regional Preview

2010-06-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU is the #2 seed in what many consider the most difficult of the 16 regionals this weekend. The regional consists of the #6 national seed and host team, UCLA. But it also consists of the defending national champs and the #6 national seed from 2009 in UC Irvine, who was the runner-up in the Big West Conference this year. Kent State will also be there to try and pull an upset.

LSU will open up Friday at 4:00 against UC Irvine. The winner of that game will face the winner of the game between UCLA and Kent State. Whichever team wins their first two games will be in the driver's seat to win the regional. Here is an in depth look at both UC Irvine and UCLA.

UC Irvine (37-19, 17-9 in Big West Conference)

Cal Irvine enters the Regional ranked #21 in the most recent Baseball America poll, two spots higher than LSU. UCI plays typical West Coast baseball in true "Small Ball" fashion. They rely on strong pitching, patience at the plate, moving runners, and manufacturing runs.

The Anteaters don't impress at the plate. They bat just .304 as a team with only 33 home runs on the season. To compare, LSU bats .320 with 75 home runs. Furthermore, their team on base percentage is the lowest of the top three teams in the regional. In a bit of a surprise, UC Irvine has no real stolen base threats on the team.

They do have a couple of individual players that should be a concern at the plate. First baseman Jeff Cusick is hitting .379 with 8 HRs and 56 RBIs. Cusick generally bats third or fourth in the Anteaters' lineup. Third baseman Brian Hernandez bats .333 with 4 HRs and 42 RBIs and also hits in the middle of their lineup.

Cal Irvine wins games with their outstanding pitching. All three of their starting pitchers have at least eight wins and ERAs under 4.00. Against LSU, they are going to throw lefty Daniel Bilbona, who looks like their top guy. Bilbona is 9-2 with a 2.10 ERA. He has 100 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 90 innings. He only allows opposing hitters to bat .208 against him. Needless to say, LSU has their work cut out for them.

It does look like the Anteaters' bullpen is vulnerable. Closer Kyle Necke has four losses and a 4.61 ERA while allowing opposing batters to hit .308 against him. If the game is close in the late innings, the Tigers certainly still have a chance to make things happen.

UCLA (43-13, 18-9 in PAC-10)

UCLA has consistently been ranked in the Top-10 this year, and they enter the tournament ranked #8 in the most recent Baseball America poll. The Bruins also like to win games with pitching and "Small Ball", but they're a bit more capable at the plate than UC Irvine.

As a team, UCLA hits .309 with 52 home runs. They don't have any big boppers in the lineup as their leading home run hitter is catcher Steve Rodriguez who has eight. They do have some other standouts.

First baseman Dean Espy leads the way with a .359 average, 7 HRs, and 45 RBIs. Freshman Beau Amaral is batting .343. And watch for shortstop Niko Gallego who is 21 of 22 in stolen bases.

Like UC Irvine, UCLA relies on pitching to lead the way. And UCLA has some seriously good pitchers. They have a pair of dominating starting right handers, who happen to be tied for the PAC-10 lead in strikeouts. Both guys are power pitchers with great stuff.

Gerrit Cole is 9-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 96.1 innings. Freshman Trevor Bauer is 9-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 101 innings. The good news? Both guys, especially Cole, have a tendency to give up some walks.

It's unclear who the Bruins will throw in their game against Kent State, but they'll probably save both Cole and Bauer for the later games. If LSU wins their first game, they'll likely face one of these guys.

LSU (40-20, 14-16 in SEC)

Head Coach Paul Maineri is going to start Austin Ross on Friday against UC Irvine. I really like this move and think it's the right one. Anthony Ranaudo threw a pretty intense three innings on Sunday in the SEC Championship Game, and the extra day of rest is probably best for him. But aside from that, Austin Ross has been LSU's best pitcher over the last few weeks.

In his last four starts, Ross has a 3.95 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 27.1 IP. Most impressive, he has only given up 18 hits in those 27 + innings. Ross has shown the best control on LSU's staff lately, and that will be important against a team like UC Irvine who thrives on walks. Lastly, Ross is reportedly the Tigers' best fielder from the pitcher position. That can prove helpful against the Anteaters who like to bunt.

If the Tigers can manage to win their first game, they'll be a very confident bunch going against UCLA (most likely), and they'll be doing so with their ace on the mound...an ace who seems to finally be regaining his form.

I wouldn't expect any changes in LSU's lineup on Friday. I fully expect Mason Katz to be in left field and Alex Edward to be at third base.

All in all, some great baseball should be on display this weekend.

What else to look for this weekend? LSU's regional is paired with the Cal State Fullerton regional. If a team other than Fullerton wins that regional, then LSU can host a Super Regional at Alex Box stadium if their season is still alive.

Southern Pigskin: SEC West Top RBs

2010-06-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

I teamed up with fellow Southern Pigskin columnist Justin Davis in efforts to rank the top players at each position in the SEC West. This is the first part in a series where we'll cover each position group. Justin also covers the SEC West for Southern Pigskin with his focus being on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

You can check out the article right here.

Rivals.com Releases Initial Top 100

2010-06-01T18:35:00.001-05:00

RECRUITING

For those interested in recruiting rankings, Rivals.com released their initial Top 100 list. Prospects from the state of Louisiana fared very well in these initial rankings. Here are the Louisiana players and where they were ranked:

#6 OT La'el Collins - Redemptorist HS (LSU Commitment - pictured)
#16 RB Kenny Hilliard - Patterson HS (LSU Commitment)
#18 WR Jarvis Landry - Lutcher HS (LSU Commitment)
#19 OL Gregory Robinson - Thibodaux HS
#33 DT Anthony Johnson - O.Perry Walker HS (LSU Commitment)
#62 ATH Odell Beckham Jr. - Newman HS

It's a bit surprising that Evangel DE Jermauria Rasco was not included. I suspect that he, along with St. Paul's DT Mickey Johnson and Redemptorist RB Jeremy Hill will be just outside the Top 100.

To compare, here is how the Louisiana prospects stack up in the Scout.com rankings:

#12 OT La'El Collins - Redemptorist HS (LSU Commitment)
#22 DE Jermauria Rasco - Evangel HS
#29 DT Anthony Johnson - O.Perry Walker HS (LSU Commitment)
#83 WR Jarvis Landry - Lutcher HS (LSU Commitment)

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is the #1 player in the nation according to both sites.

ESPN will be releasing their rankings on Wednesday.

LSU going to Los Angeles

2010-05-31T11:52:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

The LSU Baseball team is the #2 seed in UCLA's regional. UCLA is the #6 national seed. To start off, LSU will face the #3 team in the regional, UC Irvine. You will remember that LSU defeated UC Irvine in the Super Regional in 2008. The #4 seed in the regional is Kent State.

I just said last night that the NCAA likes to keep things regional and that LSU wouldn't likely end up at a place like UCLA. Shows what I know.

Looking ahead, LSU's regional is paired with Cal State Fullerton's regional. That bracket consists of Cal State Fullerton (1), Stanford (2), New Mexico (3), and Minnesota (4). If LSU wins their regional and anyone other than Cal State Fullerton wins their regional, then LSU will host the Super Regional at Alex Box stadium.

The full bracket can be found here.

Baseball Wins 3rd Straight SEC Tournament; Recruiting Notes

2010-05-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU's baseball team has returned to their winning ways after a really horrific stretch of baseball that saw them lose 13 of 15 games, capped off by an embarrassing 9-1 loss to Tulane. Since then, the Tigers have won six of their last seven, including the last four in a row to win their third straight SEC Tournament.

LSU's pitchers have performed well over the last two weeks, and the batters are hitting in the clutch. Those things were not happening during LSU's skid. Additionally, Anthony Ranaudo finally looks like he could be re-gaining the dominance that made him one of the top prospects for the Major League Baseball draft. Most importantly, the entire team is playing with confidence again. Could the team be hitting their stride at the most important part of the season? It certainly appears so.

The 16 host Regional sites were announced on Sunday, and Baton Rouge was not included. Therefore, LSU will have to go on the road in the post-season. The 16 host schools are:

Arizona State
Arkansas
Auburn
Cal State Fullerton
Coastal Carolina
UCONN
Florida
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Miami
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Texas
TCU
UCLA
Virginia

LSU will almost certainly be a #2 seed at one of those regional sites. Some sites are preferable to others. The NCAA likes to keep things relatively regionally, so it'd doubtful that LSU will go to a place like UCONN or UCLA. It would be in LSU's best interest to end up at a place like TCU or Louisville as opposed to Texas or Virginia. The entire tournament will be announced tomorrow at 11:30, and I'll update the site and the Twitter account once the announcement is made.

The Slant will preview LSU's regional heading into next weekend and also preview the Major League Baseball draft, which begins June 7th.

RECRUITING

LSU hosted a "Family Day" on Saturday for current commitments and other in-state prospects. The goal of the weekend was for the recruits to bring their families to campus and for everyone to get to know each other. It looks like the weekend was a success as most of LSU's commitments were able to make it.

Some uncommitted prospects also attended, including St. Paul's HS DT Mickey Johnson, St. Helena Central ATH Ryan Byrd, and Pineville RB Derek Milton, who now plays for Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.

South Plaquemines HS WR Bradley Sylve also attended, despite being a verbal commitment to Alabama.

It seems that the weekend had the desired effect.

It wasn't all good news however.

Thibodaux HS OL Greg Robinson, arguably the top uncommitted prospect in the state, chose to attend Auburn's "Big Cat Weekend" rather than LSU's Family Day. Robinson's former high school teammate, Trovon Reed, signed with Auburn in February over LSU. Most consider Robinson a lean to LSU, but his actions are starting to indicate otherwise. At this point last year, most considered Trovon Reed a lean to LSU as well.

Newman ATH Odell Beckham Jr. and Evangel DE Jermauria Rasco were unable to attend which is a little disappointing.

Benton high school safety T.K. Fleming was apparently arrested recently. He was also recently offered by LSU. It's unclear how his arrest will affect his offer, but I have to believe it will.

Recruiting Recap; Summer Camp Circuit Approaching

2010-05-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

RECRUITING

The summer camp circut is about to get cranked up, and I thought it would be a good time to take a look at LSU's recruiting class and what prospects may earn offers soon. In recent years, LSU's coaches have issued offers to little known prospects who have performed well at camp. Guys like J.D. Lott, Josh Williford, Sam Gibson, and Dexter Blackmon came out of nowhere to end up as LSU commitments.

It's still a bit early to know who is going to attend camp at LSU, but this recap should paint a clear picture of guys that could potentially earn offers if they show up and perform well.

QB
While LSU continues to chase some high profile national recruits such as C.J. Uzomah, Jacoby Brissett, Marquise Williams, and Justin Worley, they'll have to make a decision on in-state quarterbacks that are likely to camp at LSU.

Catholic High's Zack Oliver looks like the most likely to earn an LSU offer at camp. The 6'4" 215 pound prospect completed 62% of his passes as a junior with 32 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for around 400 yards.   My bet is that Oliver leaves camp with an offer.

Clinton's Stevie Douglas is another in-state signal caller that will be competing for an offer. Douglas has a good frame at 6'4" and 190 pounds.   Douglas plays in a small classification so a strong camp performance is very important for him. Thus far, Douglas has an offer from Memphis.

Hahnville's Brian Ensminger has not attracted a ton of interest thus far, but I wouldn't be surprised if he performs well at a few camps and earns a lot more attention. Thus far, Ensminger only has a Tulane offer. It's unclear whether he is attending LSU's camp.

RB
LSU has three running backs committed, and they aren't looking for any others. Kenny Hilliard and Terrance Magree are both solid in their commitments to LSU. Jeremy Hill is not as solid and is considering taking visits to other schools.

The Tigers do have a couple of offers out there for fullbacks. Illinois prospect Nick Lifka may attend LSU's camp, but he already holds an offer.

WR
I don't anticipate the camps having a big impact at the wide receiver position either. LSU currently has two commitments at receiver, and they have their sights set on Odell Beckham Jr. and Joseph Morrow, who both hold offers, for the third spot. LSU will continue to recruit Bradley Sylve who recently gave a verbal commitment to Alabama. Would the Tigers take all five guys? Would Beckham be willing to play cornerback? If Sylve sticks with the Tide, will a new name will emerge?  Perhaps that new name will come up at camp.

TE
LSU was a finalist for Max Stevenson who ultimately chose Oklahoma. Otherwise, it does not appear that the Tigers are recruiting the tight-end position too hard this year.   A pair of in-state guys could make an impact at camp and raise some eyebrows however.

Rayville's Quinton Griffin and Christian Life's Johnny Banks are both athletic receiving tight-ends. I'm not sure if they intend on attending LSU's camp but if so, it will certainly be worth keeping an eye on their performance.

OL
LSU has three offensive line commitments thus far, and it's very clear that Thibodaux's Greg Robinson is the biggest remaining target. In fact, he may be the most important in-state prospect left on LSU's board at any position.   If LSU lands Robinson, would they consider taking a fifth offensive lineman?

If so, one in-state guy to watch would be Destrehan's Ethan Hutson. Hutson was the MVP of the Baton Rouge Nike camp at the offensive line position, but LSU's coaches were not allowed to attend that event. If he can duplicate that performance in front of the coaching staff, then he could potentially earn an offer. Hutson projects as a center in college, a position of need for LSU.

Mississippi's James Maiden is another possibility as a fifth offensive lineman. Maiden already received an offer from LSU, but is that offer still valid?

DT
With one defensive tackle committed, LSU has their sights set on St. Paul's High School's Mickey Johnson. Johnson already holds an offer from LSU. If Johnson decides to go elsewhere or if LSU looks for a third defensive tackle in this class, then a trio of in-state guys could be fighting for that spot.

West Monroe's Chuck Hunter is the most familiar name. Hunter holds offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and TCU. His height is apparently a concern for LSU's coaches.

Rayville's Gerrand Johnson reports offers from Arkansas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama. It's unclear whether Johnson is going to camp at LSU, but I'm hopeful that he does. He looks like a very good prospect.

Neville's Demarcus Hodge is another guy to watch. Arkansas, Tennessee, and TCU have already offered the 6'1" 295 pound standout.

If either of the three tackles mentioned above have an interest in earning an offer from the Tigers, then camping at LSU is in their best interest.

DE
At defensive end, LSU has Quentin Thomas on board and is looking for at least one more guy. Evangel's Jermauria Rasco is the clear #1 target for the staff.   But are they interested in another defensive end after Rasco?

The state of Louisiana doesn't appear to offer any additional prospects, and the Tigers will have to look out of state for another defensive end.

LB
With just one commitment at linebacker, the Tigers will be looking to add at least one more.

South Plaquemine's Beau Fitte could be a guy that earns a strong look from LSU with a good camp. Currently, he holds an offer from Louisiana Tech.

Otherwise, LSU will look out of state for linebackers.

CB
It will be very interesting to see how the cornerback position shakes out for this recruiting class.

Vandebilt Catholic's Darren Kitchen may have the most to gain from camping at LSU. He drew rave reviews from his performance at the Baton Rouge Nike camp, but he still does not hold an LSU offer at this point. He does have offers from Nebraska and Stanford.

Bastrop's Jevante Watson is another SEC caliber defensive back in the state. Watson looks the part of a corner with good size at 6'0" 180 pounds. He recently reported offered by Ole Miss and Alabama.

A guy like West Monroe's Paul Turner (pictured) looks great on film as an offensive player, but he probably projects as a defensive back in college. Could a good camp on defense put him in the discussion for LSU? I think so. Turner holds offers from TCU and Louisiana Tech.

South Carolina's Ronnie Martin recently earned an offer from LSU, but he may camp at LSU anyway. Martin is very high on LSU, and it's possible that he leaves campus as a commitment. Martin is 5'11" 185 pounds and has serious speed.

East St. John's Floyd Raven and Houston, TX athlete Nick Shepard (Russell Shepard's brother) are in the conversation as well.

S
LSU recently offered Benton High's T.K. Fleming, who has to be considered an LSU lean at this point.

A prospect I'm very interested in is St. Helena Central's Ryan Byrd. Byrd is likely a Top 20 player in the state of Louisiana, but his position at the next level is a bit uncertain. Some like Byrd as a wide receiver and some like him as a safety. As a receiver, Byrd is down the list for LSU. But as a safety, I can easily see Byrd earning an offer. I'm hopeful that Byrd works out at safety at camp so the coaches can evaluate him. He's the kind of player that you want to find a spot for because you'd hate to see him go somewhere else. He holds offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Memphis, Kansas, Kansas State, and Minnesota.

Deridder's Deshazor Everett has offers from Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Memphis. He'll need a strong camp to get onto the radar of the LSU staff.

Leesville's Levander Liggins is a great looking prospect who probably projects as an offensive player in college. Thus far, he only has offers from Miami of Ohio and Louisiana Tech. In my opinion, Liggins' best chance at earning an SEC offer would be at defensive back, but I have not seen him on that side of that ball.

Looking out of state, South Carolina's Pat Martin is a guy that has the attention of the LSU coaching staff. He holds offers from LSU, Arkansas, Maryland, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Martin is high on LSU and a visit to campus this summer could certainly help LSU's position.

A Rare Summer Look At LSU Basketball

2010-05-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

Football is not producing much news right now and if you’re like me, you don’t even want to think about LSU Baseball. Frankly, since the baseball team is, in my opinion, not investing much effort on the field, I’m not investing much effort in writing about them. So instead, I’m doing a rare summer breakdown of LSU basketball.

After a really disappointing 2009-2010 season, Trent Johnson’s guys hope to improve upon their 11-20 record which saw them win just two conference games. However, that may be a task that is easier said than done.

LSU will likely be without their two leading scorers from a season ago. Tasmin Mitchell graduated and will try to catch on with an NBA team. He was often LSU’s lone bright spot last year. Senior guard Bo Spencer is currently suspended from the team for academic reasons, and his future is very uncertain. It’s a strong possibility that Spencer will not return to the team next year. Therefore, LSU will rely heavily on the improvement of their returning players as well as contributions from the new guys.

To start, here is a breakdown of the returning players.

Returning Players:

F Storm Warren Jr - Warren (pictured) improved tremendously from his freshman season when he was a little used reserve. He turned into a very dependable SEC forward, averaging 11.8 points 7.2 rebounds and shooting an impressive .536 from the field. He’ll be counted on to be LSU’s veteran presence in the front court.

F/C Dennis Harris So – The skinny 6’11” post player did fairly well in his first season on the court. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting .505 from the field. He showed good athleticism and the ability to find the ball both as a rebounder and shot blocker. Due to his frail build, he lacks a physical presence in the paint and was often a defensive liability. If he can make an improvement from Year #1 to Year #2 similar to what Storm Warren did, then LSU will have a solid contributor with Harris.

G Chris Bass Jr – In his first season at LSU, Bass played more and more as the season progressed. He looked the part of a true point guard, dishing out a team-leading 3.1 assists per game. He’s not much of a scorer though, averaging only 2.3 PPG. With a pair of incoming point guards, Bass will be fighting for playing time again in 2010-2011.

G Aaron Dotson So – Dotson was a bit of a disappointment as a true freshman, averaging just 3.2 points and 1 assist per game, despite starting for most of the year. Shooting guards are expected to be scorers, and Dotson had an alarmingly bad .152 3-point shooting percentage. Dotson would have likely been better served with a redshirt season.

F Eddie Ludwig So – Ludwig did not produce much with only 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a true freshman. However, he did show some flashes of possessing some good skills. He has a decent shot, and he also led the team in free throw percentage at .867. With a year under his belt, the hope is that he steps up as a sophomore and produces a bit more.

F/C Garrett Green Jr – Green is a big body who can provide an inside presence for LSU. However, he has been battling a lower back injury for a couple of years and it’s unclear just how much he’ll be able to contribute. His minutes were very limited towards the end of last season.

As you can tell, LSU will rely heavily on their new players. The good news is that this recruiting class, along with one transfer, is poised to make a huge impact on the court. Help is coming at the right positions.

Incoming Players:

F Malcolm White Jr – White averaged 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Ole Miss in 2008-2009 season before transferring and sitting out last year. At Ole Miss, White showed flashes of big-time ability. He had one game with 20 points and 9 rebounds and had another game with 18 rebounds.

F Jalen Courtney Fr – Courtney comes from Jackson, MS and has good size at 6’8” 210 pounds. He chose LSU over offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Missouri. Courtney averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds as a senior.

F Matt Derenbecker Fr – Derenbecker is a versatile wing player who many considered the top prospect in the state of Louisiana. He is 6’7” 185 pounds and was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state as a senior. He averaged 20.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 6 assists and 3 steals per game. Derenbecker also held offers from Ole Miss and Oklahoma State.

G Ralston Turner Fr – Turner is a wing player that knows how to put the ball in the basket. He’s listed at 6’5” 200 pounds. He averaged 21 points and 9 rebounds per game as a senior. He could play either shooting guard or small forward at the next level. He also averaged 4.3 blocks and 4 steals per game. Turner chose LSU over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Notre Dame.

G Andre Stringer Fr – Stringer is an undersized point guard at just 5’9” 170 pounds, but he has all the skills you could want. He was voted Mr. Basketball for the state of Mississippi as a senior. Stringer is very quick and is a very good shooter with great range. Stringer averaged 25 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals per game as a senior. Here is a little video of Stringer:

G K.C. Ross-Miller – Miller is another small point guard at 6’0” 175 pounds and hails from the Dallas, TX area. Miller was once a commitment to Kentucky, but re-opened his recruitment when former coach Billy Gillespie was fired. He ultimately chose LSU over Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Florida. He averaged 26 points and 11 assists as a senior. He also showed a great shooting touch, making 60% of his shot attempts, and 56% from three-point land. LSU badly needs outside shooting and Ross-Miller could provide that right away. Here are some highlights of Miller:

C Justin Hamilton – Hamilton is a 6’11” 230 pound transfer from Iowa State. Hamilton averaged 6.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a sophomore for Iowa State last season. He also led the Big-12 in offensive rebounds. As a transfer, he will have to sit out the 2010-2011 season for LSU after which he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. Here is one highlight of Hamilton from Iowa Sate.

All in all, I think LSU will be much improved but I'd be surprised if they compete for an SEC championship. Trent Johnson is building this program his way, with four-year program players who are high character team guys. That recipe has led to plenty of success at programs like Duke, Vanderbilt, and even Stanford where Johnson last coached. A lot of freshmen will get valuable experience in their first year in the program and that will pay dividends in years to come.

LSU Baseball On Life Support; LSU adds St. Aug OL

2010-05-16T20:23:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

Kentucky swept LSU this weekend, putting LSU's post-season hopes on life support. LSU has now lost 11 of their last 12 SEC games, with the only win coming in extra innings. The wheels have totally come off this season, and it doesn't look like the Tigers are going to rebound. It's impossible to explain what happened to this team. It's easy to see that some injuries have affected them, but the team's mental focus and toughness is gone. Completely gone. When the team gets a lead, the mindset is one of trying to hold on and survive rather than to go for the kill.

LSU's SEC record is now 12-15, and the Tigers are in serious trouble of not even making the SEC Tournament. Luckily for the Tigers, they play cellar dweller Mississippi State next weekend who is currently in last place in the SEC West. The Tigers will need to win two of three in order to have a chance at making it to Hoover.

RECRUITING

In case you missed the Twitter update on Friday, St. Augustine offensive lineman Trai Turner committed to LSU. Turner is a big-time prospect who plays tackle for St. Aug but will likely play guard in college. Turner is 6'5" 340 pounds and moves extremely well. He also plays defensive tackle for St. Aug and looks like a legitimate prospect on that side of the ball.

Turner chose LSU over offers from Nebraska, Florida State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Stanford, Tennessee, and others.

LSU Completes Spring Conditioning

2010-05-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

LSU completed their spring conditioning program, and they put up some impressive numbers according to LSU. That article is definitely worth a read. Some highlights:

Running back Mike Ford stood out with the team's highest vertical leap (42") and second highest bench press (425 pounds).

Defensive tackle Drake Nevis (pictured) led the team in bench press (475 pounds), Jerk (396 pounds), and Clean (374 pounds), which was a school record that he tied with P.J. Lonergan. He was tied for second on the team in squat (535 pounds).

Cornerback Patrick Peterson stands out, leading the team with a hand-timed 4.20 in the 40 yard dash and surprisingly ranking second on the team in the squat at 535 pounds. He was also third on the team in the vertical leap at 39"

Other notables are listed in the article.

Bradley Sylve Commits To Alabama; Fleming Gets LSU Offer

2010-05-12T20:56:00.001-05:00

RECRUITING

South Plaquemines wide receiver Bradley Sylve committed to Alabama on Wednesday. I have Sylve ranked as the seventh prospect in the state of Louisiana. Sylve has serious speed in the category of Devery Henderson or Skyler Green and looks like a future impact player as a slot receiver and kick returner.

For much of the last year, Sylve has thought to be a heavy lean to LSU. But Alabama recruited him hard and convinced him that he could play earlier at Alabama than he could at LSU. His commitment Wednesday came as a big surprise.

While many LSU fans will rationalize this and say that maybe LSU did not want Sylve or that losing him is not a big deal, I can assure you that LSU did want him and that losing him is a serious kick in the man-parts.

LSU lost Trovon Reed out of Thibodaux last year and has, for now, lost a top player from South Plaquemines. Both are traditionally LSU strong holds and while I hate to say that a trend is developing.....it is. Reason to be concerned? You bet.

The good news is that Sylve won't sign anywhere until February, and you can bet that Frank Wilson and LSU's staff will continue to recruit him hard. He'll likely receive quite a bit of local pressure to stay home and play for the Tigers.

In other news, Benton high school safety T.K. Fleming received an offer from LSU. Fleming has good size at 6'3" 200 pounds and just won the state championship in both long jump and triple jump. Obviously, Fleming is an outstanding overall athlete. He also holds offers from Nebraska, Tennessee, UCLA, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Louisville among others. I think LSU moves to the top of his list now that they have offered.

Southern Pigskin: LSU Wide Receiver Tradition In Good Hands

2010-05-11T21:40:00.000-05:00

I've got a new piece up on Southern Pigskin about the wide receiver tradition at LSU.

Check it out here.

A Look Into The Future For LSU Baseball

2010-05-11T21:37:00.001-05:00

BASEBALL

While I made it clear in my last post that I'm not giving up on the 2010 LSU Baseball team, I thought we'd take a quick look ahead to 2011. Who is leaving? Who is staying? What new players can make a difference?

Obviously, the seniors have to leave so we'll have to say goodbye to Blake Dean, Matt Gaudet, and Paul Bertuccini.

If a player enrolls in college, they must play three years of college baseball before being eligible for the Major League draft. Therefore we know that LSU will return the following players:

Mikie Mahtook (So)
Austin Nola (So)
Tyler Hanover (So)
Trey Watkins (So)
Grant Dozar (So)
Johnny Dishon (So)
Matty Ott (So)
Chris Matulis (So)
Joey Bourgeois (So)
Shane Riedie (So)
Alex Edward (Fr)
Mason Katz (Fr)
Wet Delatte (Fr)
Beau Didier (Fr)
Matt Fury (Fr)
Jordan Rittiner (Fr)
Zach Lasuzzo (Fr)
Forrest Garrett (Fr)
Chris Cotton (Fr)
Michael Reed (Fr)

Some of LSU's juniors are highly regarded by Major League Scouts and may be leaving LSU's team as well. Heading into the season, Anthony Ranaudo was a candidate to be the #1 overall pick in this summer's draft. Even though Ranaudo has not had the season we have all hoped for, he'll still be a high first round pick.

Micah Gibbs and Leon Landry (pictured) are also considered high round draft picks and will most likely not return to LSU's team next year. If either of them do return, it will be a most pleasant surprise.

Pitcher Austin Ross is another guy that the scouts have their eye on. Despite the fact that Ross hasn't enjoyed any consistent success at the college level, he's got great "stuff" and can top 90 MPH with his fastball. For that reason, some team will likely take a chance on him in hopes they can coach up his raw skills. This site projects Ross as a sixth round draft pick, which is a bit of a surprise to me. If Ross goes anywhere in the Top 10 rounds, he'll probably leave.

Other juniors on the team will likely return. They are:

Daniel Bradshaw (Jr)
Kyle Koeneman (Jr)
Mitch Mormann (Jr)
Ben Alsup (Jr)

LSU has a number of high profile incoming freshmen that will get drafted at some point. It's obviously in LSU's best interest for them to go as late as possible in order to increase their chances of showing up at LSU. Here are some to watch in the early rounds:

P Kevin Gausman (CO) - Likely 1st or 2nd Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Doubtful

P Cameron Bedrosian (GA) - Likely Top 5 Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Doubtful

INF Delino Deshields Jr. (GA) - Likely Top 5 Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Doubtful

P Zach Lee (TX) - Likely Top 10 Round Pick - Football could scare teams away
Chances to come to LSU: Average

OF Austin Southall (University High) - Likely Top 10 Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Average

INF Jacoby Jones (MS) - Likely Top 2 Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Doubtful

INF Garin Cecchini (Barbe HS) - Likely Top 10 Round Pick
Chances to come to LSU: Average

If any of those guys make it to LSU, they'll likely be in the mix next season. Here is a list of the remainder of new incoming players:

P Kurt McCune (Destrehan HS)
P Nick Rumbelow (TX)
INF Joe Broussard (Holy Cross HS)
P Josh Burris (Scotlandville HS)
P Mitch Hopkins (LSU Eunice)
INF Ryan Eades (Northshore HS)
INF Kevin Koziol (IL)
OF Marcus Davis (OH)
OF Lucas Leblanc (Delgado)
C Jackson Slaid (Lakeside HS)
C Tyler Ross (FL)

Another guy to consider is incoming freshman running back Spencer Ware, who is an outstanding baseball prospect as well. Back in July, I wrote a little bit about Ware and his baseball ability.

Here is one good article about LSU's signing class.

As the draft approaches, I'll do my best to keep tabs on the draft stock of everyone of interest to LSU. This post should give us a good starting point.

The Slant Gets A New Look; Not Giving Up On Baseball

2010-05-10T20:05:00.001-05:00

I'm sure you have noticed that the site has a new look today. In efforts to continually improve, I've given the old girl a few upgrades. The new look is a lot cleaner and makes for an overall better impression. The biggest functional change is that all of the links to the recruiting pages are now along the top of the site rather than on the side.

You'll also notice some links at the top for "Roster Breakdown By Class" which is a feature I hope to have up and running soon. I'll of course let you know it's ready.

In the meantime, feel free to let me know what you think about the new look. Anyone is always welcome to hit the "Comments" feature on each post and leave some feedback. Also feel free to let me know if you've got any ideas for any features or articles that the site currently lacks. You're always welcome to shoot me an e-mail at lsu.newsletter@gmail.com

BASEBALL

LSU lost two of three to Vanderbilt last weekend and has now lost three consecutive series. As a result, their league record is now a pedestrian 12-12. The pitching staff is inconsistent. Staff ace Anthony Ranaudo can't get going. The hitters leave too many runners on base. Lastly, the lineup, regardless of who is playing on a particular day, has holes.

Having said all that, I'm not ready to give up on this LSU Baseball team. Why do I continue to hold out hope?

Left-fielder and leadoff hitter Trey Watkins may return to the lineup this weekend. His presence will allow Mikie Mahtook to slide back down the batting order. Mahtook is one of LSU's best players, but he has a big swing and strikes out a bit too much for a leadoff hitter. Having him back at the 5 or 6 hole again will benefit LSU a great deal, especially if Watkins can pick up where he left off before his injury.

Over the last two weeks, left fielder Alex Edward has been hitting the ball well and when Watkins returns, he'll reportedly move to third base to try and fill a hole there.

I still have a feeling that Ranaudo is going to find his groove at this point. However, he needs to find it soon since only two weekends remain in the regular season.

Both Jordan Rittiner and Austin Ross had good starts for LSU last weekend.

Could the dominos start to fall in LSU's favor? It's a lot of "ifs" but I'm not ruling out the possibility that LSU get hot down the stretch. 16 teams are going to host Regionals and at this point, it doesn't look like LSU will be one of them. But I can promise you that none of the 16 regional hosts want to see LSU in their bracket.

RECRUITING

Some rumors are circulating that St. Augustine High School teammates Trai Turner and Renaldo Thomas are planning to commit to LSU soon. It's not breaking news that LSU leads for both guys, but it would be nice to get them on board.

Baseball Hosts Vandy

2010-05-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU faces Vanderbilt this weekend in the most pivotal series of the weekend. The Dores have a solid 10-9 SEC record. As usual, Vanderbilt has an outstanding pitching staff, and they lead the SEC with a 3.31 ERA. That compares to 5.40 for LSU.

Vandy is no slouch at the plate either with a team batting average of .317, good for fourth in the league. They also lead the league in on base percentage. However, Vanderbilt doesn't hit a lot of home runs. In fact, they rank last in the SEC in with only 36 round trippers on the season. So while a lot of people get on base, they stay away from the big inning. That should prevent Vanderbilt from jumping out to a big lead.

While LSU and Vanderbilt match up well on paper, I get the sense that this series has everything to do with LSU and how they respond after losing six straight games. With their backs against the wall and their season on the line, it's gut-check time. Will LSU fold if they face some adversity? Or will they respond and come out swinging? My bet is on the latter.

RECRUITING

As high schools across the country begin their spring practices, college coaches are hitting the road and attending as many as possible to evaluate prospects. A number of schools will be issuing new offers right now. Otherwise, recruiting will likely be pretty slow until the summer camp circuit heats up.

LSU Offers OL Trai Turner

2010-05-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

RECRUITING

LSU offered St. Augustine high school offensive lineman Trai Turner on Monday, becoming the 26th school to do so. Turner also holds offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Stanford, and Tennessee among others. I've got Turner ranked #15 on my state rankings, a couple of spots ahead of current LSU commitment Corey White. I'm very glad that LSU has offered Turner. In any other year, he'd be a lock to be a Top-10 player in state.

Turner plays right tackle for St. Aug, but he could certainly move inside and play guard at the next level and that's where most project him. Turner has huge size at 6'5" 335 pounds but he carries his weight well and is quick on his feet.

It will be interesting to see how LSU finishes up their OL class. LSU has two commitments already on board, and it's tough to imagine them taking more than two more. There is no question that LSU badly wants Thibodaux's Greg Robinson. LSU has also been heavily recruiting Mississippi's James Maiden, and it seems that Maiden is even favoring the Tigers. But now with an offer in hand, Turner has to be considered a lean to LSU as well. It's a good problem to have. Here is some film of Turner:

Baseball Loses Seventh Straight; Football and Recruiting Notes

2010-05-02T20:53:00.001-05:00

BASEBALL

Florida swept LSU this weekend, and the Tigers have now lost seven games in a row. The team is not pitching well. They are not hitting well. And they are not running the bases well. They are in a funk, and I suspect they are going to snap out of it pretty soon. Paul Maineri's teams typically bounce back from adversity like this. Unfortunately, this particluar slump has killed any chance LSU had of earning a Top 8 national seed. If the season ended today, LSU would probably not even host a Regional.

Coach Maineri tried to shake things up by starting Matty Ott on Sunday, but Ott got roughed up pretty bad. I suspect Ott will return to the bullpen next weekend.

So what is wrong with the team? LSU was very successful in close games earlier in the season. Lately, the Tigers have been on the wrong end of most of those games. What has changed?

Since Trey Watkins went out with an injury, the lineup has been unsettled and just hasn't felt right. Also, Anthony Ranaudo's injury earlier in the season has set him back and he hasn't been fully comfortable yet. Those two things stand out as the biggest contributing factors to LSU losing three of their last four SEC series. The good news is that Watkins should return to the lineup before the end of the season and perhaps his return will spark the offense heading into the post season. I'm also quite confident that Anthony Ranaudo will soon regain the form of one of the nation's top pitchers.

LSU now sits at fourth place in the SEC West; however, they are only three games out of first place. LSU has three SEC series remaining on the schedule. They play Vanderbilt at home, then travel to Lexington to play Kentucky before returning home to face Mississippi State. All three teams are behind LSU in the SEC standings. LSU faces Southeastern at the Box on Tuesday.

FOOTBALL

Jackass Season has reared its ugly head. Backup center T-Bob Hebert was arrested Saturday morning for DWI. Coach Miles has not made any statements about Hebert's arrest, and it's unclear what his future will be on the team.

Several sites have reported that incoming freshman Tyrann Mathieu is now fully academically qualfied. A few other incoming freshmen still have some work to do. I'm not certain, but I believe that Brandon Worle, Alfred Blue, and Jahkari Gore are still working to be eligible.

RECRUITNG

Klein Oak (TX) High school teammates Nathan Hughes and Max Stevenson both announced verbal commitments to Oklahoma over the weekend. LSU was recruiting both players and had offered both guys.

According to Tigerbait.com, LSU has offered West Palm Beach quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Brissett has great size at 6'5" 235 pounds and is on Rivals.com's 250 Watch List.

Southern Pigskin: 2011 NFL Draft Prospects in the SEC West

2010-04-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

I've got a new piece up on Southern Pigskin which discusses the top NFL prospects in the SEC West for next year. I think you'll enjoy the read. Check it out here.

Can't Make Fun of Ole Miss This Year; Recruiting Tidbits

2010-04-26T18:49:00.001-05:00

First off, I apologize for not getting an update out since last Tuesday. I simply haven't been able to get one done. So I'm playing a little catch up today.

BASEBALL

LSU unexpectedly got swept this weekend by Ole Miss. Each game was close, and the Tigers battled hard. They simply came up a little short each time. The three losses take LSU out of the driver's seat, and maybe out of the car entirely, in their efforts to earn a National Top-8 seed. LSU now sits with an 11-7 SEC record and a 32-9 overall record. Arkansas leads the SEC West at 13-5 while South Carolina leads the SEC at 14-4.

LSU has another difficult series on the road at Florida this weekend. But after that, the schedule lightens up a bit, and the Tigers could make a run.

Getting swept at Ole Miss is not the end of the world, but the Tigers are going to have to really step up in order to get back into contention to host a Super Regional. Ole Miss had been struggling, and their backs were against the wall in the SEC race. They obviously responded well. LSU now has their backs against the wall, and we'll see how they respond against Florida.

FOOTBALL

Incoming freshman safety / wide receiver Tharold Simon (pictured) has reportedly made a qualifying ACT score and will be academically cleared to enroll at LSU in the fall. Simon was one of the stars of LSU's signing class, and he was also one of the bigger academic question marks. It's great news to hear that he'll be in the mix this fall.

RECRUITING

LSU hosted a surprise visitor over the weekend when Florida defensive tackle Tim Jernigan was on caompus. Rated the #1 DT and #2 overall player in nation according to Scout.com, Jernigan hails from Lake City, FL which is just west of Jacksonville.

A group of high profile Louisiana prospects participated in a 7-on-7 tournament in Tuscaloosa, AL over the weekend. The Louisiana team included prospects Odell Beckham, Jr., Ryan Byrd, Darren Kitchen, and quarterback Stevie Douglas. After a very strong showing at the Baton Rouge Nike camp last week, Beckham again impressed everyone in attendance. Some say that he was the best looking player at the entire event. Beckham may project better as a defensive back, but for now he maintains that he prefers receiver. At this point, it appears that Beckham could excel at either position.

Late last week, Texas defensive end Cedric Reed committed to Texas. LSU was recruiting Reed and even though Reed chose the Longhorns, his decision stands to benefit LSU. Texas plans to take just one defensive end in the Class of 2011 and with Reed on board, they won't be recruiting any others. Evangel High standout Jermauria Rasco has recently stated that LSU and Texas stood out as his leaders. Reed's decision should significantly help LSU's chances of signing Rasco. I suspect that Alabama will be a major player for Rasco as well before its all said and done.

Baseball Rolls In Shreveport; Football Loses Two

2010-04-20T22:27:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU played Northwestern State in Shreveport on Tuesday night and rapped out 15 hits on the way to a 14-3 victory. LSU took control of the game in the second inning with an Austin Nola home run and never looked back. Nola was a single short of hitting for the cycle and his his third home run of the season. Micah Gibbs, Wet Delatte, Johnny Dishon, and Tyler Hanover all had at least a pair of hits in the win.

With Mikie Mahtook out of the lineup, Matt Gaudet played left field. Wet Delatte started at third base while Grant Dozar was behind the plate and Micah Gibbs was the designated hitter. Gibbs is now batting .414.

Daniel Bradshaw started the game for the Tigers and pitched well. He pitched five innings, struck our four, and allowed just one earned run. It's good to see Bradshaw pitch well, and it would be nice if he could get back on track.

LSU plays Northwestern State again Wednesday night at Alex Box stadium. The Tigers are now 31-6 on the season.

FOOTBALL

Tigerbait.com has reported that receiver Jhyrn Taylor and offensive lineman Thomas Parsons will not return to LSU's football team in 2010 due to medical reasons. It's still rumored that offensive lineman Cordian Hagans may not return as well. If Hagans is part of the attrition, then LSU will only be one scholarship over the limit if all the freshmen are eligible.

A Little Help From My Friends

2010-04-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

I do not have any real news to pass along today. Instead, I'm going to solicit the help of my readers.

I started the Saturday Night Slant just over one year ago, and I've seen the site grow faster than I could have imagined. I've done that without any real campaign to spread the word, but the word just kind of spread. The next thing I know, over 90 people are signed up to the e-mail service, the number of daily visitors has quadrupled, and I'm a national columnist for Southern Pigskin.

But now...I want to spread it even more, and I need your help.

The e-mail subscription service is one of the more popular ways to follow the Slant. I realize that many of you forward the e-mails to others, and I fully support that. However I'd like to ask you to encourage those that receive your forwards to sign up for the service themselves.   So by all means, forward THIS update to everyone imaginable.

Why does that matter to me? It lets me more easily quantify how many people are reading my stuff, and that information is necessary when I solicit potential sponsors.

If you're signed up for the e-mail service, you may also want to follow the Slant via Facebook and Twitter. While the e-mail updates are only once daily, the Facebook and Twitter pages are updated more frequently and you receive the information immediately.   You can hit the Facebook or Twitter icons on the right hand side of the screen or hit the About The Site link to learn more.

If you're getting this update as a forward, I encourage you to go the site and check things out.

As always, anyone is welcome to e-mail me at lsu.newsletter@gmail.com

Lastly, I sincerely thank all of you, my readers, for the consistent support and encouragement.

BASEBALL

OK, I have a little bit to pass along. Apparently, Mikie Mahtook has some kind of illness and won't play in either of the mid week games against Northwestern State. He may not be ready for the weekend series against Ole Miss.

FOOTBALL

In case you missed it, Georgia has dismissed redshirt freshman Zach Mettenberger from the football team for violation of team rules. Mettenberger was competing with fellow redshirt freshman Aaron Murray for the starting job, and he really shined in the spring game.  The job now falls to Murray and veteran Logan Gray will be the backup.

RECRUITING

Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel has committed to Florida. So scracth him off LSU's list. Driskel is a very good fit for Urban Meyer's offense.

Baseball Sweeps Bama; Nike Holds Camp at LSU

2010-04-18T20:26:00.001-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU earned a sweep against Alabama by capping off the weekend with a thrilling 14 inning victory on Sunday. LSU battled back from a 5-3 deficit in the eighth inning to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth with a Grant Dozar single.

Dozar was just getting started with his heroics at the plate.  But before that, Matty Ott (pictured) pitched his best game as an LSU Tiger, in my opinion. Coach Maineri brought in Ott in the eighth inning where he gave up two runs. But Ott pitched six more innings and was fantastic, giving up no more runs and no more hits. When LSU needed him most in extra innings, he delivered in a big way.

Then in the bottom of the 14th inning, Dozar lined a pitch over the right field wall for the game winner.

Dozar has earned his place in the starting lineup in my opinion. His average is up to .352 and has 15 RBIs in just 54 at bats. That RBI to at-bat ratio is third among the team among starters, trailing only Blake Dean and Matt Gaudet.

This weekend saw LSU's bats come alive on Friday and Saturday, and Blake Dean seems to be finding his swing after a recent slump. Dean hit three home runs over the weekend. Despite Dean's power numbers being a bit down thus far this year, he is still leading the team in RBIs and has a ridiculous .701 slugging percentage. If he adds the home runs to his repertoire, then watch out.

Micah Gibbs continued his hot hitting this week, raising his average all the way to .409. Gibbs has the inside track on being a first team All-American. Also making a bid for All-America honors is Mikie Mahtook, who is a legitimate five tool player. Mahtook is up to .360 with 8 HRs, 31 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. And we all know he plays fantastic defense.   Leon Landry is in the conversation too. His transformation from a year ago, when he struck out so much he ultimately found the bench, is remarkable. Landry has the fewest strikeouts of the starters and is second on the team in hitting at .364.

LSU is now 30-6 overall and 11-4 in the SEC. They continue to trail Arkansas by one game in the SEC West and for the overall SEC lead. The Tigers now enter the most critical stretch of the regular season. They travel to Ole Miss and then Florida on back to back weekends.   The next game is against Northwestern State on Wednesday.

RECRUITING

Nike hosted a camp at LSU on Saturday, and a number of LSU commitments and prospects attended and showed their stuff.

Catholic high school quarterback Zach Oliver earned MVP honors among the quarterbacks, a group that included Louisiana products Stevie Douglas from Clinton and Salmen HS's Daniel Sams. I expect Oliver to eventually earn an LSU offer, probably at LSU's camp this summer if he attends.

At running back, LSU commitments Jeremy Hill and Terrance Magee both attended and showed their stuff. Hill drew rave reviews and continues to look the part of a college ready "big back". Magee also impressed those in attendance. I've got Magee and Hill ranked #s 8 and 9 respectively on my recently updated state rankings.  Lutcher high school sophomore Daniel Taylor made a name for himself. Taylor is a smaller, scatback type that will receive plenty of attention in the Class of 2012.

The star of the day, not surprisingly, was Lutcher high receiver Jarvis Landry (pictured), an LSU commitment. Landry again showed off his precise route running, explosion out of his breaks, and sure hands. Landry excelled at camps last summer, and he did so again on Saturday. He earned MVP honors at receiver.

A pair of Louisiana athletes worked at receiver and both did well. Newman High's Odell Beckham apparently made some of the more impressive individual plays of the day. St. Helena Central's Ryan Byrd also had a good day. Both Beckham and Byrd may end up playing defense at the next level, but they showed their versatility at this camp. Ocean Springs, MS receiver Joe Morrow also impressed. Beckham and Morrow hold LSU offers while Byrd has an offer from Ole Miss.

On the offensive line, LSU commit Corey White attended and performed very well. But the MVP honors for the offensive line went to Destrehan's Ethan Hutson. Right now, Hutson only holds an offer from Tulane but after his performance on Saturday, he may get some more attention.   Also making his mark was giant sophomore Derek Edinburgh from Karr HS in New Orleans. Edinburgh measured in at 6'7" 305 pounds.

On the defensive line, St. Paul's defensive tackle Mickey Johnson stood out and earned MVP honors. He earned remarks such as "unblockable", "explosive", and "technically sound". This comes a couple weeks after Johnson performed well at the Miami Nike camp where he earned the title "best college prospect" among defensive linemen. Johnson continues to pile up offers, and LSU is recruiting him very hard.

Pensacola, FL defensive end D.J. Pettway attended and stood out. Pettway has offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, and many others.

At defensive back, Vandebilt Catholic's Daren Kitchen earned positive reviews for his work in coverage. Kitchen currently has offers from Nebraska and Stanford, but I expect that we will see some more activity regarding him and LSU in the near future, especially if he attends one of LSU's camps this summer. Houston's Nick Shepard, younger brother of Russell Shepard, also stood out with the defensive backs.

ESPN has a pretty good recap of the camp on their site.

Aside from the camp over the weekend, here are a couple of other recruiting notes to pass along:

Woodville, MS offensive lineman James Maiden continues to mention LSU among his leaders. Maiden recently picked up an offer from USC, and he routinely mentions the short distance from Woodville to Baton Rouge (about 45 minutes) as being very important to him and his family.   He is also being recruited by Stanford and Vanderbilt and has offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

ESPN's Chris Mortenson mentioned on his Twitter account that West Monroe's Chuck Hunter could be a future first round draft pick. Mortenson was promoting a recruiting site that he is involved in called PlayNextLevel.com. The good news is that this site has some free film of Hunter's if you're interested. Mortenson apparently likes what he sees of Hunter.

Lastly, Tennessee defensive back Jabriel Washington has committed to Alabama.   LSU was his other finalist.

Some Football Notes...

2010-04-15T22:08:00.000-05:00

Former LSU commitment for the Class of 2010, St. Paul's high school defensinve end / linebacker Houston Bates did not sign a letter of intent with LSU in February but instead agreed to accept a grayshirt and join LSU's team in the spring of 2011.

Apparently, Bates was not too keen on the idea of grayshirting despite originally agreeing to do so.

Earlier this week, Bates signed a letter of intent with the University of Illinois and will be playing football for them this fall.

All things considered, it was probably the best thing for Bates and LSU. Bates stands a better chance to see the field at Illinois while LSU frees up a scholarship for the Class of 2011, which is loaded with superior in-state talent.

I've heard from a couple of places that LSU could be suffering a bit more attrition. As I mentioned recently this is not only unexpected, but needed in order for LSU to get to 85 scholarships by the fall. In addition to receiver John Williams, offensive lineman / fullback Thomas Parsons and offensive lineman Cordian Hagans may be leaving the team. Parsons is rumored to have some medical issues while Hagans may be transferring. None of these are official at this point.

Big-10 Expansion Could Impact Everyone

2010-04-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

The Big-10 conference has made waves and driven speculation when they announced they were going to explore the possibility of expanding the conference. If they decide to expand, it may create a domino effect that drastically changes the college football landscape. Why is the Big-10 looking to expand? Why else? Money of course.

Currently, all conference members equally split all of the money earned by various revenue sources, most notably bowl game payouts and television contracts. Included in that television money is revenue from the Big-10's own network. The Big-10, which actually has 11 teams, would seemingly look to add one team to get to 12. So in order for this expansion to make sense, a new school would have to increase the overall pool of money enough so that once it's divided by 12, it will be more than the members' current share when split by 11.

One way to instantly increase revenue is to play a conference championship game. The NCAA requires a conference to have 12 teams in order to play a conference championship game, and this is the primary reason the Big-10 is looking to expand. In my opinion, a Big-10 Conference Championship Game would be a huge success. The fan following of universities in the conference is second only to the SEC, and you would not see half-empty stadiums like you do at the ACC Championship Game. I immediately think of several good regional venues for the game too. The brand new Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Soldier Field in Chicago, Ford Field in Detroit, or even Heinz Field in Pittsburgh would all be great places to host the game.

Currently, the Big-10 ends their season the week before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the rest of the college football world plays games on Thanksgiving weekend, and then again the following week in conference championship games. So at the most critical point in the season, the Big-10 is ignored and forgotten. A Big-10 Championship Game fixes that.

The conference championship game is not the only way to increase profits, and you can bet that the Big-10 will do everything possible to maximize revenue. The next most logical way to do that is to increase the television revenue, and the way to do that is to get the Big-10 Network into more households. Adding a school that would bring the Big-10 into a major television market would be a priority. For that reason, we've heard Rutgers and Syracuse mentioned as candidates since they would bring in the New York market. We've also heard UCONN as a possibility since they could bring in the Boston market and really add value in basketball.

This expansion wouldn't be a total money grab however. The Big-10 has a very high opinion of their academic reputation, and they are very serious about maintaining it. All universities in the Big-10 are members of the Association of American Universities (AAU), which the webstite defines as "an association of 62 leading public and private research universities in the United States and Canada." While it's not necessarily mandatory for a school to be an AAU member in order to be considered, the Big-10 will certainly consider it as a factor.

So who are they going to add? It's all speculation right now, but that speculation starts with Notre Dame. Notre Dame obviously exceeds any academic goals the Big-10 may have, and they would open up a national television market. However, the motivation for Notre Dame to join a conference seems slim since they have their own national television deal and due to the fact they do not have to split their bowl payout with anyone else. The Big-10 asked Notre Dame to join the conference in 1999, and they declined. In December, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbick said that, "our strong preference is to remain the way we are."

Some early talk surrounded the University of Texas. While not a geographical fit, Texas owns the most profitable athletic department in the nation. Additionally they would open a ton of new television markets, and they are an AAU member. Meanwhile, Texas thinks they are superior to their Big-12 brethern when it comes to academics and would welcome the improved reputation by rubbing elbows with other academically exclusive universities. However, the rumors of adding Texas were short lived and seem to have died at this point.

The University of Pittsburgh may make the most sense from a football standpoint and is the best geographical fit. They are also an AAU member. However, they don't open up any new television markets. The Big-10 network is already in Pittsburgh due to the presence of Penn State. Missouri is also a good geographic fit. They are an AAU member. And they bring the St. Louis television market. Furthermore, the athletic director of Missouri has publicly stated that they would strongly consider a move. I already mentioned Rutgers, Syracuse, and UCONN. Of all those schools, only UCONN is not an AAU member.

If one of the Big East teams is chosen, the Big East would have to respond by adding a team. They'd most likely consider Memphis or Central Florida as possibilities. If Missouri is chosen, then the Big-12 would have to respond with someone. Perhaps they take a look at TCU. Many speculate that Arkansas would be a candidate, but Arkansas makes more money in the SEC than they would in the Big-12, and I don't see them leaving even though they would be a great traditional and geographical fit. If Notre Dame joins the Big-10, then the Big-10 schools all get rich and everyone else goes about their business.

Recent talks are that the Big-10 may be looking to make an even bigger splash, one that would change college football as we know it. They are apparently exploring the option of expanding to as many as 16 teams and forming college football's first super conference. In one scenario, the Big-10 would raid the Big East and add Rutgers, Syracuse, Pitt, and UCONN. In theory, Notre Dame would then be unable to refuse the invitation to be the Big-10's 16th team. The Big East would essentially have to disband as far as football goes with only four remaining members left. Would the ACC or SEC then try to snatch up West Virginia, Louisville, South Florida, or Cincinnati to form a Super Conference of their own? Would current southern ACC teams such as Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech or Clemson be willing to leave the ACC to join the SEC? Would the SEC consider expanding west into Texas?

Would the Big-10 consider raiding the ACC? Maryland, Duke, North Carolina, and Boston College would bring in the Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Boston TV markets. All but Boston College are AAU members. Those schools would add a ton to Big-10 basketball as well.

The possibilities are endless and speculating on all of them could take forever. But it's apparent that the Big-10 is looking to a make a move. The question is whether that move will shape the future of the Big-10....or all of college football.

New Southern Pigskin Article; Baseball Notes

2010-04-14T21:48:00.002-05:00

SOUTHERN PIGSKIN

I've got a new piece up on Southern Pigskin regarding the hot start in recruiting for both LSU and Alabama.

You can check it out here.

BASEBALL

LSU defeated Tulane on Wednesday night by a score of 10-4. Mikie Mahtook was the star of the game, going 3 for 4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Tyler Hanover also had three hits, and every Tiger starter had at least one hit on the night.

Joey Bourgeois started for the Tigers and gave up three runs in his only inning of work. LSU's pitching then settled down and only gave up one run for the rest of the night.

LSU is now 27-6 and faces Alabama this weekend.

RECRUITING

In a bit of baseball recruiting news, Delino Deshields Jr. has committed to play baseball at LSU. Deshields is the son of former Major Leaguer Delino Deshields.

Deshields is a center fielder and is one of the top prospects in the nation.

Deshields is expected to be drafted this June, and he's very open to going pro rather than attending college. But if he comes to LSU, the Tigers may add a key contributor to next year's team. Deshields is also a standout football player though he isn't expected to play football in college.

Revised State Recruiting Rankings; Baseball Loses Series at Auburn

2010-04-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

RECRUITING

I have revised my state recruiting rankings and shuffled a few players around. A few people have asked me what criteria I use when ranking players. I look at three things:

1) First, I watch highlight films and use my own eyes to determine how I think a prospect projects at the college level.

2) I look at what schools have offered a prospect. I'm not a professional talent scout or evaluator. However, coaches of major college programs are. So I put a lot of stock into what they think.

3) Lastly, I take into consideration the recruiting services such as Rivals, Scout, and ESPN.

Right now, my rankings only go up to #17; however, I have a watch list of other in-state prospects that are on the radar. I've also added a list of offers for each prospect along with links to video where available. It's still early in the recruiting process, and schools will be doing a great deal of evaluating during the spring period and the summer camp circuit. We'll see a lot of new prospects emerge and a lot of new offers get issued.

Here are the rankings.

BASEBALL

LSU ran into a very good hitting team and lost two games this weekend to Auburn. On Friday, LSU had the game well in hand before the bullpen allowed Auburn to make it interesting in the end.

On Saturday, Chris Matulis had his first poor outing of the season allowing six runs in five innings. LSU was never able to recover even though they scored seven runs.

Sunday saw a close game where Auburn got one more big hit than LSU.

LSU is now second in the SEC West with an 8-4 record, one game behind Arkansas. The Tigers play Tulane on Wednesday before hosting Alabama next weekend.

New Commitment; Football and Baseball Notes

2010-04-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

RECRUITING

LSU picked up their 10th commitment of the Class of 2011 on Monday when Breaux Bridge defensive lineman Quentin Thomas gave his pledge to Les Miles. Thomas is 6'4" and a very lean looking 260 pounds. While most sites have him listed as a defensive tackle, Thomas stated that LSU wants him as a defensive end.

I've only seen a very small amount of film on Thomas, but he looks the part of a big, quick, strong defensive lineman. He also had an offer from Texas A&M.

I've currently got him ranked #13 in my state rankings, but I hope to update those this week.

FOOTBALL

With spring football over, we won't hear much football news until the fall. For the most part, no news is good news. This is the time of year that I like to call "Jackass Season" when players are most likely to find trouble.

LSU will also suffer attrition this summer, in some form or fashion. By my count, LSU will be at 91 scholarship players when all the freshman report in the fall. However, LSU can only have 85 scholarship players on the team, so something will have to happen in order to make room for the freshmen. That could mean that a current player leaves the team for some reason or that an incoming freshman fails to qualify academically.

It appears that the first domino to fall may be sophomore receiver John Williams who apparently has some medical issues that will prevent him from continuing his career. I haven't heard any other possible names at this point.

BASEBALL

LSU won the series against Georgia by taking two of three games, and they now sit atop the SEC standings with a 7-2 record, tied with South Carolina. The Tigers are in great shape and with Anthony Ranaudo re-joining the team on a full-time basis, they are poised to start playing their best baseball of the season.

However, we're still going to see some changes this week.

First, Austin Ross is moving to the bullpen after suffering another poor outing on Saturday. Similar to last year, Ross has shown that he can be awfully good but he just can't find any consistency. It looks like the starting rotation will be Ranaudo on Fridays, Chris Matulis (pictured) on Saturdays, and Joey Bourgeois on Sundays. Matulis continues to be one of the biggest surprises of the season. He's now 5-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

We're also going to see a change at third base. Neither Wet Delatte or Beau Didier were able to produce at the plate, so the coaches are going to give Kyle Koeneman a shot. Koeneman came to LSU as a power hitting first baseman out of junior college. He had some injury issues in the fall, and it looked like he was heading for a redshirt season. I can only assume that he's been performing well at practice since he's earned an opportunity to win a starting job. Grant Dozar may also be in the mix. He started the Sunday game at third.

Unfortunately, left fielder Trey Watkins suffered a dislocated elbow on Friday night while diving for a ball. His timetable is uncertain, but he'll be out for at least a month. In the meantime, Johnny Dishon will play left field while Mikie Mahtook will bat leadoff. Dishon is more than capable to fill in for Watkins.

LSU has Alcorn State on Tuesday night and Southern Miss at Zephyr Field on Wednesday night. As of now, it's unclear how LSU will manage their pitching for these two mid-week games.

Spring Recap; Baseball Sweeps Vols; Recruiting Update

2010-03-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

LSU concluded their spring practice on Saturday with their annual spring game. It's always tough to discern much from spring games because the team is playing against themselves. If the running game is wildly successful, is that a testament to the running game? Or is it a damnation of the defensive line? It's tough to tell, and having the starters divided among the two teams makes it even more difficult. But one can look at who stands out individually and assume that those players can make a difference next fall.

The story of the game was the success of LSU's running backs. Junior Stevan Ridley looked very impressive in rushing for 104 yards on 13 carries, and that included 70 yards on the opening touchdown drive. Ridley ran very decisively and broke a number of tackles. On the other team, fans got to see why the coaches have been singing the praises of redshirt freshman Michael Ford. In addition to running tough, Ford showed an ability to make defenders miss, and he also showed good speed and the ability to get to the edge. He finished with 139 yards on 19 carries.

Multipurpose threat Russell Shepard also stood out. Shepard lined up at receiver, running back, and quarterback on Saturday. The final result was 115 total yards...64 rushing and 51 receiving. While Shepard was underutilized a year ago, it looks like LSU's staff has bigger plans for him in 2010. He did drop a couple of balls as he continues to learn how to play the receiver position.

A pair of redshirt freshmen defensive ends really made an impact. Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo consistently put pressure on the quarterback, and both guys finished with a pair of sacks. Both players, especially Mingo, still need to gain some weight before they can be every down defensive ends but it looks like they will provide LSU some much needed pass rush in the fall. Montgomery ended the spring as one of LSU's starters.

Another pair of redshirt freshmen defenders made a name for themselves on Saturday. Linebacker Kevin Minter led both teams with 14 tackles. With starting middle linebacker Kelvin Shephard sitting out, Minter received extended playing time. Safety Craig Loston also stood out. Loston is battling with senior Jai Eugene for a starting position, and he showed off his athleticism and play making ability. Loston made six tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Place kicker Josh Jasper also showed off his stuff, hitting field goals from 47 and 57 yards.

Unfortunately for Tiger fans, not everyone shined. Starting quarerback Jordan Jefferson looked grossly uncomfortable en route to an 8 of 23 passing day. Heading into his second year as a starter, most expect Jefferson to significantly improve on the promise he showed a year ago. However, his performance in the spring game raises more questions than answers.

Heading into spring practice, LSU was hoping to improve in several areas:

The offensive line needs to play more physical. Check.
Russell Shepard needs to be more involved in the offense. Check.
The defense needs to generate more pressure on the quarterback. Check.
Jordan Jefferson needs to take the next step and show considerable improvement. Ehhhh

All in all, LSU appears to have all the pieces in place to contend for the SEC West with the exception of one glaring question mark at quarterback.

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to look back over my spring previews, pick out certain statements, and then analyze the result.

The most important thing to watch this spring is the improvement of Jordan Jefferson. Number two on the list is the development of Chris Garrett.

Note: We heard that Jefferson was making strides this spring but when we saw him with our own eyes in the spring game, he disappointed. He is the biggest question mark on LSU's team heading into the fall. Chris Garrett apparently didn't make a move this spring, as he's clearly the third quarterback right now.

Ford is one of the key guys to watch this spring. He has an opportunity to really break out and make a name for himself.

Note: Mike Ford did indeed make a name for himself this spring, and he followed it up with a very strong spring game. It looks like he'll be a factor in the fall.

He (Terrance Toliver) is now the primary receiver, and the biggest thing he can do this spring is to set a good example for the other receivers and to develop as a team leader.

Note: Toliver failed in this regard. He started strong but was arrested after getting involved in a fight and had to participate in the remainder of spring with a cast on his hand.

The question is whether (Deangelo) Peterson can become an effective blocker so that he can stay on the field for every down. His development as an every down player is the key thing to watch this spring at the tight-end position.

Note: Peterson had a strong spring and drew very positive reviews from the coaching staff. However, it remains to be seen whether Peterson can be an every down player.

Loston came to LSU as the top rated safety in the nation out of high school, but a hand injury shortened his freshman season. He should be ready to go, and we'll have to see if he's ready to play a big role.

Note: Loston apparently struggled with giving a consistent effort at practice, but his talent is evident. If he can put things together at fall camp, he could very well earn a job as a starter.

BASEBALL

LSU took care of business in Knoxville this weekend, earning the sweep against the Vols. We saw a few encouraging things from the weekend, other than the obvious fact that the Tigers won all three games.

Austin Ross pitched Friday and gave the Tigers a very good performance, one of his best of the season. Ross pitched six innings and allowed just six hits and two earned runs.

Tyler Hanover (pictured) has really stepped up lately, and he had a huge weekend. Hanover was 6 of 11 with 6 RBIs against Tennessee. Over Hanover's last six games, he is 10 for 18 (.555). He was second in the batting order this weekend, and he'll certainly stay there for the foreessable future.

Austin Nola looked a bit more comfortable batting at the bottom of the order. He was 5 for 10 with four RBIs this weekend.

Lastly Matt Gaudet continues to be "feast or famine" at the plate. In 10 at bats this weekend, Gaudet his two home runs, but he also struck out four times.

In Game 2 of the series, Anthony Ranaudo made his first start since the season opener. He pitched two perfect innings and looked sharp. He also did not feel any discomfort after pitching. He should start again next weekend against Georgia and gradually work his way back into the full rotation.

Chris Matulis pitched OK in relief of Ranaudo, and he was good enough to earn the win.

In Game 3, Joey Bourgeois got knocked around a bit, but he held it together enough to get the win.

LSU continues to struggle at third base. Beau Didier was given an opportunity this weekend, starting all three games. However, he went just 1 for 10. LSU will need to find some production from the hot corner at some point this year. I'm wonder whether backup Grant Dozar or true freshman Mason Katz may get a look before too long.

RECRUITING

LSU hosted over 100 prospects at their second Junior Day of the spring. A number of big names were in attendance.

Thibodaux offensive lineman Greg Robinson was able to attend, and he had another great visit. It sounds like it won't be too long before Robinson is an LSU Commitment. He's a very strong lean to the Tigers right now.

Klein, Texas tight-end Max Stevenson visited campus, and he received an offer from Les Miles. Stevenson is 6'5" 225 pounds and has offers from Notre Dame, Arizona, Texas Tech and others.

Stevenson is teammates with defensive end Nathan Hughes and LSU signee Luke Muncie and all guys were in attendance. Hughes had a good visit and re-affirmed LSU's position in his Top two along with Oklahoma.

Benton safety T.K. Fleming made it in and had a good time. He did not recieve an offer, but LSU wants to evaluate him further this spring and at camp over the summer. Fleming seems to be very high on LSU and if he is ultimatey offered, I'd expect him to commit to the Tigers.

Georgia safety Avery Walls also had a good visit.

Southern Pigskin: NFL Draft Preview

2010-03-25T22:16:00.000-05:00

I've got another article up on Southern Pigskin. It's an NFL Draft preview focusing on players from the SEC West.

Please go to Southern Pigskin and check it out. You can find the article here.

LSU to host Junior Day Saturday; Football & Baseball Tidbits

2010-03-25T21:48:00.001-05:00

FOOTBALL

Defensive end Chancey Aghayere has been out for the last week of spring practice. He had a nagging shoulder injury that required surgery, and he had that surgery over the weekend. He should be good to go in the fall, but it's unclear how much the surgery will affect his conditioning over the summer.

Running back Mike Ford continues to look strong at practice. I'm very interested to see how he performs on Saturday in the Spring Game.

Les Miles continues to tout the peformance of quarterback Jarrett Lee (pictured) this spring. While it's good to hear that Lee is practicing well, I'm awfully tentative to get excited. Lee has always performed well in practice, but he struggles when the lights come on in an actual game. In my opinion, the coaches should be sharing the second teams reps at quarterback with Chris Garrett. Lee is a known commodity in game situations. Garrett is not.

RECRUITING

In addition to the spring game Saturday, LSU will also be hosting a number of prospects for the Tigers' second Junior Day.

A number of LSU Commitments will be on campus to take in the festivities and help recruit other prospects. It looks like the following guys will be in attendance:

DT Anthony Johnson - O.Perry Walker HS
RB Kenny Hilliard - Patterson HS
RB Jeremy Hill - Redemptorist HS
OL Corey White - Capitol HS
OL La'El Collins - Redemptorist HS
WR Jarvis Landry - Lutcher HS
WR Alonzo Lewis - St. James HS

In addition to those commitments, a number of other prospects will be in attendance including the following in-state prospects:

ATH Odell Beckham, Jr. - Newman HS: Beckham is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state of Louisiana and looks to be the top cornerback on LSU's board. He already has an LSU offer.

QB Zack Oliver - Catholic HS: Oliver is the state's top quarterback prospect, and he's seeing his stock rise on the national level. ESPN recently observed Oliver at a combine in New Orleans, and had very good things to say about him. I suspect that Oliver will ultimately be offered by LSU.

DT Gerrand Johnson - Rayville HS: Johnson is a solid prospect but with four other top notch defensive tackle prospects in state, it's unlikely that he'll receive an offer from LSU anytime soon.

TE Quenton Griffin - Rayville HS: Griffin is a very solid prospect who could also play linebacker at the next level. Alabama has showed some interest in Griffin.

S T.K. Fleming - Benton HS: Fleming is an outstanding athlete who is a top notch track and field prospect as a jumper. He has good size at 6'3" 200 pounds. Fleming currently holds an impressive offer list from schools such as UCLA, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, and Nebraska. It sounds as if Fleming really likes LSU and would come aboard if offered.

ATH Levander Liggins - Leesville HS: Liggins could play either defensive back or running back in college, and he's attracting some interest from a few big name schools.

Some out of state prospects will be in attendance as well:

DE Nathan Hughes - Klein, TX: Hughes is a big defensive end prospect and former teammate of Luke Muncie, who will join LSU's roster in the fall. Hughes is 6'5" 260 pounds and has offers from Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Arkansas, Nebraska, Michigan, and many others. Hughes recently stated that his Top two are LSU and Oklahoma so this weekend's visit will be big for LSU's chances.

FB Nick Lifka - IL: Lifka is a relatively unknown prospect that is being recruited as both a linebacker and a fullback; however, LSU wants him as a fullback. His only other offer from a BCS school is from Indiana. Due to LSU's interest, Lifka is making the trip to Baton Rouge for the spring game. Notre Dame has also showed interest recently.

I'll have to keep an eye out for other prospects that show up. Some notable in-state players are missing from the list such as OL Gregory Robinson, WR Bradley Sylve, DT Mickey Johnson and DE Jermauria Rasco.

Last weekend, Tennessee athlete Jabriel Washington took a visit to LSU. Washington is 5'11" 165 pounds, has great speed and is being recruited by most schools as a cornerback. He has offers from a lot of major programs and his top two schools are LSU and Alabama.

Ocean Springs, MS reciever Joseph Morrow took a visit to LSU on Thursday and left with an offer from Les Miles. Morrow visited with former teammate Travis Dickson, who will be at LSU this fall. Morrow is a big reciever at 6'4" 200 pounds. He has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State.

Remember to check out these prospects on The Big Board or on my Louisiana state rankings.

BASEBALL

One quick baseball note is that the pitching rotation for this weekend against Tennessee has been set. Austin Ross will pitch Friday night with Chris Matulis going on Saturday and Anthony Ranaudo starting on Sunday. Ranaudo will start Sunday's game but will only throw around 40 pitches.

Baseball Defeats ULL

2010-03-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

BASEBALL

LSU defeated ULL 4-3 on Wednesday night at Alex Box stadium. Micah Gibbs was the star on offense with two hits and two runs batted in on the night. Tyler Hanover continued his hot hitting by going 2 for 4. Austin Nola also had two hits.

Paul Maineri tinkered with the batting order a bit on Wednesday. LSU has struggled to get adequate production out of their two hole spot thus far this season. Leon Landry batted second against ULL but unfortunately went hitless in three at bats. He drew a walk and score a run however. Austin Nola had been batting second for most of the year, but was dropped to seventh in the order. Matt Gaudet hit fifth with Mikie Mahtook batting sixth. It will be interesting to see if Maineri keeps this order this weekend against Tennessee. Wet Delatte again started at third base, but Beau Didier came in and played most of the game. Neither of the guys got a hit on Wednesday, but Coach Maineri seems willing to try someone else at third base. Delatte's batting average is down to .216.

Personally, I'd like to see Didier at third base and either Landry or Mahtook batting second in the order.

Freshman Michael Reed got the start on the mound for LSU and did OK. He gave up four hits and two runs in three innings of work. A number of other pitchers got involved. Mitch Moormann got the win for the Tigers and Matty Ott earned his eigth save of the season despite giving up a run in the ninth.

LSU is now 17-3 and faces Tennessee this weekend. The Vols were swept by South Carolina in their conference operner. This weekend presents a very good opportunity for LSU to win a road series and perhaps even get a sweep. They need to take advantage of it.

I plan on having a nice recruiting update on Friday in preparating for LSU's spring game and Junior Day on Saturday.

Football Holds Scrimmage; Baseball Takes Series from Hogs

2010-03-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

The football team held their third scrimmage on Saturday, and a few interesting bits of news have surfaced.

Unfortunately, backup center T-Bob Hebert suffered a broken leg during the scrimmage and will be out of action until the fall. Although Hebert was running second string thus far this spring, this is still a significant injury. Let's face it, the offensve line needs improvement in all areas...including depth. It's unclear at this point who will be the backup center heading into the fall. This will be the second offseason that Hebert will be out with a leg injury. While the injury is substantial, the real issue is that he's not able to work out his legs in the weight room during the summer. And for a center who is already undersized, it's easy to see how that presents a problem when the season rolls around.

Running back Mike Ford had another good day rushing the football, going for 86 yards on 16 carries.

Reuben Randle and Deangelo Peterson had nice days receiving. Peterson had over 100 yards on just three receptions, including a touchdown from around 80 yards.

Some of the young defensive linemen once again drew praise from Les Miles. Defensive tackle Mike Brockers and ends Sam Montgomery and Ken Adams were singled out by the head man. After a good scrimmage last week, Montgomery and Adams have been working with the starters and it sounds like they didn't nothing to change their status with the first team.

Senior Drake Nevis had a good day too. He logged two sacks and forced a fumble.

Patrick Peterson had an interception.

BASEBALL

The LSU Baseball team bounced back from a Friday loss to win the next two against Arkansas. Going against the nation's 13th ranked team without their ace pitcher, LSU did well to win this series. Losing 5-1 in the seventh inning on Saturday, LSU was looking at a rough start to the SEC season. But the team dug deep and scrapped out seven runs on their way to an 8-7 come from behind victory. That momentum carried over to Sunday, where LSU won 5-1 on the back of a great pitching performance by Chris Matulis.

Matulis continues to be one of the surprises of the season. After a good start last year, Matulis really struggled to get people out over the second half of the season. During the team's stretch run, Matulis was not even contributing. But so far this season, he is now 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA. He has allowed 15 hits in 18.1 innings with 15 strikeouts. He is making a push to be in the weekend rotation, even after Anthony Ranaudo returns.

Freshman Jordan Rittiner also performed well in his first ever SEC series. He pitched in relief on both Friday and Sunday, logging 4.1 innings and giving up just three hits and one earned run. He earned the save on Sunday by pitching the final three innings.

This was a big series for LSU. The Tigers play ULL on Wednesday before traveling to Tennessee next weekend.

Southern Pigskin: Youth Movement in SEC West

2010-03-20T20:22:00.000-05:00

I've got another article up on Southern Pigskin regarding the abundance of underclassmen running backs in the SEC West. You can check it out here.

I also wanted to let everyone know about a great series of articles on the site written by senior editor B.J. Bennett. The series is titled "Down Here". B.J. does a fantastic job of relaying what college football means to fans in the south. I really encourage you to check it out and to read the entire series. After the first one, you'll be hooked. Here is the link.

Spring Practice Rolls Along; Baseball Begins SEC Play

2010-03-18T21:38:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

LSU continues to roll through spring practice. With the media only allowed to observe about 20 minutes of practice each day, very little noteworthy information is coming from the Ponderosa. But there are a few tidbits to pass along.

After a strong scrimmage by both guys, defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Ken Adams have worked with the first team at both practices this week. Lavar Edwards has been working with the second team while Chancey Aghayere has been out with an injury.

Defensive tackle Josh Downs is back at practice after missing the first couple of weeks with a thigh injury. He's participating in all drills and looks fine. While Pep Levingston and Drake Nevis are working with the first unit, Downs was working with Mike Brockers on the second team. Chris Davenport and Bennie Logan are in the third group.

The top three linebackers appear set, but there is good competition for the fourth spot. If last year was any indication, John Chavis likes to rotate four linebackers in and out of the game pretty frequently. The top contenders for the fourth spot are redshirt freshmen Kevin Minter and Lamin Barrow.

Terrance Toliver continues to try and work with one hand in a cast, but it's obviously difficult for him to catch the football in that condition. In the meantime, nothing but very high praise is given to sophomore Reuben Randle. When Toliver gets healthy, those two have the potential to be the best receiving duo in the conference. With Russell Shepard joining them in the slot, it's easy to see why LSU fans could get excited about the possibilities.

BASEBALL

LSU begins SEC play this weekend against Arkansas. The Hogs have a very good pitching staff, and LSU's batters will face their toughest challenge of the young season. Hopefully, LSU can get their speedy outfielders on base so they can put some pressure on the Hog pitchers. With Trey Watkins, Mikie Mahtook, and Leon Landry on base, the hitter is more likely to see some fastballs that they can drive.

Once again, ace Anthony Ranaudo will be out of action this weekend; however, we've started to hear that Ranaudo is making very good progress and is close to returning to action.

In his absence, Austin Ross (pictured) will pitch on Friday night and Joey Bourgeois will pitch Saturday. On Sunday, we could once again see Jordan Rittiner or we may see Chris Matulis, who started on Wednesday against Nichols State but only pitched three innings. He should be available to work Sunday, and he's been pitching very well so far this year.

RECRUITING

Recruiting has been slow over the last couple of weeks, but LSU will host their second Juinor Day next weekend and we should see some activity at that time. I should be able to preview who is visiting for that event some time next week.

Saturday Night Slant Teams With Southern Pigskin

2010-03-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

I'm very glad to announce that Southern Pigskin has asked me to contribute to their website as a columnist covering LSU and the SEC West.

Southern Pigskin is a well established site that provides coverage on college football and recruiting in the South, focusing on the SEC, the ACC, and the Southern Conference. Their coverage includes news, opinions, rankings, and message boards. I should be providing content for them on a weekly basis, at a minimum. I encourage you to go to their site and check it out. They do a very good job there, and I'm excited to be a part of their team.

I'll be sure to post anything I write for Southern Pigskin here at the Slant. My first article at Southern Pigskin can be found here.

Football Has Another Scrimmage; Baseball Loses Series to Kansas

2010-03-14T19:50:00.000-05:00

FOOTBALL

LSU went through another scrimmage on Saturday, and the running game excelled while the passing game struggled. Neither quarterback had much success throwing the ball, but head coach Les Miles attributed that to the extremely windy conditions. Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee received almost all of the repetitions which tells me that freshman Chris Garrett isn't yet competing for the backup spot like many thought he would.

Richard Murphy did not participate in the scrimmage, but Stevan Ridley and Mike Ford both had nice days running the football. Ridley gained 84 yards on 16 carries while Ford managed 79 yards on 16 carries. Russell Shepard logged the longest run of the day at 19 yards.

While Miles did not go into specifics, he stated that several offensive linemen worked with the first unit during the scrimmage in efforts to give some of the top backups a chance with the starters.

Tight-end Deanglo Peterson had a nice day catching the ball, leading the team with six receptions.

Miles also singled out linebacker Kelvin Shephard along with defensive linemen Drake Nevis, Mike Brockers, and Sam Montgomery as having nice days. Montgomery had two sacks on the day and continues to impress this spring.

Lastly, Miles mentioned Russell Shepard, Patrick Peterson, Reuben Randle, and Ron Brooks as guys who are working as punt returners. He singled out Brooks and Peterson as guys who had nice returns on Saturday. Shepard seems like a natural to return punts in my opinion.

BASEBALL

Kansas took two of three from LSU this weekend. It is apparent that LSU is missing ace pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, and I certainly don't think this is the end of the world.

Joey Bourgeois has been very solid for LSU thus far this season, but he got roughed up a bit on Friday night, giving up six earned runs in one and two-third innings.

Austin Ross pitched very well on Saturday, giving up only two runs in over six innings of work.

On Sunday, freshman Jodan Rittiner struggled giving up five funs and in five innings.

Blake Dean had another very good weekend with two home runs and five runs batted in.

RECRUITING

In case you missed the Twitter update on Friday, Texas receiver Trey Metoyer committed to Oklahoma over LSU and Ole Miss.

Salmen High School athlete Daniel Sams committed to Kansas State last week. Sams plays quarterback in high school but most projected him to play safety in college. However, Kansas State offered him as a quarterback and Sams jumped at the chance. LSU has recruited Sams but has not offered him.

Spring Practice #7; Baseball Notes; Basketball Season Ends

2010-03-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

LSU went through another practice on Thursday without any major news to report. Senior receiver Terrance Toliver was out there with a cast on his hand, running through drills with everyone else. It's interesting to watch him try to catch the ball with one hand during every drill.

Toliver was wearing a green no-contact jersey along with tight-end Deangelo Peterson, running back Richard Murphy, and safeties Craig Loston and Brandon Taylor. Safety Karnell Hatcher and defensive tackle Josh Downs are still not at practice due to injuries.

Good reports continue to surface regarding second year players Mike Ford and Reuben Randle.

Numerous sites had good things to say about quarterback Jordan Jefferson's performance at practice Thursday.

BASEBALL

With ace pitcher Anthony Ranaudo already out with an elbow injury, LSU is now looking at an injury to another key player. Starting centerfielder Leon Landry has a slight injury to his hamstring and may not start on Friday night. Johnny Dishon would likely take his place in the outfield if Landry can't go. Landry's injury isn't considered serious.

Speaking of Ranaudo, he originally planned to return to the rotation this weekend against Kansas, but his return has been pushed back again. The weekend rotation will consist of Joey Bourgeois, Jordan Rittiner, and Austin Ross. Lefty Chris Matulis will be ready to go in relief. While it's frustrating for Ranaudo's return to keep getting pushed back, it's important to remember that the focus is on having him healthy for the bulk of SEC play and the post-season.

BASKETBALL

I haven't written much about basketball this year, and for good reason. The Tigers' season ended with a first round loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament on Thursday. Head coach Trent Johnson is facing some challenges with the roster and is trying to build LSU's program with four year players rather than institute a "quick fix" with junior college players. It's no surprise that LSU was not competitive this year; however, it was surprising that LSU was bad as they were. Somewhere along the way, I think Johnson lost this team.

Most discouraging was the regression of guard Bo Spencer. Johnson received a great deal of credit a year ago for turning Spencer, a little used reserve as a freshman, into a very good point guard. Heading into this season, most expected him to continue his progression. However despite averaging 14.5 points per game this year, Spencer was often a loose cannon and a turnover machine. Spencer went from shooting 40% from the three point line last year to an abysmal 28% this year. He also turned the ball over 100 times this year compared to just 63 last year. He'll need to turn that around in his senior season in order for LSU to have success next year.

We did see some good things this year. First was the progress of sophomore Storm Warren who went from a little used reserve a year ago to a very good SEC basketball player. Warren averaged 11 points and seven rebounds per game this year.

Tiger fans were also treated to another season of Tasmin Mitchell. Mitchell played good basketball this season and gave the fans something to be proud of. He was recently named to the All-SEC first team by the coaches, and he'll go down as one of the best ever at LSU.

Spring Practice Update; Latest On Toliver

2010-03-09T20:35:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

LSU returned to the practice fields on Tuesday for their sixth practice this spring. The Tigers have been opening practice with what they call the "Big Cat Drill" where two players line up from one another and engage in a one on one battle, trying to push the other back. The highlight yesterday was when undersized linebacker Tahj Jones got the best of 235 pound running back Stevan Ridley.

Wide receiver Jhyrn Taylor was absent from practice with a hamstring injury. He also apparently has some academic issues to take care of, and it's not likely he'll return this spring. That obviously gives Chris Tolliver a huge advantage in the battle for the fourth receiver spot.

After one week of practice and a scrimmage on Saturday, the starters on both sides of the ball appear to be unchanged. P.J. Lonergan is still ahead of T-Bob Hebert at center and Jai Eugene is still ahead of Craig Loston at safety.

Lastly, wide receiver Terrance Toliver did not practice today, but he and Les Miles held a press conference after practice. We learned a little more about Toliver's incident from Saturday night. Not only did Toliver get in a fight and manage to get tased twice by cops, but he broke his hand in the process. Toliver apologized to the team and to LSU fans. Rather than suspend Toliver, Miles maintains that Toliver will participate in all drills and spring practices and that discipline will be handled internally. Miles said, "I didn't break it, he did." He will be expected to catch, block, etc even with a cast.

Miles went on to sing the praises of Toliver's character, saying "Terrance Toliver is a good person, and I suspect we will get by this."

LSU Goes Through Scrimmage; Baseball Stays Perfect

2010-03-07T20:24:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

On Saturday, LSU went through a scrimmage. The scrimmage was closed to the media, and LSU did not release any statistics. Therefore, there's not much to report but Les Miles did give us a few tidbits in his press conference after.

Miles said that running backs Michael Ford and Stevan Ridley both had good days running the ball. Also singled out by the head man were receiver Russell Shepard, offensive linemen Chris Faulk and Alex Hurst, and defensive ends Sam Montgomery, and Ken Adams.

In some not so good news, senior receiver Terrance Toliver was apparently involved in some kind of scuffle in Tigerland Saturday night. While this isn't great to see from one of the team leaders, the fact that he wasn't arrested and was only issued a citation means that whatever happened probably wasn't that big a deal.

BASEBALL

LSU won four games over the weekend, two against Brown and two against Pepperdine, to remain unbeaten. LSU is now 11-0 for the first time since 1997. While LSU hasn't played any big-time opponents, these wins are important and will help LSU's cause if they're in consideration for a national Top eight seed in a couple of months.

LSU once again got a good start from Chris Matulis on Thursday with some great relief work from Daniel Bradshaw. It's great to see those two guys pitch well. LSU will need them this year. On Friday, LSU mostly got things done with their bats. LSU then got some more good pitching on both Saturday and Sunday. Joey Bourgeois pitched seven shutout innings on Saturday, only giving up one hit before giving way to Matty Ott who notched his fifth save of the young season. On Sunday, LSU got a great performance from freshman Jordan Rittiner, who pitched six innings while only allowing one earned run. He gave up nine hits, but was able to avoid the big inning.

Mikie Mahtook had a big weekend with two home runs and Leon Landry had a huge game on Sunday with two triples. Designated hitter Matt Gaudet homered again, brining his team leading total to five.

LSU was once again without ace Anthony Ranaudo who is taking it easy due to some discomfort in his throwint elbow. Ranaudo is expected to return against Kansas on Friday night.

Spring Practice Update; Recruiting Update

2010-03-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

With four spring practices in the books, LSU is taking Friday off before going through a scrimmage on Saturday. A few things to note from reading updates and watching video clips from practice:

Running back Michael Ford has drawn some very positive reviews from some media members who have been able to attend practice.

Terrance Toliver and Reuben Randle have clearly seperated themselves as the top two receivers. Russell Shepard is showing tons of ability but is still learning the position and needs to be more consistent catching the football. Chris Tolliver and Jhyrn Taylor also look good.

Chase Clement is reportedly faring pretty well as a tight-end.

The first unit of the offensive line has not changed. I thought we may see T-Bob Hebert get some time with the starters but thus far, P.J. Lonergan has been the starting center each day.

Ryan Baker has missed some practice time this week due to a slight ankle injury but was back out there on Thursday. Lamin Barrow has filled in for Baker on the weak side. I can't say enough about how good Stefoin Francois looks at linebacker. His body is totally transformed and he could be a breakout player for the Tigers this year.

While it was rumored that Rocky Duplessis would be moving down to linebacker, he has been working with the safeties this week.

Jai Eugene (pictured) continues to work as the starter at free safety ahead of Craig Loston. That will be an interesting battle to follow throughout the spring and fall camp.

RECRUITING

St. Pauls HS defensive tackle Mickey Johnson was offered by LSU recently. Johnson goes about 6'1" 305 pounds, and he has some VERY impressive numbers in the weight room. His style of play is reminiscent of former Tiger Kyle Williams. Johnson says he plans to visit LSU for a spring practice soon, and he's also planning on visiting for the Spring Game. He also holds offers from Nebraska, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State.

LSU has thrown their name into the mix for Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel. Driskel looks to be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation for the Class of 2011. He has great size at 6'4" 225 pounds with a good arm and very good mobility. He recently attended an Elite 11 Quarterback camp and was the star of the camp. He seems to have struck a good relationship with Gary Crowton, and he's a guy to keep an eye out throughout the summer.

Benton High School safety T.K. Fleming is receiving a lot of interest from some BCS schools. The 6'3" 200 pound safety is also a big-time prospect as a jumper in track and field. His overall athleticism at his size has sparked the interest from many programs. He now holds offers from Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, UCLA, and others. It's unclear whether LSU is interested in Fleming at this point but with the attention he's receiving elsewhere, he's certainly a guy to watch.

Little known athlete Devante Scott of Ferriday High School recently committed to play at Mississippi State. Scott is 5'10" 185 pounds and has good, but not great speed. He plays a number of positions for Ferriday including running back, receiver, kick returner, and defensive back.

LSU has offered a pair of fullbacks, Nick Lifka of Illinois and Artaves Gibson of Tennessee. I didn't expect LSU to go after a fullback in this class. I'm not sure if they aren't pleased with Dominique Allen or whether they aren't confident about Brandon Worle's ability to qualify academically, but it seems odds to sign another fullback this year.

All changes have been updated on the Big Board.

Spring Practice Begins

2010-03-01T21:50:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

Spring practice kicked off on Monday to officially get things going for the 2010 LSU football team. Here are a few tidbits to pass along that I've picked up from various places.

Richard Murphy is working in a green no-contact jersey but was working with the first group at running back. He was apparently showing no lingering signs of his knee injury.

The first unit at offensive line on Monday was Joe Barksdale at left tackle, Josh Dworacyzk at left guard, PJ Lonergan at center, Will Blackwell at right guard, and Alex Hurst at right tackle. I had assumed that Dworacyzk would move to tackle, but Hurst moved outside instead. It's also interesting that Lonergan worked with the starters at center rather than T-Bob Hebert. We'll have to see how that shakes out.

Terrance Toliver, Reuben Randle, and Russell Shepard were working as the first three receivers. No surprises there.

On the defensive line, Lavar Edwards and Chancey Aghayere worked as the starters at defensive ends while Drake Nevis and Pep Levingston worked with the starters at defensive tackle. Josh Downs sat out today with a thigh injury.

Several sites reported that new defensive end Ken Adams looked very impressive.

Mike Brockers worked with the second group at defensive tackle. Judging from the pictures, Brockers looks more like a defensive end to me.

At linebacker, the starters consisted of Kelvin Sheppard, Stefan Francois, and Ryan Baker. Francois seems to have put on some good weight. He looks more like a linebacker than a safety. I'd even say that he looks like more of a linebacker than Harry Coleman did. I suspect that he'll be a good fit at linebacker.

In the secondary, Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne were the starters at cornerback as expected. At safety, Brandon Taylor and Jai Eugene ran with the starters at safety. Craig Loston was running with the second team at safety. He'll be pushing the starters all spring. Karnell Hatcher is out with an injury right now.

That's it for Day 1. We'll continue to keep an eye on the various position battles that are taking place throughout the spring.

Spring Practice Preview: Defensive Backs; New Tight-Ends Coach

2010-02-28T21:05:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

LSU hired Steve Ensminger to coach tight-ends. Ensminger is a former LSU quarterback and was a long time assistant at Auburn under former coach Tommy Tuberville. He has coached tight-ends, quarterbacks, and has been an offensive coordinator at Clemson and Texas A&M.

While I was hopeful for a young, energetic coach who could hit the recruiting trail hard, I will take a wait and see approach with Ensminger. He has a lot of experience coaching offense in the SEC, and he has experience helping quarterbacks. If he can help Jordan Jefferson take the next step, then it will be tough to criticize the hire.

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: DBs

Defensive backs coach Ron Cooper made great strides in his first season at LSU in 2009. By and large, the secondary played very well, and they were much improved over the 2008 group. LSU must replace free safety Chad Jones and cornerback Chris Hawkins. While the cornerback positions seem relatively locked down, the safety positions are up for grabs.

At one cornerback will be junior All-American Patrick Peterson (pictured). Peterson is the ultimate NFL cornerback, and he has everything you look for. Peterson seems to have a knack for making big plays as evidenced by his interception return for a touchdown against Mississippi State, his blocked field goal return for a touchdown against Ole Miss, and his interception that got stolen by the refs in Tuscaloosa. Peterson needs to be a bit more disciplined though. He was burned a few times in 2009 by gambling while looking for the big play or by being caught peeking into the backfield. LSU needs an All-American effort from Peterson in 2010.

While most thought that senior Jai Eugene would start at the other corner spot, he has apparently been moved to safety. The reason Eugene made that move is due to the impressive play of freshman Morris Claiborne. Claiborne impressed at fall camp last year and did so again during the bowl practices. Claiborne played special teams in 2009 and a little mop up duty at cornerback. We'll have to watch how he handles being the starter.

The big thing to watch at cornerback is how the backups look because with Eugene at safety, LSU has very little depth. The primary backups will be junior Ron Brooks and redshirt sophomore Ryan St. Julien. Brooks has a bit more experience, and he has played both cornerback and safety, in addition to special teams. Brooks has really excelled whenever he has been on the field. St. Julien primarily played special teams in his first season of action. He has good size, listed at 6'1" 180 pounds and as a former track star in high school, he's very athletic. These two will be looking to make a statement that they should see the field.

Reportedly, redshirt freshman Drayton Calhoun has moved back to defense and will work out at cornerback this spring. Calhoun has plenty of speed, and is 6'0". Once he acclimates to the position, the sky is the limit. We'll hope to see some progressoin from him this spring.

Walk-on Daniel Graff will continue to be a special teams standout while trying to earn some playing time on defense.

In the fall, true freshmen Tryann Mathieu and Ronnie Vinson will join the mix at cornerback.

Safety is a much bigger question mark.

Junior Brandon Taylor started most of 2009 at strong safety, and he played fairly well. Taylor finished the season with 41 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two interceptions. For the most part, he tackled well. I expect him to be even better in 2010 with a year of experience under his belt. He has to be considered a front runner for one of the starting safety positions.

With senior Jai Eugene (pictured) moving over from cornerback, he should be in the mix for playing time. He's on the small side for a safety at 5'11" 180 pounds. As far as cornerbacks go, Eugene was a sure tackler and was pretty physical. He may be a pretty good fit at safety. What I'm looking to see is whether Eugene is at safety to stay, whether he's doing some training for a nickel back position, or whether he's just doing some cross training.

The guy I'll really have my eye on is sophomore safety Craig Loston. Loston came to LSU as the top rated safety in the nation out of high school, but a hand injury shortened his freshman season. He should be ready to go, and we'll have to see if he's ready to play a big role. Loston is 6'2" and around 200 pounds.

Junior Karnell Hatcher is another guy who has a lot of experience that will be trying to earn a starting position. Hatcher has great size at 6'2" 205 pounds and is a very physical player. He struggles a bit in coverage but is outstanding near the line of scrimmage.

Junior Derrick Bryant has been a good special teams player for his first two seasons, and he'll try to get into the mix at safety as well. Bryant has good range and is probably a better fit for free safety. He started his career at cornerback, and he may practice at both positions.

In the fall, true freshmen Sam Gibson, Eric Reid, and Tharold Simon will join the fold.

Depth Chart:
CB
Peterson (Jr)
Claiborne (So)
Brooks (Jr)
St. Julien (Fr)
Graff (Sr)
Vinson (Fr)
Mathieu (Fr)

S
Taylor (Jr)
Hatcher (Jr)
Loston (So)
Eugene (Sr)
Bryant (Jr)
Reid (Fr)
Gibson (Fr)
Simon (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Linebackers; Some Football and Baseball Notes

2010-02-24T22:00:00.000-06:00

FOOTBALL

Les Miles held a press conference on Wednesday in preparation for spring practice, which starts Friday. While I've been speculating in my spring practice previews, Miles shed some light on some position changes that will take place this spring.

In a very interesting move, Miles indicated that senior Jai Eugene would be working out at safety. First and foremost, this is a testament to what the staff thinks about Morris Claiborne at cornerback. It will be interesting to see if Eugene is just doing some cross training, whether he's actually practicing at nickel back, or whether he will be at safety to stay.

As expected, former defensive end Chase Clement, will be working at tight-end.

Former safety Rocky Duplessis will be working as a linebacker.

Defensive linemen Pep Levingston and Michael Brockers will be working at defensive tackle.

Drayton Calhoun will be giving cornerback another try. He practiced last spring at cornerback before working at running back last fall.

I've also heard that tight-end Deangelo Peterson may be moving back to wide reciever, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion. We'll see where he practices once spring gets going.

BASEBALL

LSU defeated McNeese State 2-1 on Wednesday afternoon. Daniel Bradshaw started for LSU and pitched much better than he did over the weekend. He only allowed two hits in three innings of work. Lefty Chris Matulis then came in and pitched five scoreless innings before giving way to Matty Ott, who notched his second save of the year. It's especially nice to see Matulis throwing well because I'm guessing the staff would love to use him to start mid-week games this year.

Micah Gibbs broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with a solo home-run, his second on the season.
SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: LBs

The addition of John Chavis to LSU's coaching staff did wonders for LSU's linebackers in 2009. Players that underachieved in 2008 reached their full potential last year. The player who improved the most was Kelvin Shephard, who returns as the leader of the group in 2010. Chavis had the luxury of working with three seniors and one junior last year. That luxury is gone this year. Even though Sheppard returns, the rest of the linebacking crew is very inexperienced. A look at the depth chart below shows a ton of youth.

As mentioned, senior Kelvin Sheppard returns to lead the linebackers and to serve as a leader for the entire team. Sheppard had one of the best seasons for a linebacker in the SEC last year, and he should land on several pre-season All-SEC teams heading into 2010. A year ago, Sheppard led the team in tackles with 110 and also recorded 8.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception. LSU absolutely needs him to be the rock in the middle of the defense again and to be honest, LSU will rely on Sheppard to make even more plays in 2010.

Starting at one of the outside linebacker positions will likely be junior Ryan Baker, on the weak side replacing Perry Riley. Baker has been a beast on special teams during his first two seasons on campus where he has also served as a reserve linebacker. Baker's talent is evident. He has great speed, and he hits with an attitude. He's a bit on the small side at 6'0" and around 220 pounds. I have little doubt that Baker will be able ot make some big plays behind the line of scrimmage. But can he be consistent?

John Chavis likes to have a very athletic linebacker playing on the strong side. Last year, safety Harry Coleman moved into that role and had a fantastic season. Another former safety, junior Stefoin Francois, seems to have the inside track on the strong side position at this point. Francois has similar size as Coleman at 6'1" 210 pounds and similar skills. I think he can really excel at this position, but the question is whether he's ready to be a full-time starter.

While those three will likely enter spring as the starter, we will still see a whole lot of competition.

Redshirt freshman Lamin Barrow reportedly turned quite a few heads during bowl practices. He's developing nicely and will likely be Baker's back up on the weak side heading into spring.

In the middle, look for redshirt freshman Kevin Minter to be the primary back up to Sheppard. Minter has very good size at 6'1" 240 pounds. He is a thumper and can mix it up with the big boys in the SEC. Many have high hopes for Minter in the future, and it will be interesting to see how Minter plays this spring and in the fall in a back up role.

Another redshirt freshman, Tahj Jones, will likely work at the strong side position behind Francois. Jones came to LSU at only around 200 pounds but with lots of speed and athleticism. I'm curious to see how he has filled out and whether he can compete physically as a linebacker in the SEC.

Also competing at the strong side position will be a pair of converted safeties in redshirt freshmen Rocky Duplessis and Josh Johns. Both guys have similar size and skills. I've heard a little more noise about Johns looking good than Duplessis but I'm very anxious to see both this spring. They are both very athletic and if they can fill out their frame, they could be play makers for the Tigers.

Sophomore Kyle Prater will again try to make an impact this spring to earn playing time. In his first two seasons on campus, Prater has yet to make any noise. It will be interesting to see if he remains with the team next fall.

In the fall, true freshmen Justin Maclin, Houston Bates, Luke Muncie, and D.J. Welter join the mix.

Depth Chart:

WLB
Ryan Baker (Jr)
Lamin Barrow (Fr)
Kyle Prater (So)
Justin Maclin (Fr)
Luke Muncie (Fr)

MLB
Kelvin Sheppard (Sr)
Kevin Minter (Fr)
D.J. Welter (Fr)
Houston Bates (Fr)

SLB
Stefoin Francois (Jr)
Josh Johns (Fr)
Tahj Jones (Fr)
Rocky Duplessis (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Defensive Line

2010-02-23T22:14:00.000-06:00

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: DL

Jarvis Green. Marcus Spears. Chad Lavalais. Marquise Hill. Kyle Williams. Claude Wroten. Glenn Dorsey. Tyson Jackson. The core of LSU’s success over the last 10 years was due to the outstanding players along the defensive line. LSU won championships with great defenses, and those great defenses started up front. We haven’t seen the same caliber of defensive linemen over the last two seasons and not surprisingly, the team has not been as successful.

LSU has recruited well over the last three years, and they have a nice group of talented young players that will be looking to make their mark in 2010. Competition for playing time will be heated this spring.

Starting with the defensive tackles...

Senior Drake Nevis (pictured) returns as LSU’s most experienced player on the defensive line. Though he wasn’t a starter, Nevis was outstanding in 2009. He led all defensive linemen with 50 tackles, and he was the team leader with 11 tackles for loss. He also logged four sacks. Nevis is explosive off the line of scrimmage and can frequently get into the backfield and disrupt plays. Nevis could stand to be more consistent, especially against the run, but he's poised to have a big-time senior season.   He'll almost certainly start at one of the defensive tackle positions.

Sophomore Josh Downs earned playing time as a true freshman in 2009, and he did fairly well. Though undersized, Downs showed a great motor and an ability to rush the passer. At around 275 pounds last year, he struggled with stopping the run. I expect Downs will be a bit heavier this year in hopes to be an every down player. He'll certainly be in the playing rotation, and he's a candidate to start alongside Nevis.

Senior Pep Levingston started at defensive end in 2009 and performed adequately. He will reportedly move inside to defensive tackle this season. Levingston has played some defensive tackle for LSU in the past. He mostly played inside as a reserve in 2008, and he played significantly in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Georgia Tech.   As a defensive end, Levingston is a legitimate SEC player but as a defensive tackle, he could be a real play maker.   One thing to watch this spring is where Levingston lines up and how he progresses if he's at defensive tackle.

Redshirt freshman Chris Davenport came to LSU last year as a five star recruit. However, a knee injury during his senior season caused him to be behind on his conditioning when he arrived at LSU and he redshirted as a result.   Davenport is a massive space-eating type of defensive tackle than can occupy blockers and free up the linebackers to make plays. He was listed at 6'4" 320 pounds last year, and he's very athletic for someone his size. He'll be counted on to contribute in 2010, and it will be important to observe his progress this spring.

Redshirt freshman Bennie Logan was widely considered one of the steals in the Class of 2009. Originally recruited as a defensive end, Logan has grown and will reportedly move to tackle this spring. His skill set is very similar to Pep Levingston as a guy that could play either end or tackle. He'll be competing in efforts to earn some playing time in 2010.

Now, on to the defensive ends...

Sophomore Lavar Edwards (pictured) played a good bit as a reserve in 2009, and he was awfully impressive. With limited playing time, Edwards logged two and a half sacks and four and a half tackles for loss to go along with 23 tackles. He has ideal size for a defensive end at 6'4" 265 pounds. I think Edwards is a lock to start at defensive end, and I think he's poised for a bit of a breakout season. He's my early favorite to be the surprise player of the year on defense and maybe on the whole team.

Another sophomore, Chancey Aghayere, also played a good bit as a reserve last year. He wasn't quite as impressive as Edwards, but he performed admirably for a young player. Aghayere may not ever be among the SEC leaders in sacks, but he looks to be a very solid player. He's squarely in the mix to compete for a starting position opposite Edwards.

Competing with Aghayere will likely be redshirt freshman Mike Brockers. Brockers is a big defensive end in the mold of Marquise Hill or Tyson Jackson. Listed at 6'6" 285 pounds, Brockers carries his weight very well and is unusually nimble for such a big guy. He really impressed the coaching staff last year, and he's expected to play a good bit in 2010. There's some talk that Brockers could make the move inside to defensive tackle, so that's something to watch.

Junior College transfer Ken Adams will jump into the mix in efforts to get on the field. Adams was highly sought after by Auburn, Tennessee and others. He has good size at 6'5" 250 pounds, and he'll be counted on to rush the passer. It will be interesting to see how Adams stacks up during his first spring practice.

Redshirt freshman Sam Montgomery brings something different to the table. Montgomery has a ton of athleticism and he can really, really rush the passer. Listed at 240 pounds on last year's roster, I'm curious to see if Montgomery has put on any weight. 240 is probably not big enough to be an every down defensive lineman in the SEC, but he's not too far off from being where he needs to be. In my opinion, Montgomery has more potential than anyone else at his position on the team and I'm excited about his future.

Similar to Montgomery, former linebacker Barkevious Mingo is a guy who needs to put on some weight. Mingo came to LSU as a linebacker but has since been moved to defensive end, and he is a terror rushing off the edge. He was much lighter than Montgomery, so he has a longer way to go before seeing the field. He could see some time as a situational pass rusher in 2010.

In the fall, defensive tackle J.C. Copeland as well as defensive ends Jordan Allen and Ego Ferguson will join the mix.

Here's a shot at a depth chart:

Depth Chart:

DT
Nevis (Sr)
Downs (So)
Levingston (Jr)
Davenport (Fr)
Logan (Fr)
Copeland (Fr)

DE
Edwards (So)
Aghayere (So)
Brockers (Fr)
Adams (Jr)
Montgomery (Fr)
Mingo (Fr)
Ferguson (Fr)
Allen (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Offensive Line

2010-02-22T21:33:00.000-06:00

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: OL

LSU's offensive struggles in 2009 can easily be traced back to the poor play of the offensive line. More than any other position on the team, the big uglies have a lot to prove in 2010. LSU must replace four year starter Ciron Black and three year starter Lyle Hitt. While that's a lot of experience to replace, the honest truth is that both guys underachieved in a big way in 2009.

It will be very interesting to see how the line shapes up when spring practice begins. A lot of people have speculated as to who will play where, but there's nothing concrete at this point. Here are the candidates for serious playing time:

Joseph Barksdale (pictured) has started at right tackle for LSU for two years now. He was probably LSU's best offensive lineman in 2009. With the left tackle position open, Barksdale is a candidate to make the move to the left side to protect the blind side of Jordan Jefferson. But the coaches might leave Barksdale on the right side where he's more comfortable. He's assured to start at one of the tackle spots, but it's just a question of which one. Barksdale will likely compete for some All-SEC honors in 2010.

Junior Josh Dworacyzk played left guard last season. Dworacyzk has great feet and is built more like a tackle at 6'6" 285 pounds. He has the quickness to handle the speedy defensive ends that are often seen in the SEC. He's a candidate to move outside and play one of the tackle spots, but he could also stay put at left guard. I expect that we'll see a heavier, stronger player by the time fall camp rolls around.

Junior T-Bob Hebert won the starting center position last year after a battle in fall camp with P.J. Lonergan, who is now a sophomore. Hebert struggled through his first season as a starter. Hebert injured his knee in 2007 and was out of action for most of the offseason. That limited his ability to hit the weights and work out his legs like an offensive lineman should. That, along with his inexperience, probably contributed to his sub-standard play in 2009. Lonergan received a good bit of playing time last year and excelled. His performance last year has many speculating that he may beat out Hebert for the job this season. One reason why Hebert won the job last year is his ability to read the defense at the line of scrimmage, so that's another factor to consider. If Lonergan does not win the job at center, he's a strong candidate to win one of the positions at offensive guard.

Sophomore Alex Hurst is a massive offensive guard who performed very well as a backup in 2008. Hurst is 6'6" 320 pounds and presents a much bigger body than the two guards who played last year (Hitt and Dworacyzk). I personally expect Hurst to be one of LSU's starting guards in 2010.

Junior Will Blackwell is another player who logged some game experience as a backup guard last season, and he also played well in relief. Most notably, he opened the hole which spring Russell Shepard on his long touchdown run against Auburn. He's a very tough, very strong guy and will be in the mix to win a starting job at guard.

Junior Greg Shaw is a backup offensive tackle who has impressed the coaches but has only seen mop up duty thus far in his career. If Josh Dworacyzk remains at guard, then Shaw will be very much in the mix to start at one of the tackle positions. At 6'5" 300 pounds, Shaw has a lean frame to play tackle.

Redshirt freshman Chris Faulk is another guy who will be competing for a starting position, and he could compete at either tackle or guard. Faulk was recruited as a tackle, but he could certainly play guard. Early reports are that Faulk was impressive during his redshirt season, but he'll be competing against guys who have been in the program longer than him.

The eight guys discussed above will be the main guys who compete for starting jobs and who will serve as primary backups. A number of other younger guys will also be trying to make a name for themselves this spring.

Sophomores Clay Spencer and Cordian Hagans will be competing at offensive guard along with redshirt freshmen Stavion Lowe and Josh Williford. Lowe can play either guard or tackle while I've heard some real encouraging things about Williford.

Sophomore Thomas Parsons moved from offensive line to help out at fullback last season. For a guy who is 6'5" and nearly 300 pounds, Parsons moves awfully well. It will be interesting to see if Parsons is still working at fullback this spring or whether he's back with the offensive line.

Sophomore Matt Branch and true freshman Evan Washington will be competing at tackle.

With so many positions up for grabs this spring, I'm not going to attempt a depth chart at this point. We should have a pretty good idea of where guys will be playing after the first week of practice.

RECRUITING

LSU offered St. Pauls high school defensive tackle Mickey Johnson a scholarship on Monday. I've got Johnson ranked as the #2 defensive tackle and the #11 overall player in the state of Louisiana. He would be a great addition to LSU's class. He also has offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.

Baseball Sweeps Opening Weekend; Football Notes

2010-02-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

BASEBALL

Despite some opening night jitters, the LSU Baseball team had a very impressive opening weekend. The Tigers only managed four hits on Friday night but rapped out 10 hits on Sunday and a ridiculous 23 on Saturday. In fact, LSU's 25 runs on Saturday was the most they have scored in a game since 1999.
The most impressive thing about the weekend is that LSU's starting pitchers gave up zero earned runs all weekend. Joey Bourgeois was especially impressive on Sunday. I know the opponent is not SEC caliber, but that's still a reason to get excited at this early point in the season.

FOOTBALL

LSU starts spring practice on Friday. A couple of Tigers have changed jersey numbers.

- Terrance Toliver will now wear #8
- Richard Murphy is now wearing #18, which was passe down to him from Richard Dickson
- New Tiger Ken Adams is wearing #94

Also as discussed in the tight-ends preview, Chase Clement is now listed as a tight-end on LSU's roster so he's apparently switched over from defensive end.

Spring Practive Preview: Tight-Ends

2010-02-21T19:45:00.000-06:00

PRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: TEs

LSU will be looking to replace three year starter and LSU's all-time leading receiver for tight-ends in Richard Dickson. Dickson was effective as both a receiver and a blocker, and he will certainly be missed. Here's a look at the guys who will be in the mix this spring.

Junior Deangelo Peterson (pictured) is a very unique talent, and he's a guy that could be a major weapon in the receiving game. A former wide receiver, Peterson has a ton of athleticism and he showed some of that last year in limited duty. He had a nice game against Alabama with 40 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a touchdown against Arkansas. There's no question that Peterson can be effective as a receiver, especially when matched up against a linebacker or a safety. The question is whether Peterson can become an effective blocker so that he can stay on the field for every down. His development as an every down player is the key thing to watch this spring at the tight-end position.

Junior Mitch Joseph will continue to see the field as a blocking tight-end. At nearly 280 pounds, Joseph practically serves as another offensive lineman. While almost nothing was good about LSU's running game last year, Joseph did an adequate job as a blocker. He'll be more experienced and a year stronger in 2010.

Sophomore Tyler Edwards will continue to try and see the field. Edwards may be LSU's most versatile tight-end. Listed at 237 pounds, Edwards is mobile enough to be a good receiver. He's a tough blocker on the line of scrimmage, and he can also line up in the backfield and play some fullback or some H-back.

The big news this spring is that former defensive end Chase Clement is now listed as a tight-end on the LSU roster, so he has apparently made the move. Clement has TONS of potential as a tight-end. He is 6'5" 260 pounds and very athletic. As a defensive end, he just didn't have the burst or strength to be a play maker. But as a tight-end, he could be a handful. Clement will be a sophomore in 2010 so he has plenty of time to develop, and he could be a difference maker for LSU at some point in his career.

Junior Alex Russian is also in the mix. Russian has primarily been a deep snapper during his career, but he lost his job last year to Joey Crappell. I don't expect Russian to make a major impact at tight-end.

In the fall, freshmen Travis Dickson and Nick Jacobs will join the mix. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Dickson earn playing time in 2010.

Depth Chart:
Peterson (Jr)
Joseph (Jr)
Edwards (So)
Clement (So)
Russian (Jr)
Dickson (Fr)

Jacobs (Fr)

LSU Lands A Pair Of Commitments At Junior Day

2010-02-20T22:49:00.000-06:00

LSU hosted a number of prospects on campus Saturday, and they landed a couple of verbal commitments for the Class of 2011 in the process.

St. James reciever Alonzo Lewis decided to become a Tiger. Lewis is a big receiver at 6'3" 200 pounds. He does not have blazing speed, but he has a lot of potential to develop into a big-time player. Lewis attended the U.S. Army Junior Combine in January and ran a slow 40 time. Lewis excels at running good routes and using his body and strength to shield defenders.

LSU also landed their first out of state commitment in League City, TX linebacker Trevon Randle. Randle is a well put together 6'1" 205 pounds and has tons of speed. He chose LSU over offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, and Arizona. He was also expected to receive an offer from Texas. Randle was an all-state linebacker in Texas and also played a good deal on offense. It's early, but Scout.com rates Randle as the #5 outside linebacker in the nation while Rivals has him on their Rivals 250 Watch List. He's also ranked #22 on Lone Star Recruiting's Texas Top 100 list. Here is some video of Randle:

Be sure to checek the updates to The Big Board.

A number of other prospects were in attendance on Saturday such as:
DT Mickey Johnson
WR Bradley Sylve
OL Sedrick Flowers
OL Trai Turner
OL Jonah Austin
QB Zach Oliver
S/LB Renaldo Thomas
ATH Ryan Byrd
CB Nick Shepard

The following LSU Commitments were also on hand:
RB Terrance Magee
RB Kenny Hilliard
OL La'El Collins
DT Anthony Johnson
WR Jarvis Landry

Three other prospects were on campus, but they were attending a track meet which happened to be taking place on Saturday. It's unclear whether they were able to take part in any of the Junior Day activities or meet with the coaches while they were on campus. Those players were:

OL Greg Robinson
DB T.K. Fleming
ATH Effrem Reed

Despite all of the prospects that were on LSU's campus Saturday, the players who chose not to attend raised just as many eyebrows.

LSU running back commitment Jeremy Hill chose to attend Alabama's Junior Day rather than LSU's. This was after he apparently told Tigerbait.com that he was going to LSU late Friday night. Hill probably just wanted to take a trip to check out another school, but it's still not a great sign that he decided to do so when LSU wanted him on campus.

Rayville High School's Quinton Griffin (TE) and Gerand Johnson (DT) were both in Tuscaloosa as well.

Evangel high school defensive end Jermauria Rasco and West Monroe defensive tackle Chuck Hunter were also in Alabama. Rasco was originally scheduled to attend LSU's Junior Day.

LSU is planning on having a second Junior Day in March on the same day as the Spring Game. Many of the prospects that missed Saturday's Junior Day are planning to attend in March.

Spring Practice Preview: Wide Recievers

2010-02-18T21:20:00.000-06:00

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: WRs

LSU lost three senior receivers from 2009, one of which was one of the best in school history. But LSU is has some serious talent for 2010, and I expect the receiving corps to be one of the strengths of LSU's team. New receivers coach Billy Gonzales should be an upgrade, and his presence could really make a difference in the performance of the entire group.

Senior Terrance Toliver is back after a breakout campaign in 2009 where he caught 53 balls for 735 yards and three touchdowns. While the SEC returns a number of big-time receivers in 2010, Toliver is in that group and should be on several pre-season All-SEC teams. Toliver has always had a good on-field relationship with Jordan Jefferson, and that should flourish now that Jefferson is more experienced. He is now the primary receiver, and the biggest thing he can do this spring is to set a good example for the other receivers and to develop as a team leader.

Starting on the other side from Toliver should be sophomore Reuben Randle. Randle came to LSU as one of the top recruits in the entire nation last year. By the middle of his freshman season, Randle earned his position of being LSU's #3 receiver. He had some big catches late in the games against Georgia and Ole Miss, giving us all a glimpse of what is to come. He finished the season with only 11 receptions, but that is mostly due to playing behind outstanding veterans such as Toliver and Brandon Lafell. Randle has great size and hands and does everything well as a receiver. He's poised to break out in 2010.

Competition will be heated for LSU's #3 receiver position, but Russell Shepard seems the most likely to win the spot. The simple way to view this is that Shepard is too talented to keep on the sideline. He has to be on the field, and the slot receiver is the most likely spot for him. With Shepard working primarily at receiver this spring, I expect him to make great strides. Other than Shepard's obvious physical skills, there's a lot to be excited about for him in 2010. New receivers coach Billy Gonzales has successfully coached someone with Shepard's skill set when he coached Percy Harvin at Florida. The hope is that Shepard can duplicate some of Harvin's success while working in the slot and motioning into the backfield. Shepard's progress is one of the biggest things to watch this spring.

Sophomore Chris Tolliver has yet to make a mark in his LSU career, despite being the state of Louisiana's top recruit in 2008. Tolliver has a ton of speed and ability with the ball in his hands, but he has reportedly struggled with consistency catching the football. As a result, he hasn't been able to earn his way onto the field. He did have a very nice spring game last year. He'll be battling to be LSU's #3 receiver, but he'll have a lot of competition. I still have a lot of hope for Tolliver, and I think he can impact this team in a big way. He needs to focus on being more consistent in practice to earn himself an opportunity in the games. With his speed, he has to be a candidate to return kicks as well.

Sophomore Jhyrn Taylor is similar to Tolliver in that he has yet to make a significant impact in his career. Taylor is reportedly a very solid player but just hasn't been able to crack the playing rotation thus far. Taylor is small in size at just over 170 pounds, but he runs good routes and has good speed. He'll continue to compete and try to earn playing time.

Junior John Williams continues to progress. Williams is small in size and doesn't have blazing speed but he's a solid guy who does a good job in practice. He actually had a very good spring practice last year, but it didn't translate into playing time on the field.

In the fall, freshmen Kadron Boone, James Wright, Armand Williams, and Jarrett Fobbs all join the mix. I expect at least one of these guys to play next year. Wright and Boone are the most likely candidates.

Depth Chart:
Toliver (Sr)
Randle (So)
Shepard (So)
Tolliver (So)
Taylor (So)
Williams (Jr)
Wright (Fr)
Boone (Fr)
Fobbs (Fr)
Williams (Fr)

Spring Practice Preview: Running Back & Fullback

2010-02-16T20:32:00.000-06:00

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: RBs

LSU enters spring with a lot of uncertainty surrounding the running backs, and it will be one of the most watched positions at practice. LSU must replace a lot of production with the loss of seniors Charles Scott, Keiland Williams, and Trindon Holliday.

New running backs coach Frank Wilson has indicated that he'd prefer to make a decision on his number one back and primarily use that guy. However, it's imperative that multiple backs are used in the SEC. Gone might be the days of baffling personnel decisions and rotations regarding the running backs that we saw under former assistant Larry Porter. But without a clear #1 guy on LSU's team right now, it will be very interesting to see how the repetitions are distributed at spring practice.

Junior Stevan Ridley seems the most likely to enter spring as the starting running back. Ridley has shown a ton of promise in the limited playing time he has received thus far in his career. In 2009, Ridley gained 180 yards on 45 carries for a 4.0 average. His tough running style is well suited for the SEC. Ridley has played some fullback during his LSU career and as a result, he's an accomplished blocker and therefore well suited to play in a one back set that LSU will likely employ in 2010. He can also see the field as a fullback in certain situations.

Senior Richard Murphy (pictured) returns after suffering a knee injury early in the 2009 season. He'll be counted on as a team leader and has been given the #18 jersey that was passed down from Matt Mauck to Jacob Hester to Richard Dickson. He's reportedly 100% and ready to go for spring practice. Murphy is built more like a wide receiver, and it's hard to see him ever becoming a full-time back in the SEC. You just don't see many SEC running backs built like Murphy. I anticipate that Murphy will be used in certain situations as a change of pace guy and will be used a lot as a receiver out of the backfield. Teaming with Russell Shepard, the two would make a great tandem in the Wildcat formation. That's just my opinion though.

Redshirt freshman Mike Ford is a guy that everyone's eager to see. A highly regarded recruit a year ago, Ford is reportedly doing big things in the weight room. If that translates onto the football field, then he'll be competing with Ridley for playing time. Ford is one of the key guys to watch this spring. He has an opportunity to really break out and make a name for himself.

Another redshirt freshman, Drayton Calhoun, is the biggest question mark heading into the spring. Calhoun was an electrifying athlete in high school. After a brief stint at cornerback last spring, Calhoun has been working at running back. He's on the smaller side at just 170 pounds but he's got blazing speed. He may be able to partially fill the void left by Trindon Holliday, both out of the backfield and in the return game.

Sophomore athlete Russell Shepard will also get some looks out of the backfield though he's going to primarily play receiver.

In the fall, we'll see a lot more competition as freshmen Spencer Ware, Jahkari Gore, and Alfred Blue join the mix. I expect to see one of the true freshmen see playing time next year with the other two redshirting.

Depth Chart:
Stevan Ridley (Jr)
Richard Murphy (Sr)
Michael Ford (Fr)
Spencer Ware (Fr)
Jahkari Gore (Fr)
Alfred Blue (Fr)

FULLBACK:

LSU lacked an effective fullback in 2009, and the running game suffered as a result. The staff tried several guys back there, but none seemed to get the job done. Several of the same guys return in 2010 and will be in competition for the starting position:

Dominique Allen had a great opportunity to win the job in 2009 as a true freshman, but he showed up to fall camp overweight. He didn't play for the first six games of the season. Prior to the Auburn game, the coaches decided to pull the redshirt off of Allen and give him a chance. He played against Auburn but didn't play much afterwards. I'm interested to see how Allen looks physically this spring. Has he lost weight? Is he moving quicker? The coaches would probably prefer that Allen win the job since he can be more than just a blocker. He's a good runner and a good receiver out of the backfield.

Walk-on James Stampley started the 2009 season as LSU's primary fullback, and he performed fairly well. Stampley is a guy that has the physical ability to block people, but he needs to continue to improve at making the right reads. If he does, then he could be LSU's answer at fullback.

Kellen Theriot is the most intriguing guy to watch this spring. Theriot was a hell of an athlete coming out of high school but has been hindered by injuries since he's been at LSU. Heading into his redshirt sophomore season, he's reportedly healthy and has made the move from linebacker to fullback. At around 230 pounds, he's on the small side for a fullback, but he's easily the most athletic guy at the position. If he can be effective as a blocker, then LSU may have a special player and another weapon on offense. I have high hopes for Theriot.

Thomas Parsons is a sophomore offensive lineman who pitched in to help at fullback last year. He did a good job for a guy who is 290 pounds. Are the coaches going to keep him at fullback? Or is he going to practice with the offensive line so he can develop at his "real" position? We should know the answer to this on the first day of practice.

Richard Dugas was another walk-on who moved from offensive line to try fullback. He played some early in the season, but eventually lost playing time to James Stampley. It's unclear whether he'll continue to work at fullback this spring, but I'm guessing he will.

In the fall, true freshman Brandon Worle will join the mix and he looks like a good one. It's also a possibility that Stevan Ridley play fullback in certain situations.

Depth Chart:
Dominique Allen (So)
James Stampley (Jr)
Kellen Theriot (So)
Brandon Worle (Fr)
Thomas Parsons (So)
Richard Dugas (Sr)

Spring Practice Preview: Quarterbacks; Recruiting Update

2010-02-14T20:27:00.000-06:00

With spring practice just a couple of weeks away, it's time to start taking a look at LSU's 2010 football team. I generally like to do an in depth preview of each position highlighting the key position battles that we'll keep an eye on throughout spring practice. I'll be trying my best to get through each position before spring practice begins.

SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW: QB

For the first time since the 2006 season, LSU can use the words "returning starter" when referencing the quarterback position. That lack of experience at quarterback has been a large reason why LSU has struggled in 2008 and 2009. The hope is that a veteran quarterback will go a long way in returning LSU to "elite" status in college football.

In his first season as LSU's starter, Jordan Jefferson did an OK job. He wasn't great. But he completed over 61% of his passes, and he took good care of the football. In looking at Jamarcus Russell's first year as a full-time starter, Jefferson compares very favorably. Here is a comparison of the two:

Russell (2005): 60.5% completion 2443 yards 15 TDs 9 INTs
Jefferson (2009): 61.5% completion 2166 yards 17 TDs 7 INTs

Jefferson also ran for 415 yards not counting sacks. It's important to note that Russell was able to lean on a strong offensive line and running game. The same can't be said for Jefferson. Another point of interest is that Russell was in his third collegiate season while Jefferson was in his second.

That comparison doesn't mean that Jefferson is on his way to an All-SEC season and a #1 overall pick in the 2011 Draft. He needs a lot of improvement. Jefferson was often very tentative to throw the ball if the receiver wasn't wide open. As a result, he took a very high number of sacks. He needs to trust his arm and trust that his receivers can make a play. That seems likely to improve now that he's more experienced. The fans and coaches will certainly look for him to have more of a "take charge" demeanor.

One of Jefferson's strengths is that he's able to run the ball effectively, and he forces the defense to account for him in the running game. In 2009, it seems that LSU's coaching staff got away from calling a lot of designed runs for Jefferson after the first game. Against Washington, Jefferson took a couple of big hits and he was rarely used as a runner after that. I'm curious to see how often Jefferson is on the move next season. In my opinion, he's much more effective when he's integrated into the running game.

Jefferson enters spring practice as the clear starter, and I fully expect him to be the starter for the 2010 season.

Behind Jefferson, Jarrett Lee returns to LSU for his junior season. Many have speculated that Lee would transfer, but he'll be out at the Ponderosa this spring. We all know about Lee's struggles as a freshman during the 2008 season. He was given an opportunity to show that he had improved when he started the Louisiana Tech game in 2009 while Jefferson was injured. However, Lee struggled badly and convinced everyone that he may never be a contributor as LSU's quarterback. For that reason, I expect Lee to be pushed for the backup position this spring.

Redshirt freshman Chris Garrett has earned some very positive reviews from the practice fields, and many are expecting that Garrett will not only challenge Lee for the #2 spot but that he may even push Jefferson. Garrett is a big guy at 6'4" 235 pounds and has a strong arm. He is a true pocket passer. He will be a very important guy to watch this spring.

At this point, I'm hearing that Russell Shepard will primarily play wide receiver this spring so I don't think he's in the mix at quarterback.

After Garrett, that leaves walk-on T.C. McCartney.

In the fall, true freshman Zach Lee and walk-on Barrett Bailey will join the mix. Lee is also a big-time baseball player and is expected to be drafted high in the Major League Baseball draft. If he's drafted high enough, then he may not be at LSU in the fall.

The most important thing to watch this spring is the improvement of Jordan Jefferson. Number two on the list is the development of Chris Garrett.

Depth Chart:
Jordan Jefferson (Jr)
Jarrett Lee (Jr)
Chris Garrett (Fr)
T.C. McCartney (Jr)
Zach Lee (Fr)
Barrett Bailey (Fr)

RECRUITING

I discussed that Texas had their Junior Day this weekend and as expected, they landed a number of verbal commitments. They received 13 commitments over the weekend. The good news for LSU fans is that most of the guys that LSU is heavily recruiting left Austin without pledging to Texas.

Guys like OL Sedrick Flowers, LB Trevon Randle, DE Cedric Reed, and DE Nathan Hughes are still on the market. Flowers and Randle are planning to be at LSU's Junior Day next weekend. It's also important to note that Texas has commitments from two wide receivers. After taking six in the Class of 2010, they may be done at receiver or only be looking to take one more. That should help LSU's chances with Trey Metoyer, a receiver from Whitehouse, Texas who is strongly considering LSU.

Safety Sheroid Evans did commit to Texas, and LSU was recruiting him.

I'll try to track down a good list of prospects who are attending LSU's Junior Day sometime this week.

The Big Board

2010-02-11T21:33:00.018-06:00

PROSPECTS
Note: Prospects in Bold reprsent those with LSU offers

QB
CJ Uzomah - GA
Teddy Bridgewater - FL Miami Northwestern
Marquise Williams - Charlotte, NC
Justin Worley - Rock Hill, SC
Kiehl Frazier - Springdale, AR
Jacoby Brissett - West Palm Beach, FL
Zack Oliver - Catholic HS Baton Rouge
Brian Ensminger - Hahnville HS
Stevie Douglas - Clinton, LA
Dak Prescott - Haughton, LA

RB
Isaiah Crowell - GA

FB
Dylan Ledet - ED White HS
Artaves Gibson - Memphis, TN
Nick Lifka - IL

WR
Bradley Sylve - South Plaquemine HS LA
Joseph Morrow - Ocean Springs, MS
Nigel King - NC
Rod Davis - Many HS
Hakeem Flowers - SC

TE
Quinton Griffin - Rayville HS
Johnny Banks - Christian Life Academy HS Baton Rouge
Chris Barnett - Dallas, TX
Malcolm Faciane - Picayune, MS

OL
Greg Robinson - Thibodaux HS
Jonah Austin - St Aug HS
James Maiden - Woodville, MS
Chester Hebert - Shaw HS
Dathon Thomas - East St. John HS
Trai Turner - St. Aug HS
Bobby Hart - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ethan Hutson - Destrehan HS

DT
Mickey Johnson - St Pauls HS
Chuck Hunter - West Monroe HS
Gerrand Johnson - Rayville HS
Grady Jarrett - GA

DE
Jermauria Rasco - Evangel HS Shreveport
Jadeveon Clowney - SC
Ray Drew - Thomasville, GA
Chris Jones - Jacksonville, FL
Giorgio Newberry - Fort Pierce, FL

LB
Anthony Wallace - Dallas Skyline, TX
C.J. Johnson - Philadelphia, MS (Mississippi State commitment)
Travis Hughes - Virginia Beach, VA
Lateek Townsend - Bennettsville, SC
Gionni Paul - Lakeland, FL
Beau Fitte - South Plaquemine HS LA
Michael Petty - Alexandria, LA
Trey Brown - Lancaster, TX
Denzel Perryman - Miami, FL

CB
Floyd Raven - East St John HS
JeVante Watson - Bastrop HS
Doran Grant - Akron, OH
Nick Shepard - Houston, TX
Daren Kitchen - Vandebilt Catholic HS Houma

S
Renaldo Thomas - St. Augustine HS (could play LB)
Quincy Aldridge - Whitehouse, TX (near Tyler)
Ellis Carey - Helen Cox HS - Harvey LA
T.K. Fleming - Benton, LA
Jermaine Reve - Miami, FL

ATH
Odell Beckham - Newman HS (WR or CB)
Avery Walls - McDonough, GA (CB or S)
Nickalos Brassell - Batesville, MS (WR or CB)
Pat Martin - Greenville, SC (CB or S)
Malcolm Mitchell - Valdosta, GA (DB or WR)
Ryan Byrd - St Helena Central Greensburg LA (WR or S)
Paul Turner - West Monroe HS (CB or offense)
Levander Liggins - Leesville HS (RB or S)
Deshazor Everett - Deridder, LA (CB or S)
Michael Hunter - Richwood HS Monroe LA
Effrem Reed - Dutchtown HS (CB or RB)

COMMITMENTS (10)

RB
Kenny Hilliard - Patterson HS - 6'0" 220 pounds: Hilliard has probably been the state of Louisiana's best running back over the last two years. Physically, he's got the body to play college football right now. Despite being Dalton Hilliard's nephew, Kenny is much bigger than Dalton and runs with a different style. Hilliard doesn't have great top end speed, but he is decisive running the ball, and he accelerates quickly through the line. He navigates through traffic surprisingly well for a big guy. After his initial cut, he doesn't shy away from contact and punishes defenders. He runs with a good low pad level. He's also a good receiver out of the backfield. He running style reminds me of former Tennessee Vol Jamal Lewis.

Terrance Magee - Franklinton HS - 5'9" 190 pounds: Magee is a fantastic athlete who plays quarterback for Franklinton but projects as a running back in college. Magee has a very powerful lower body that is reminiscent of Dalton Hilliard and has great strength for someone who is under 200 pounds. He's got very good speed and could outrun defenders at the college level. He could stand to add some bulk to his upper body which would enable him to take the pounding he'll see at the next level. I am very high on Magee and won't be surprised if he turns out to be the best of the three backs in this class.

Jeremy Hill - Redemptorist HS - 6'1" 220 pounds: Hill is another "big back" with a ton of potential. He's awfully similar to Hilliard though not quite the bruiser at the point of contact. He makes up for that with exceptional vision, often making the right cut and finding a hole through the front seven and into the secondary. He runs very decisively. Hill doesn't have great speed, but it's not bad at all for a guy who is 220 pounds. His running style reminds me a lot of Stevan Ridley.

WR
Jarvis Landry - Lutcher HS - 5'11" 180 pounds: Landry is a college-ready receiver that should be able to contribute right away at the next level. He runs very precise routes and can get open with ease. Landry has great hands and catches the ball away from his body. He's also deadly after the catch. He is not a blazer but does have good speed. His style of play will remind Tiger fans of Josh Reed. Despite being an LSU Commitment, Landry will have offers from every major school and will be heavily recruited. At camps last summer, Landry outperformed all other receivers in attendance including some 5-star guys from the Class of 2010. He's the real deal and a must-get for LSU.

Alonzo Lewis - St. James HS - 6'3" 190 pounds: James has very good size at receiver and should be a very physical player in college. He attended the U.S. Army All-American Junior Combine in January and ran a slow 40 time while he was there. However, I've seen a few clips of him from the combine and he looks to have plenty of speed. He seems to be another in the growing line of successful big LSU receivers. LSU coaches saw Lewis first hand at a camp last summer, and they obviously liked what they saw. Lewis received a very early offer from Les Miles.

OL
La'El Collins - Redemptorist HS - 6'4" 285 pounds: Collins is an elite offensive tackle prospect, and Louisiana hasn't seen too many of them over the last several years. Collins really made a name for himself at some camps last summer. He has great footwork and uses his hands extremely well. He also has great strength and can get after it when run blocking. He looks like a future multi-year starter for LSU at offensive tackle, a future multi-year All-SEC performer, and a potential first round pick. That's a hell of a lot to project for someone, but Collins is that kind of prospect. He's a candidate to be a five star prospect and a Top 20 player nationally.

Corey White - Capitol HS - 6'4" 290 pounds: White is a very solid offensive guard prospect. He has big size and good strength. He's a mauler and uses his enormous size to overpower opponents at the high school level which he won't be able to do as frequently in college. White does lack agility and quickness, and he'll be much more effective as a straight ahead run blocker rather than someone who will pull and get in front of a running play to the outside.

DT
Anthony Johnson - O.Perry Walker HS - 6'3" 295 pounds: Johnson has the nickname "Freak" for a reason. He is an absolute monster and is virtually unblockable. He is naturally very strong and very quick off the ball. He finished his junior season with 89 tackles and 16 sacks. He seems to get into the opponent's backfield at will. In my opinion, he's the best prospect in the state this year and a Top 15 player nationally.

DE
Quentin Griffin - Breaux Bridge HS - 6'4" 260 pounds - Griffin was recruited to LSU as a big defensive end, and he has the frame to play both end or tackle. He's currently a very lean 6'4" 260 pounds with a large wingspan. His film is impressive, and he shows incredible potential and a willingness to never give up on a play. He tends to play a little high but that's not too uncommon for a high school lineman. I can see him as a Marquise Hill / Tyson Jackson type of strongside defensive end or as a quicker interior lineman.

LB
Trevon Randle - League City, TX - 6'1" 205 pounds: Randle is a tremendous all around athlete and brings a lot of speed to the linebacker position. He gets to the ball carrier in a hurry and then delivers that "punch" you like to see when he makes a hit. While he's a bit light for a college linebacker, he has plenty of time to grow, and I suspect he'll end up playing at around 220 pounds at LSU. Randle also plays running back in high school. Randle was a top target of Texas and also had offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arizona, and UCLA. While the state of Louisiana is loaded with talent this year, linebacker is one position that is lacking. For LSU to be able to go out of state and fill that void with a player of Randle's caliber is impressive.

Finals Notes on Class of 2010; Look Ahead to 2011

2010-02-11T21:33:00.001-06:00

Final Notes On The Class of 2010 Around The SEC

LSU had a very strong finish to the 2010 recruiting class. But while the Tigers finished with a class ranked between sixth and eighth nationally, they finished third in the SEC West and fourth in the SEC. So while it's a very strong class, it may not have improved LSU's position in the league. The SEC will see a lot of new stars in the fall and with the right opportunity, many of them will have an instant impact. Here's a brief look at some true freshmen who may have big impacts on the SEC next year:

RB Michael Dyer - Auburn: In my opinion, Dyer was the best running back prospect in the nation. Auburn went to Arkansas and stole him away from the Hogs. He's compact, powerful, and has great speed. With Ben Tate graduating and moving to the NFL, Dyer has a great opportunity to take over as Auburn's main back.

WR Da'Rick Rogers - Tennessee: The Vols stole Rogers, a Georgia native, away from Georgia a week before Signing Day. Rogers is the best receiver prospect in the entire nation. He's big, fast, athletic, has good hands and runs great routes. He does it all, and he could have a big-time impact as a freshman similar to what we saw from A.J. Green and Julio Jones in 2008.

RB Marcus Lattimore - South Carolina: The South Carolina native ultimately decided to stay home and play for the Gamecocks despite being heavily recruited by Auburn. The five star prospect has the opportunity to become the main ball carrier for the Cocks and could really help their offense, which now has a veteran quarterback (Garcia) and a big-time receiver (Jeffrey).

DT Sharrif Floyd - Florida: Floyd is as dominant a defensive tackle prospect as you will ever see. He'll have to pass up a lot of talented players at Florida to earn playing time but he's such a good prospect that he could make an impact once he sees the field.

QB Cameron Newton - Auburn: Newton was a five star prospect out of high school a few years ago when he signed with Florida. He ultimately landed at a Junior College and now has re-signed with Auburn. He's a big kid with a good arm who is fmailiar with a spread offense. He has a very good chance to win the starting job at Auburn in 2010.

Class Of 2011

It has now been over a week since Signing Day, so it's time to start looking at next year's group. In reality, I've been looking at next year's group since last summer and posted about it last month. The collection of talent in the state of Louisiana is the best it has been since 2001, and LSU is doing a great job with all of these players having already landed verbal commitments from seven of the state's top players. It's imperative that LSU take advantage of the in-state talent this year. If they do, they are sure to have one of the nation's top classes.

Even though Signing Day for the Class of 2011 isn't for another year, it's important to start following what is happening. LSU may not have room to sign a full class of 25 players, and seven players are already verbally committed. So LSU is already about 30% complete with next year's class. Additionally, Junior Days are coming up and we typically see a flurry of activity at these events.

Texas is hosting their first Junior Day this weekend and as usual, LSU has their eyes on a lot of prospects from the state of Texas. Texas doesn't publicly offer anyone until their first Junior Day, and they usually get a ton of commitments as a result. By next Tuesday, the Horns will probably have at least a dozen commitments. That will then clear things up for teams such as LSU as to what prospects in the state of Texas are willing to consider other schools. You can scan the list of prospects and note the large number of Texas players that LSU is recruiting.

LSU hosts their Junior Day the following weekend (Feb 19-21) and a number of big names will be attending. As we get closer to Junior Day, I'll try to track down a list of who is coming. LSU will be hoping to close some players next weekend too.

My idea for covering recruiting this year is to keep a running list of LSU Commitments and players that LSU is pursuing. When I've got enough information, I'll provide an evaluation for each player. I've started by doing the current LSU commitments but hope to add to this shortly with some of the other in-state guys on the Prospects List. This way, readers can check it out anytime. I'll frequently reference the list and link it to current articles. This is easier than re-creating the list for each new recruiting article. I'll also keep my Louisiana Recruiting rankings on their own page. It's also important to note that a ton of new names will pop up between now and the summer.

Louisiana Recruiting Rankings - Class of 2011

2010-02-11T21:32:00.011-06:00

1. DT Anthony "Freak" Johnson O.Perry Walker HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, USC, Miami, Oklahoma, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUGvTLYFASE

2. OL La'El Collins Redemptorist HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Florida, Tennessee, FSU, others

3. WR Jarvis Landry Lutcher HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Notre Dame, Auburn, Oklahoma, Michigan, Tennessee, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT9x9-Kf93s

4. DE Jermauria Rasco Evangel HS
Offers: LSU, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, Notre Dame, USC, Tennessee, others

5. OL Greg Robinson Thibodaux HS
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Nebarska, Oklahoma, USC, others

6. RB Kenny Hilliard Patterson HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Tennessee, Miami, Notre Dame, Texas A&M
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCsroodh0tQ

7. WR Bradley Sylve South Plaquemines HS
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Nebraska, USC, Tennessee, Cal, Others

8. RB Terrance Magee Magee Franklinton HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Texas A&M

9. RB Jeremy Hill Redemporist HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Florida State, Tennessee, Arkansas, Nebraska, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUUkeCW39G8

10. DT Mickey Johnson St Pauls HS
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQu7QA8oxTA&feature=fvw

11. ATH Odell Beckham Jr. Newman HS
Offers: LSU, Tulsa, Memphis, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Odell+Beckham&aq=f

12. QB Zack Oliver Catholic HS
Offers: Northwestern, Tulsa,

13. WR Alonzo Lewis St. James HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Tulsa, Houston

14. DT Quentin Thomas Breaux Bridge HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Texas A&M

15. OL Trai Turner St. Augustine HS
Offers: LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Tennessee, others
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZoXwyhfC70

16. S Renaldo Thomas St. Augustine HS
Offers: LSU, Michigan, Tennessee

17. Corey White Capitol HS (LSU Commitment)
Offers: LSU, Houston

WATCH LIST

DT Chuck Hunter West Monroe HS
Offers: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, TCU, Baylor

ATH Ryan Byrd Helena Central HS (WR or S)
Offers: Ole Miss, Minnesota, Memphis
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDy3h1o677c

ATH Levander Liggins Leesville HS

CB Jevante Watson Bastrop HS
Offers: None

S T.K. Fleming Benton HS
Offers: Nebraska, Tennessee, Oregon, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UCLA, others

DB Deshazor Everett Deridder HS
Offers: Arkansas, Ole Miss, Memphis, SMU

DB Ellis Carey Helen Cox HS
Offers: None

DB Floyd Raven East St. John HS
Offers: Tulsa

OL Jonah Austin St. Augustine HS
Offers: Michigan, SMU, Tulsa, Kentucky, Baylor

OL Dathan Thomas East St. John HS

OL Chester Hebert Shaw HS

QB Stevie Douglas Clinton, LA
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgUM2Cff1rg

ATH Effrem Reed Dutchtown HS

ATH Daniel Sams Salmen HS (Kansas State Commitment)
Offers: Kansas State, Tulsa
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvBCPV976-c

DT Gerrand Johnson Rayville HS
Offers: Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Memphis

ATH Quenton Griffin Rayville HS
Offers: None

CB Daren Kitchen Vandebilt Catholic HS
Offers: Nebraska, Stanford

DT Demarcus Hodge Neville HS
Offers: Mississippi State, Arkansas, Memphis

ATH Devante Scott Ferriday HS (Mississippi State Commitment)
Offers: Mississippi State

TE Johnny Banks Christian Life HS

QB Dak Prescott Haughton HS

ATH Stephon Smith St. Pauls HS
Offers: Kansas St.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmRbmKrPEzk

OL Ethan Hutson Destrehan HS

2010 LSU Baseball Preview

2010-02-09T18:55:00.000-06:00

LSU Football is over. LSU Basketball is rebuilding. Football recruiting is wrapping up. If you’re like me, you’re starting to get the itch for the LSU Baseball team to take the field and defend their national championship.

Gone from last year’s team are key players DJ LaMahieu, Ryan Schimpf, Jared Mitchell, Sean Ochinko, and Louis Coleman. However, LSU will have a very strong team that should be a contender nationally in 2010. Baseball America has LSU ranked as the pre-season #3 team in the nation. Another trip to Omaha is certainly a strong possibility.

Let’s take a look at the guys expected to replace those departed stars along with the returning contributors from last year. Many of these guys may shift positions, but this is just my projection on how things may look.

C
Micah Gibbs - .294 6 HR 42 RBI
Micah Gibbs (pictured) will man the dish for the third straight season for LSU. Gibbs is widely regarded as one of the nation’s best defensive catchers, and he’s not too shabby with the bat either. Gibbs is a guy that can find a home anywhere in the batting order and be effective. I look for some slightly improved batting numbers from him in 2010, and he should be one of the leaders of the team. He was voted a 1st Team All American by Baseball America.

Wes Luquette – High School
Luquette is a true freshman that is highly regarded. He was drafted in the 27th round of last year’s Major League Baseball draft and may have been drafted higher if not for an injury. I anticipate that he’ll be the backup to Gibbs and get a handful of starts this year in anticipation of him starting in 2011.

1B
Blake Dean – .328 17 HR 71 RBI
Dean has been the star of LSU’s team over the past two seasons as a designated hitter, and he returns for his senior season where he plans to earn a position in the field. The likely scenario is that Dean lands at first base which should help his draft stock. Dean is the heart and soul of LSU’s team and will be counted on time and time again to come through in the clutch.

Kyle Koeneman – Junior College
Koeneman comes to LSU from junior college where he was one of the best power hitters in the nation. He hit 50 home runs in two seasons. If for some reason Dean can’t cut it as a first baseman defensively, then Koeneman may be the guy to take over. If he continues to hit as he did in junior college, Koneman could find a spot as LSU’s designated hitter as well. It’s not totally out of the question that Koeneman have a Matt Clark-like impact on the 2010 team.

2B
Tyler Hanover - .321 5 HR 47 RBI 6 SB
Hanover was the team’s starting third baseman for much of 2009, and he’s expected to play his more natural position of second base this year. Despite being just 5’6”, Hanover packs a serious punch at the plate and has good power. His experience last year should benefit him a great deal, and he’s a candidate to be a double digit home run guy in 2010. He’s also a guy that can bat anywhere from 2nd to 9th in the batting order.

SS
Austin Nola - .240 3 HR 18 RBI 3 SB
As a true freshman in 2009, Nola took over the starting shortstop job halfway through the season. His move into the lineup triggered LSU’s late season run that propelled them to Omaha. Nola is already an outstanding defensive shortstop, and he held his own at the plate for a true freshman. A good hitter in high school, most expect Nola to drastically improve his hitting now that he’s got some experience at the college level. He’s a candidate to really break out in 2010. With good speed, he might be a candidate to lead off this year.

3B
Wet Delatte – Redshirt
Delatte is a redshirt freshman who has reportedly made a move to win the third base job with a strong showing at fall practice.

Beau Didier – Redshirt
Didier came to LSU with high promise last year but required surgery on his elbow. He had one plate appearance in 2009 before the surgery, but he hit a home run in that one at bat. Didier is a lefty batter, and he’ll be in the mix at third base and possibly as a designated hitter. He can also catch and may be the backup to Micah Gibbs if the staff decides to redshirt Wes Luquette.

INF
Grant Dozar - .265 2 HR 6 RBI
Dozar played sparingly as a freshman last year but fared pretty well. He played some first base, and he’s another guy that can catch if called upon to do so. With another year of experience, Dozar could be in the mix at designated hitter or at the corner infield positions.

Matt Gaudet – Out last year
Gaudet came to LSU from Delgado before the 2008 season. He played sparingly in 2008 but sat out in 2009. He’s back in 2010 for his senior season and is supposedly pushing for playing time somewhere on this team. Gaudet is a big kid at 6’2” 220 pounds and is another candidate to be the team’s designated hitter. Gaudet could potentially play in the outfield as well.

Mason Katz – High School
Katz is a true freshman who will ultimately be a middle infielder. He could be the backup to both Hanover and Nola this season, although it’s certainly possible that he redshirts. He’s very similar to Austin Nola coming out of high school.

OF

Leon Landry - .300 12 HR 41 RBI 9 SB
Landry (pictured) had a very productive 2009 season even though he lost his starting job halfway through the season. Landry plays exceptional defense, and he also had great power numbers. If Landry can be a little more consistent at the plate, he will be a full blown star. Landry struck out 43 times in 170 bats or once every 3.95 times at the plate, and that needs to improve. Landry will be counted on as one of the big sticks in the lineup this year.

Mikie Mahtook - .316 7 HR 38 RBI 9 SB
Mahtook played his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman last year and was the team’s starting centerfielder down the stretch. Even though he’s a big kid at 6’1” 200 pounds, he’s very fast and very athletic. He made a number of highlight reel catches in centerfield last year. Mahtook was fairly consistent at the plate too, and he showed the potential to be a big power guy for LSU. I fully expect him to be a double digit home run guy in 2010 and a mainstay in the middle of the batting order.

Trey Watkins – Junior College
Watkins comes to LSU from LSU Eunice and is expected to win the starting centerfield job. Considering Leon Landry started off 2009 as the starting CF and was replaced by Mahtook…and that both of those guys are still on the team, it speaks volumes to Watkins’ defensive ability. Watkins is a compact guy at 5’8” 185 pounds, but he can really, really move. His stats at LSU Eunice were very impressive. He hit .418 with 7 HR and 71 RBI and stole a ridiculous 58 bases in 61 attempts. He seems like a great candidate to lead off for LSU this year.

Johnny Dishon – Redshirt
Dishon played as a backup outfielder in 2008 but redshirted last year. He was mostly used as a defensive replacement and a pinch runner in 2008 though he did manage 2 HR and 12 RBI. He’ll likely return to a similar role in 2010 as the fourth outfielder and defensive specialist.

Starting Pitching

Anthony Ranaudo – 12-3 3.04 ERA 159 K 50 BB 124.1 IP .209 BA against
Ranaudo (pictured) is LSU’s hoss this year. There’s no doubt that he is the Friday starter, and he’ll be the guy expected to win games in the post season. Ranaudo is a pre-season All American and a projected high first round draft pick in the MLB draft. If there’s something for Ranaudo to improve on, it’s to reduce the number of walks.

Austin Ross – 6-8 5.18 ERA 76 K 22 BB 83.1 IP .305 BA against
Ross was the Sunday starter for most of last season, and he performed OK. At times, Ross looked great and was unhittable. At other times, he got roughed up pretty bad. He needs to become more consistent and a guy that LSU can count on to win games. He’ll get the first crack at being LSU’s #2 starter and if he’s consistent, then he’ll probably stay there.

Daniel Bradshaw – 4-0 3.04 ERA 33K 11 BB 50.1 IP .242 BA against
Bradshaw was mostly used in relief last year, but he was very effective. Down the stretch, he was one of LSU’s most effective pitchers. In his last 19 IP of 2009, Bradshaw only allowed a 0.95 ERA. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he can get the job done. He’ll have every opportunity to land a spot in LSU’s rotation, but he could be awfully valuable coming out of the bullpen too.

Joey Bourgeois – Junior College
Bourgeois also comes to LSU from LSU Eunice and will compete for a spot in the starting rotation. Bourgeois is a big guy at 6’2” 225 pounds and he strikes out a lot of batters. At LSU Eunice, Bourgeois was 12-2 with 98 Ks in 87 IP. He also had a hefty 5.90 ERA. I’m not sure what kind of stuff Bourgeois has, but those numbers tell me that he is a pure power pitcher that is either “feast or famine,” probably throwing plenty of fast balls.

Chris Matulis – 6-2 4.82 ERA 39K 15 BB 46.2 IP .293 BA against
As a true freshman in 2009, Matulis was very effective early in the year. He filled the role of one of the week day starters for LSU and did it well. As LSU’s only left handed starter, he was useful out of the bullpen on weekends too. But halfway through the season, something happened and he became very ineffective. He really struggled getting outs during the second part of the year. He represents LSU’s only possibility as a left handed pitcher in 2010 and hopefully he’s back on track.

Relief Pitching

Matty Ott – 4-2 2.68 ERA 69K 6 BB 50.1 IP .237 BA against 16 saves
Ott was the surprise of the 2009 season, breaking LSU’s record for saves as a true freshman. He was amazingly consistent in his ability to shut the door on opponents. I’ve heard some discussion of potentially using Ott as a starter in 2010, but most of that has subsided especially when Chad Jones, who could have taken over as closer, decided to go to the NFL. Ott will undoubtedly be called upon to be LSU’s guy in crunch time, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be outstanding again.

Paul Bertuccini – 2-0 3.86 ERA 31K 15 BB 25.2 IP .242 BA against 3 saves
Bertuccini will be one of LSU’s top relief pitchers in 2010. His outstanding curve ball, which he throws almost primarily, really gives hitters a different look when he comes into a game. For that reason, Bertuccini is often called upon to get LSU out of jams with men on base. He should continue that role again this year.

Mitch Moormann – Junior College
I don’t know much about Moormann right now other than LSU signed him out of Junior College where he won 10 games in 13 starts with a 3.40 ERA. I’ll be very interested to see how LSU incorporates Moormann into the mix early in the season. He’s one to keep an eye on.

Shane Riedie, Jordan Rittiner, and Ben Alsup all return some experience as well. Certainly, these guys will be competing for innings and LSU will need one or more to step up and pitch well.

Freshmen Mike Reed, Zach LaSuzzo and Forrest Garrett will be competing as well.

Signing Day Recap

2010-02-03T22:45:00.000-06:00

What a day! LSU enjoyed some very positive surprises on National Signing Day, and those surprises transformed a class that was starting to look like a bit of a disappointment into a huge success. LSU went into Wednesday with 25 verbal commitments, but they added four very good players.   If you missed it, be sure to check my breakdown of the entire Class of 2010 which has been updated to include the complete class.

As long as I've been following recruiting, the strength of LSU's signing class is always dependent on the level of talent in the state of Louisiana. With this year being a bit down in Louisiana, LSU was forced to go out of state to meet their needs. LSU looked to have done just that before suffering de-commitments from out of state stars such as WR Justin Hunter, WR Mike Davis, DT Cassius Marsh, and OT Jamarcus Hardrick.

I think these de-commitments actually speak well to the LSU staff's ability to evaluate talent. LSU recruited and secured commitments from those guys before many of the other big time schools showed interest. Once those guys played their senior seasons and went to the various All-American games, they ALL saw their stock rise and their rankings improve. More schools began recruiting them hard and schools that were closer to home eventually won out. The same can be said for running back Spencer Ware, but he chose to honor his commitment to LSU.

The staff was then obviously forced to fill the voids left by those de-commitments, and that has been the focus of the final few weeks of this recruiting season. Signing Day brought some great surprises in helping to fill those holes.

The morning started with Florida receiver Kadron Boone choosing LSU over Georgia, Louisville, and Texas Tech.

Soon after, LSU got another surprise. Despite claiming that he was signing with Tennessee as recently as Tuesday evening, J.C. Copeland faxed in his letter of intent to LSU on Wednesday.

Shreveport athlete Jarrett Fobbs has been a commitment to Texas A&M for many months. LSU recruited him very hard over the last month and seemed to have a lot of momentum. But Fobbs took a visit to College Station on the final weekend before Signing Day and it didn't look good for LSU.   But on Tuesday, word began to spread that Fobbs was once again leaning towards the Tigers and LSU fans were happy to see his letter of intent come through on Wednesday.

The biggest surprise of the day was when Maryland defensive lineman Ego Ferguson chose LSU. Most thought he was headed to Miami, but Ferguson felt most comfortable with the Tigers.

In order to make the numbers work, it appears that St. Pauls HS defensive end / linebacker Houston Bates is going to "grayshirt" which means he won't be on football scholarship until the Spring of 2011. He will therefore count against the numbers for the Class 2011.

Selma, AL defensive tackle Dexter Blackmon did not sign, and his status is unclear right now. He reportedly has some work to do academically, so perhaps Junior College is a likely destination. I'm just speculating there, but I'm sure we'll learn more about his situation shortly.

As far as my thoughts on the players, most of that is covered in my last update. But here is my ranking of the Top 15 players in the class:

1. S Eric Reid
2. RB Spencer Ware
3. DL Ego Ferguson
4. DT J.C. Copeland
5. DB Ronnie Vinson
6. OL Evan Washington
7. QB Zach Lee
8. TE Travis Dickson
9. ATH Tharold Simon
10. WR James Wright
11. LB Justin Maclin
12. WR Kadron Boone
13. RB Jahkori Gore
14. ATH Jarrett Fobbs
15. RB Alfred Blue

2010 Signing Class Review

2010-02-02T14:19:00.001-06:00

This is my annual review of LSU's signing class, complete with the rankings of the prospect, my thoughts, some video where available, and my comparison to a former or current player.  It should be noted that the "Reminds Me Of" feature is designed to compare the style of play of the prospects rather than their overall ability. However, some players don't strike a resemblence to anyone in my opinion.

I wanted to post this on Tuesday to give everyone a preview of the guys expected to sign with LSU on Wednesday. I'll finalize this post later depending on how LSU's class changes on Signing Day.

QB
Zach Lee - Lee is big (6'4" 200 pounds) and very athletic. He's got a big arm and was very productive in high school. He completed 57% of his passes as a senior with 31 TDs and just 6 INTs. As a junior, he completed 63% with 33 TDs and 10 INTs. While not considered a dual-threat quarterback, Lee is mobile and can move the chains with his feet. He operated mostly out of the shotgun in high school. The big question with Zach is whether or not he'll ever set foot on LSU's campus. He's a big time baseball prospect as a pitcher (can reportedly throw 90 + MPH) and will be drafted high in the Major League Baseball draft. Will it be high enough to entice him away from LSU?   We won't know until August. He reminds me a lot off Matt Mauck, not only due to the similarities as a baseball player, but also in mobility and decision making.

Rivals:  #9 QB #217 overall 4 stars
Scout: #21 QB 4 stars
ESPN: #9 QB 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Matt Mauck

RB
Spencer Ware - Cincinnati, OH: Ware has the perfect build for a running back at 5'11" 220 pounds. A quarterback for all four years in high school, Ware will have to make the transition to running back. He earned a lot of high praise for his play at running back both at LSU's camp over the summer and at the U.S. Army All-American game in early January.  He should continue to improve as he gets more repetitions as as running back. His performance during the week of the All-American game has drastically increased his rankings by the various recruiting services. Ware may not have blazing top end speed, but he has exceptional burst and acceleration. He also has an uncanny ability to make sharp cuts for a guy his size. As long as Ware keeps his weight in check, it's hard to imagine him not being an impact player for LSU.

Rivals: #3 ATH #19 overall 5 stars
Scout: #10 RB #60 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #12 RB 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Ronnie Brown (Auburn 2004)
Video: Here

Jahkori Gore - Miami, FL: At just 5'9" 170 pounds, we haven't seen a back like Gore at LSU in quite some time. Generally a guy with his size has to be blazing fast in order to play in the SEC. While Gore has good speed, he's not a Trindon Holliday type of burner. He's just a darn good running back that happens to be small. He has good initial burst and runs with great vision, using and setting up his blocks well. And despite his small stature, Gore isn't afriad to run it hard between the tackles. He reminds me of Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers. Gore was extremely productive in high school playing in one of the more competitive districts in the nation. Gore chose LSU over offers from Tennessee, Cal, and Auburn.

Rivals: #6 All-Purpose Back #184 overall   4 stars
Scout: #30 RB 3 stars
ESPN: #36 RB 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Jacquizz Rodgers (Oregon State)

Alfred Blue - Hahnville HS: Blue is Louisiana's top running back prospect this year.  He has a slender build for a running back and actually looks more like a safety. He's 6'1" 200 pounds and is a slashing style of runner. At this point, he runs a little too upright but he does run very hard. He has good speed, but not great. He has the frame to fill out, but he's not there yet. He is very versatile however. He blocks well and catches the ball well. LSU's coaches offered him immediately after seeing him first hand at camp this summer. You can see why the coaches like him. If he fills out some more and lowers his pad level, he could be a Joseph Addai / Rondell Mealey type of runner. With three running backs in the Class of 2010 and three already committed for the Class of 2011, someone will likely be changing positions. Blue seems to be the most likely to do due to his versatility. I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see him at wide receiver or at linebacker.

Rivals: #60 RB 3 stars
Scout: #27 RB 3 stars
ESPN: #55 RB 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Rondell Mealey

FB
Brandon Worle - LaGrange, GA: As far as fullback prospects go, it's hard to imagine one much better than Worle. He's a beast as a blocker.  As a ball carrier or receiver, he's athletic enough to be another weapon for the offense to utilize. He's a straigh ahead runner and doens't waste time trying to juke defenders. With the ball in his hands, he goes north/south in a hurry. He's 6'1" 235 pounds with great balance and he loves contact.  With LSU needing a fullback to step up, Worle has an opportunity to play as a true freshman. Like all high school fullbacks, he'll have to learn better technique as he simply can't steam roll defenders in the SEC like he did in high school. I know Quinn Johnson was a damn good fullback for LSU, but Worle really reminds me of him.

Rivals: #5 FB 3 stars
Scout: #5 FB 3 stars
ESPN: #2 FB 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Quinn Johnson

WR

James Wright - Belle Chase HS: Wright (pictured) may be one of the more underrated players in the nation. Wright has good size at 6'2" 185 pounds, and he has good speed though not blazing. He has everything you want in a receiver. He is very strong. He runs good routes and gets open. He has good hands and uses his hands to catch passes. He plays the ball well in the air and doesn't seem to have trouble catching balls in traffic. He's also comfortable running routes in the middle of the field. He has good moves and ability to get yards after the catch. Though he doesn't have 4.4 speed, he can get open deep. Lastly, he also prides himself on his blocking ability, and that may enable him to see the field as a freshman for LSU. Though not quite as big as Dwayne Bowe, Wright plays the game like Bowe. Wright has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the state of Louisiana over the past two seasons. I think Wright is a good one and will carry on LSU's tradition of producing big-time big wide receivers.

Rivals: #42 WR 4 stars

Scout: #44 WR #293 overall 4 stars

ESPN: #45 WR 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Dwayne Bowe

Armand Williams - Slidell HS:  Williams has good size at 6'3" 185 pounds and good speed at 4.50. He put up some ridiculous combine numbers over the summer. He recorded a 41" vertical leap, a 11'7" in the broad jump (which is the best I've ever heard of), and is a state champion in the high jump. So there's really no questioning this kid's athleticism. The question then becomes whether Williams can run routes, catch the football, and block. Those are things that can be coached. LSU didn't offer Williams until a week before signing day, and due to his athleticism he's a good guy to take a flier on. Williams looks like a solid pick up and he has the potential to be a difference maker at the SEC level.   He reminds me of Georgia's Mohammed Massaquoi who graduated a couple of years ago. He was very raw as a freshman and progressively improved into an All-SEC receiver and NFL draft pick.

Rivals: #98 WR 3 stars
Scout: #208 WR 2 stars
ESPN: #71 WR 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Mohammed Massaquoi (UGA 2008)

Kadron Boone - Ocala, FL: Boone joined up with LSU on National Signing Day. The stars aligned for LSU with Boone. Boone was a Texas Tech commitment but began to reconsider when head coach Mike Leach was fired. Around the same time, LSU hired receivers coach Billy Gonzales away from Florida. Gonzales was familiar with Boone from his time in the state of Florida. Boone is 6'1" 190 pounds and has very good speed. From a pure speed standpoint, he's probably the fastest of the receivers LSU signed this year. Boone uses that speed to get open deep pretty consistently. His frame is filled out, and he looks physically ready to play college football right now. With the exception of out running defenders, Boone isn't super after the catch. I think he'll be a very capable and consistent producer for LSU during his career. That consistency reminds me of former Tiger Craig Davis.

Rivals: #12 WR #105 overall 4 stars
Scout: #15 WR #103 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #15 WR #95 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Craig Davis

Jarrett Fobbs - Huntington HS: Fobbs is a tremendous all around athlete who LSU stole from Texas A&M the night before signing day. Fobbs doesn't have great size at 5'11" 180 pounds, but he has speed and can be used in a number of different ways on offense. He's very good after the catch. He was equally good in high school both as a receiver and a running back. Despite his lack of size, Fobbs is pretty polished as a receiver. He runs good routes and plays the ball well in the air. I think Fobbs could be a very good player on offense for LSU. My personal opinion is that Fobbs has the skill set to really be special as a corner back; however, Fobbs is adamant about playing offense in college.
Rivals: #28 ATH 4 stars
Scout: #50 WR 3 stars
ESPN: #85 ATH 3 stars
Reminds Me Of:

TE
Travis Dickson - Ocean Springs, MS: It's easy to compare Dickson to his older brother, but the two are awfully similar. Travis has a similar build at 6'3" 235 pounds. Some schools recruited Dickson as a defensive end, but he looks much more natural playing tight-end to me. He's very physical as a blocker and that will only improve as he adds weight in college. He also looks very natural running routes and catching the football. He looks more like a big wide receiver once he gets into his route. If he can improve on anything, it's blocking in space. He looks fine coming off the line but he struggles trying to get a block on a linebacker or defensive back down the field.

Rivals: #13 TE 4 stars
Scout:  #37 DE 4 stars
ESPN: #4 TE #57 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Richard Dickson

Nick Jacobs - Many HS: Jacobs is an exceptional big athlete. He's 6'5" and some recent reports have him up to 270 pounds.  He played in an offense in high school that didn't throw him the ball very much. As a blocker, many scouts claim that Jacobs is a bit passive which prevents him from being great. So while he's a big athletic guy, we haven't seen him excel as either a receiver or a blocker. Jacobs will need to develop some consistency and intensity in order to get on the field at the next level. He seems to have the natural frame and skills to play defensive end in college, or he could even grow into an offensive tackle. In short, LSU is getting a very unique athlete for a guy 270 pounds that could contribute at a number of positions. As a very athletic big guy without a true position, he reminds me of former Tiger Stephen Peterman, but he'll need some work to develop Peterman's mean streak.

Rivals: #32 TE 3 stars
Scout: #10 TE #277 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #46 TE 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Stephen Peterman

OL
Elliott Porter - Shaw HS: Porter has been a defensive tackle for his entire high school career, but LSU tried him out at offensive guard at camp and offered him there. Prior to that, Porter had offers from Florida State, Nebraska, and Stanford as a defensive tackle. Porter is listed at 6'4" 285 pounds. He's probably quicker than most offensive guard prospects and should be good on the move and in space when getting past the line and to the linebackers. It will likely take Porter a year or two to get bigger and acclimate to the offensive line, but he has the potential to be a multi-year starter for the Tigers.

Rivals: #24 OG 3 stars
Scout: #35 DT 3 stars
ESPN: #32 DT 3 stars

Evan Washington - Desoto, TX: Washington is a very athletic offensive tackle prospect that has only played football for two seasons. He grew up primarily playing basketball which has certainly helped his footwork. He has good size at 6'5" 300 pounds and the frame to grow even more. He's very light on his feet for such a big guy and carries his weight well. Washington played in the Under Armor All-American game and did well against some of the nation's top prospects. His athleticism reminds me a lot of current Tiger Josh Dworacyzk coming out of high school.

Rivals: #25 OT #207 overall 4 stars
Scout: #22 OT #229 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #12 OT #139 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Josh Dworacyzk

Cameron Fordham - Duluth, GA: Fordham is another very interesting prospect. He is very athletic for his size at 6'4" 240 pounds, and he plays tight end in high school. He looks like a very good tight end prospect; however, LSU is recruiting Fordham as a center. I'm excited about having someone with Fordham's athleticism as a center but I'm concerned that he won't be able to put on enough weight to play offensive line in the SEC. He's yet another guy that LSU offered after seeing hin in person at camp over the summer. I have a hunch that he could find a home as LSU's third tight end in blocking situations around the goal line. He could even become an oversized fullback, similar to Thomas Parsons in 2009.

Rivals: #37 TE 3 stars
Scout: #7 C 3 stars
ESPN: #24 TE 3 stars

DE
Houston Bates - St Pauls HS: Bates is the classic "tweener" in that he's really a defensive end, but he currently has the size of a linebacker. At just 6'2" 220 pounds, Bates has a lot of growing to do in order to play defensive end in the SEC. So the logical question is whether he can play linebacker. LSU worked him out as a linebacker at camp and felt comfortable offering him a scholarship. There's even some talk of Bates playing fullback or an H-back type position on offense. Bates is a serious football player though. He's tough and he can really rush the quarterback. He reminds me of Rahim Alem coming out of high school (but much more disciplined and a bit smaller). Alem was able to put on enough weight to be a defensive lineman, but I'm not sure if Bates can do the same. If he doesn't make it as a linebacker, I think he can find a home as a situational rush end for the Tigers or somewhere on offense.

Rivals: unranked 3 stars
Scout: #69 DE 3 stars
ESPN: #65 DE 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Rahim Alem

Jordan Allen - West Monroe HS: Allen is a big strongside defensive end that is highly thought of by all of the recruiting sites. He also had offers from several big time schools such as Alabama and Georgia. Allen is 6'5" 250 pounds with a huge wing span and has the frame to fill out even more. He moves well for a guy that size, though he's not considered a pash rushing defensive end.   He holds the point of attack very well and can get off blocks and make tackles. In that sense, he reminds me of last year's signee Michael Brockers. Some speculate that Allen will continue to fill out his frame and may ultimately play defensive tackle or even offensive tackle. He'll start his career as a defensive end though.

Rivals: #10 Strongside DE #119 overall 4 stars
Scout: #16 DE #116 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #22 DE 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Michael Brockers

Ken Adams - Enterprise, AL: Adams is originally form Alabama but attended Junior College in Mississippi for two years. He has great size for a defensive end at 6'5" 245 pounds and is an all around player. He has enough speed and athleticism to rush the passer but is strong enough to hold up against the run. The good thing about Adams is that he has already signed his letter of intent and is enrolled at LSU for the spring semester. He'll be able to participate in spring practice and get a head start on earning playing time for next year.   Adams reminds me of another defensive end from Alabama in Melvin Oliver.

Rivals: 3 stars
Scout: 3 stars
ESPN: 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Melvin Oliver

Ego Ferguson - Frederick, MD: In the biggest surprise of signing day for LSU fans, Ego Ferguson chose LSU over Miami, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Cal. He had offers from just about every school in the nation. At 6'3" 270 pounds, Ferguson is a big defensive lineman who can either be a strong side defensive end or a defensive tackle. He's very strong and stands his ground at the line of scrimmage. He's also explosive enough to get around an offensive tackle and get to the quarterback. I mentioned in my 2009 Season In Review that LSU was struggling due to a lack of quality linemen. You can't have enough guys like Ego Ferguson on your team. As a guy who is athletic enough to play either defensive end or tackle, he reminds me of Ricky Jean-Francois.

Rivals: #6 DE #31 overall 4 stars
Scout: #7 DT #78 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #14 DT #136 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Ricky Jean-Francois

DT
J.C. Copeland - LaGrange, GA: Copeland was an absolute steal on signing day for LSU. A Tennessee commitment for quite some time, Copeland said he was signing with the Vols as late as Tuesday night. But come Wednesday morning, Copeland decided to sign with LSU. Despite what the recruiting services say about him, I think Copeland is an elite defensive tackle prospect. Copeland is 6'1" 265 pounds and still growing. He's very, very quick off the ball and looks athletic enough on film to be confused with a linebacker. Many project him as a defensive end, but I think he'll play inside at tackle. He routinely gets into the opponents' backfield and makes plays. LSU needed help at defensive tackle in this class, and Copeland fills a big need.   His explosiveness reminds me of former Tiger Claude Wroten.  His film speaks for itself.

Rivals: #17 weakside DE 4 stars
Scout: #43 DE 3 stars
ESPN: #30 DE 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Claude Wroten

LB
DJ Welter - Notre Dame HS: Welter is a very solid football player. He has good size at 6'1" 220 pounds but is not overpowering. He has good speed, but not great. He makes some plays but mostly doesn't make mistakes. He has good football instincts and is tough, but he has trouble shedding blocks at times. He's a solid football player and he's a guy you want on your football team, but it's tough to see him developing into an All-SEC Football player. He was very productive his senior season with 143 tackles, four sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Rivals: #49 OLB 3 stars
Scout: #87 OLB 3 stars
ESPN: #48 OLB 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Jacob Cutrera

Justin Maclin - Memphis, TN: Maclin (pictured) is a big outslide linebacker prospect at 6'4" 220 pounds. Maclin is built like a stack of bricks and he runs very well for his size. At a camp over the summer, several observers noted that Maclin was stiff and not very fluid. He reportedly struggled a bit in coverage but was very strong around the line of scrimmage. Since then, many have speculated that Maclin may ultimately end up as a defensive end. He has the 6'4" frame that he can fill into, so it's certainly a possibility. Maclin consistently states that LSU wants him at a linebacker, and I think that's where he'll start his career. LSU's current middle linebacker, Kelvin Shephard, isn't the most fluid runner but he is an outstanding player. I can see Maclin being a similar player.

Rivals: #20 DE 4 stars
Scout: #19 OLB #219 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #15 DE #146 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Kelvin Shephard

Luke Muncie - Klein, TX: Muncie is a high school safety that is going to play outside linebacker at LSU, and he's got a ton of potential. He's 6'3" 215 pounds and has great speed. He's also very good in coverage and could be a perfect fit for the undersized outside linebacker position that Harry Coleman played in 2009. There's much to like about Muncie. He's very comfortable playing in space and he's a solid open field tackler. He's also a big hitter as you'll see in the video posted below. He still has to adapt to playing close to the line of scrimmage and getting off blocks from offensive linemen. He's not rated too high by the recruiting services, and I'm really not sure why.  He looks like a steal from the state of Texas to me.

Rivals: #42 OLB 3 stars
Scout: #35 OLB 3 stars
ESPN: #26 S 3 stars
Reminds Me Of: Rennie Curran (Georgia 2009)

CB
Ronnie Vinson - Newman HS: Vinson is a fantastic all around player that could succeed at a number of positions in college. Vinson is great with the ball in his hands but he projects as a defensive back for LSU. LSU wants him as a cornerback, and Vinson is built like one at 5'11" 185 pounds. Vinson can change directions and accelerate quickly. He is a difference maker, and I think he's a future multi-year starter for LSU. He's also a great candidate to return punts. His versatility reminds me of current Tiger Ron Brooks, but I think he'll make a bigger impact than Brooks has made so far.

Rivals: #13 ATH #165 overall 4 stars
Scout: #26 S #275 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #20 ATH 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Ron Brooks
Video: Lots of videos here

Tyrann Mathieu - St. Augustine HS: Mathieu was a relative unknown amongst recruiting circles until he made the rounds at camps over the summer. He really performed well and made a name for himself. Soon after, he shot up the rankings by the recruiting services and he earned an offer from LSU which he immediately accepted. Mathieu doesn't have great size at just 5'10" 175 pounds, but his value comes from his ability to cover. He played some offense in high school and excelled.  I really believe that if Mathieu were a couple of inches taller, he'd be a Top 100 type of recruit. He is a guy that committed to LSU immediately after being offered, and I think guys like that will work hard and eventually make a positive impact on the program. Mathieu still has some work to do academically before being eligible to enroll in the fall.

Rivals: #13 CB #191 overall 4 stars
Scout: #30 CB 3 stars
ESPN: #36 CB 3 stars

S
Eric Reid - Dutchtown HS: Reid is one of the best players in this signing class, and it seems like a certainty that he'll be a contributor for LSU. He is a big safety at 6'2" 210 pounds and is a big hitter. He also covers better than what you would think for a guy his size. Reid participated in the U.S. Army All American game and earned very positive reviews for the job he did at practice. John Chavis likes at least one small fast linebacker than can cover, and there's some discussion that Reid may grow into that role at LSU. Reid could earn some playing time very early in his career, regardless of what position he settles into.

Rivals: #6 S #90 overall 4 stars
Scout: #4 S   #54 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #7 S #71 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Craig Steltz

Sam Gibson - Prattville, AL: Gibson is an intriguing prospect because he projects at a position that he hasn't played much in high school. He is a high school quarterback and a darn good one. In fact, Kentucky offered Gibson as a quarterback. He also excelled as a receiver at times in high school. But as a 6'1" 200 pound athlete, Gibson will likely be a safety at LSU. Gibson was offered after a strong performance at LSU's camp over the summer. Without question, Gibson has the athleticism to be a big time player and I like the idea of having a former quarterback back there at safety. Both Alabama and Auburn passed on Gibson who had offers from Stanford, Kentucky, and Virginia in addition to LSU.

Rivals: #43 ATH 3 stars
Scout: #40 S 3 stars
ESPN:    #98 ATH 3 stars

ATH
Tharold Simon - Eunice HS: Simon is one of the most interesting players in this class. He has good size at 6'4" 180 pounds. He plays both safety and receiver in high school and really excels at both. It's up for debate as to where he'll play at LSU, but the word is that LSU likes him as a defensive back. Personally, I like him better as a receiver. Simon doesn't have blazing speed, but he's fast enough to play in the SEC. He shows good hands on his film and looks like a natural as a pass catcher. As a safety, Simon loves contact. He lays some big hits and looks best when running towards the line of scrimmage to either put a big lick on a receiver or take down a running back. At 6'4", Simon is a little stiff in and out of his breaks but he has better range than you would think. He reminds me of Miami receiver Laron Byrd who came out of Hahnville a couple of years ago. Simon also needs some work academically in order to qualify.

Rivals: #19 ATH #192 overall 4 stars
Scout: #13 S #129 overall 4 stars
ESPN: #9 S #91 overall 4 stars
Reminds Me Of: Laron Byrd (Miami)

LSU Receives Commitment; Weekend Recap

2010-01-31T20:50:00.000-06:00

LSU had a surprise visitor over the weekend in Slidell high school receiver and Arkansas commitment Armand Williams. Williams received an offer from LSU on the visit and he committed immediately. The opportunity to play for the hometown team was impossible to pass up. Williams has a whole lot of potential. He has good size at 6'3" 185 pounds and good speed at 4.50.   He put up some ridiculous combine numbers over the summer. He also recorded a 41" vertical leap, a 11'7" in the broad jump (which is the best I've ever heard of), and is a state champion in the high jump. So there's really no questioning this kid's athleticism.   The question then becomes whether Williams can run routes, catch the football, and block. Those are things that can be coached easier than speed and athleticism.

Florida receiver Kadron Boone had a great visit to LSU and rated it a perfect 10. He did not commit to LSU on the visit, but I believe LSU is squarely in the driver's seat to land him. He will announce on signing day, and it looks like his final decision will be between LSU, Louisville, and Texas Tech. I predict that LSU will sign Boone.

Georgia defensive J.C. Copeland also had a great visit to LSU but did not commit. His final decision will be between Tennessee and LSU, and it looks like a coin flip as to who he'll choose.   Copeland looks like a real difference maker, and I'll have my fingers crossed on signing day that LSU was able to steal him away.

Evangel high school defensive tackle Brandon Jackson also visited LSU, and he also did not commit. Still considered a Texas A&M commitment, Jackson remains a very real possibility for LSU. It's still unclear whether the staff would take both Copeland and Jackson.

Shreveport receiver Jarrett Fobbs appears to be a done deal to Texas A&M. It's a little disappointing that LSU wasn't able to turn Fobbs away from A&M to LSU.   It will be interesting to follow Fobbs' career to see how he pans out.

Final Recruiting Weekend

2010-01-29T15:22:00.000-06:00

In the crazy world of recruiting, things change in an instant. This is often magnified during the final week before National Signing Day. LSU is still sitting with 24 verbal commitments, and they're looking to add a few more before Wednesday.

Florida wide receiver Kadron Boone (pictured) is visiting LSU this weekend. In my opinion, Boone is the most likely of LSU's remaining targets to ultimately sign with LSU. A former Texas Tech commitment, Boone started exploring his options once head coach Mike Leach was fired. A native of Florida, Boone is very familiar with LSU receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who coached at Florida since 2005. That relationship will help LSU quite a bit. Combined with LSU's need for receivers in this class, I'd be surprised if Boone didn't end up a Tiger after this weekend.

Things were looking good with Shreveport receiver Jarrett Fobbs after he took a visit to LSU last weekend. LSU looked to be in great shape despite Fobbs being a Texas A&M commitment for several months. But yesterday, news leaked that Fobbs was taking an official visit to Texas A&M this weekend. That's obviously not a real good sign for LSU, and it's clear that Fobbs is struggling to come to a decison. LSU coach Les Miles visited Fobbs Thursday night, but it still appears that Fobbs is visiting College Station. Fobbs' father is supposedly a big LSU fan while his mother supposedly favors Texas A&M. This one will likely come down to the wire.

LSU wanted to bring in Evangal wide receiver Eric Thomas for a visit this weekend. After originally scheduling the visit, Thomas now appears headed to Southern for a visit. Thomas has good size at 6'2" 200 pounds, and he was ridiculously productive for Evangel this season. He had 11 catches for 104 yards in the state championship game against John Curtis. Thomas doesn't have any major offers and is clearly a fall back option for LSU. Does the fact that he is no longer visiting mean that LSU feels good about where they stand with Fobbs?

The biggest surprise this week was the news that Georgia defensive lineman J.C. Copeland will be visiting LSU. Copeland has been a commitment to Tennessee for some time but started to look around after Lane Kiffin left to go to USC. He is a teammate of LSU commitment Brandon Worle and is excited about the possibility of playing with Worle in college. Copeland was going to visit South Carolina this weekend, but LSU convinced him to come to Baton Rouge instead. It looks like LSU has a real shot here. Copeland looks like a hell of a prospect too. Here is some video of him in action:

Evangel High School defensive tackle Brandon Jackson is also visiting LSU this weekend. Jackson has been a Texas A&M commitment since April, but is strongly considering LSU. LSU just recently started showing interest in Jackson after Cassius Marsh de-committed to attend UCLA. While Jackson is a fall back option, he's no slouch. He had offers from Arkansas and Tennessee and was receiving strong interest from Alabama, taking a visit there a couple of weeks ago. In my view, Copeland is the superior prospect and it's unclear whether LSU would take both guys.

South Carolina linebacker Justin Parker remains a possibility. He maintains that LSU and Clemson are his leaders, but all signs seem to be pointing towards Clemson right now.

Virginia defensive lineman Ego Ferguson is also a possibility. LSU is still in contention. He is visiting Miami this weekend, where his mother lives. He had a very strong visit to Florida State last weekend. Because of those two things, most are beginning to believe that Ferguson will be playing somewhere in the state of Florida. LSU has more than a puncher's chance here though.

There's nothing going on with Thibodaux receiver Trovon Reed. He seems solid to Auburn.

Seastrunk to announce Wednesday

2010-01-26T21:23:00.000-06:00

Texas RB Lache Seastrunk is set to announce his college decision on Wednesday at 4:30 PM. After a fairly wacky recruitment, Seastrunk is set to decide between LSU, Auburn, Oregon, USC, Baylor, and Memphis. Oregon is considered the favorite heading into the announcement. I'll update the site after his choice to let everyone know who he chose.

UPDATE: Lache Seastrunk has chosen to attend Oregon.

Recruiting Weekend Recap

2010-01-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

LSU hosted a number of prospects on their official visits this weekend, and it appears the results are very good. First and foremost, LSU received a commitment from Belle Chase wide receiver James Wright. I've talked about Wright a lot on this blog, and I'm very high on him. At 6'2" 180 pounds, he fits the mold of the big wide receivers who have had so much success at LSU this decade. He also looks physically ready to play as a freshman if needed. He has also been one of the most productive wide receivers in the state of Louisiana over the last two seasons.

Junior season: 58 receptions 1,058 yards 18 TDs 22 carries 214 yards 4 TDs
Senior season: 56 receptions 1,175 yards 15 TDs 18 carries 191 yards 4 TDs

Wright is a good candidate to end up being the sleeper of this class in a few years. Both Scout and Rivals rate Wright as four stars.

Shreveport receiver Jarrett Fobbs also visited this weekend and reportedly had a great visit. While still listed as a commitment to Texas A&M, Fobbs claims he is wide oepn and he sure seems to be leaning LSU's way. I suspect that Fobbs will sign with LSU on signing day.

Thibodaux wide receiver Trovon Reed took his visit this weekend, but it doesn't appear he's wavering on his commitment to Auburn.

California safety Dietrich Riley was in Baton Rouge this weekend, and he's saying all the right things. He is saying that LSU has now pulled even with USC and UCLA and that he now has a lot to think about. However, the smart money is that Riley decides on a school out west.

South Carolina linebacker Justin Parker also made the trip. He didn't show up in Baton Rouge until Saturday night because he had the take the ACT test in the morning. Parker would be a huge addition to this class, but LSU is fighting distance since Parker is also considering Clemson and South Carolina.

Florida receiver Kadron Boone and Georgia receiver Markeith Ambles are scheduled to visit LSU next weekend. If LSU lands Fobbs like I expect, then either Boone or Ambles could complete the Tigers' wide recievers class. If both Boone and Ambles want to come aboard, I think LSU would find room for both. LSU is in much better shape with Boone right now than Ambles.

Dfensive tackle Cassius Marsh seems to be leaning to UCLA even though he hasn't formally "de-committed from LSU." At this point, I'd be downright shocked if Marsh ended up signing with LSU.

Evangel high school defensive tackle Brandon Jackson will also be visiting LSU next weekend. Jackson is currently on Texas A&M's commitment list, but he now has offers from both LSU and Arkansas and is considering both. He also received heavy interest from Alabama, and he took an official visit there on January 15. I like LSU's chances with Jackson.

If LSU can't land Justin Parker but they really want another linebacker in this class, then Brother Martin's Pat Swilling Jr. is a possibility.

Wright's commitment brings LSU's total to 24. So with a maximum of four more spots remaining, LSU's board is pretty clear at this point. Here are the players that LSU has a chance of signing:

RB Lache Seastrunk TX
WR Jarrett Fobbs LA
WR Kadron Boone FL
WR Markeith Ambles GA
WR Trovon Reed LA
DT Brandon Jackson LA
DE Ego Ferguson VA
LB Justin Parker SC
DB Dietrich Riley CA

LSU and the 2010 NFL Draft; Recruiting and Football Update

2010-01-20T21:19:00.000-06:00

NFL DRAFT
The Senior Bowl is the premier event for college seniors to showcase their skills for NFL Scouts. A number of LSU seniors have been invited to this prestigious game on January 30th. The list of Tigers going to the Senior Bowl is as follows:

OT Ciron Black
LB Harry Coleman (may play DB)
WR Brandon Lafell
RB Charles Scott

A total of 25 players from the SEC will be participating in the Senior Bowl.

The East-West Shrine game is a similar game for NFL Draft hopefuls. The game is this Saturday, January 23.LSU has a couple of players in the East-West Shrine game as well. They are:

TE Richard Dickson
DE Rahim Alem

The NFL Combine is where the best of the best of draft candidates go to run through drills, lift weights, interview with teams, etc.   LSU has a number of guys invited to the NFL Combine:

DE Rahim Alem
DT Charles Alexander
OT Ciron Black
LB Harry Coleman
CB Chris Hawkins
RS Trindon Holliday
WR Brandon Lafell
LB Perry Riley
RB Charles Scott
RB Keiland Williams
DT Al Woods

LSU has more players invited to the NFL Combine than any other team in the SEC.

RECRUITING

With Justin Hunter's de-commitment on Tuesday, LSU is suddenly left with zero receiver commitments for the Class of 2010.   In my opinion, LSU needs at least three receivers in this class, and while Hunter is a very special prospect, there are still some very quality receivers out there. Hunter is now committed to Tennessee.

The status of defensive tackle Cassius Marsh is still up in the air, but LSU still has a chance of landing him. The odds are that the hometown team (UCLA) will win out, but LSU isn't going down without a fight on this one.

Les Miles and assistant Frank Wilson took a visit to Thibodaux to visit receiver Trovon Reed. Reed is an Auburn commitment, and he seems very solid to Auburn. LSU is trying to give Reed something to think about, and Reed is taking an official visit to Baton Rouge this weekend. I still think it's a long shot for LSU to flip Reed, but the door isn't completely shut.

Both Shreveport athlete Jarrett Fobbs and Belle Chase receiver James Wright are taking their official visit to LSU this weekend.   I believe that LSU is in very good shape with both guys and we could see one or both commit to LSU over the weekend or shortly after.

Florida receiver Kadron Boone is visiting LSU on January 29. LSU has a good chance at Boone, and I think LSU will be trying hard to get a good feel for Wright, Fobbs, and Reed prior to Boone's visit.

Dallas area quarterback Javia Hall is also visiting LSU on January 29. Hall is a new name among LSU recruiting circles. He is 6'2" 190 pounds and is currently committed to North Texas.   Hall is very athletic and it's unclear as to whether LSU is interested in him as a quarterback or as an athlete. He could be a fall back option in the case that things don't go as desired with James Wright and Jarrett Fobbs.

Additionally, many of LSU's commitments are visiting this weekend and they'll be doing their part to sway the three receivers that LSU is chasing.

FOOTBALL

TigerSportsDigest.com reported late Wednesday night that defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is no longer part of the LSU Football program.

Recruiting Notes -- LSU loses two

2010-01-19T21:15:00.000-06:00

LSU did not have a real good day on the recruiting front on Tuesday.

Virginia wide receiver Justin Hunter has "de-committed" from LSU and is now considering several schools including Tennessee and Virginia. In my opinion, Hunter was LSU's best prospect on the commitment list and losing him is a big, big loss. After signing just one wide receiver last year, LSU now has zero receiver commitments for the Class of 2010. That's not good. Reportedly, some LSU coaches were heading to Virginia tonight to try and salvage the situation but it doesn't sound good.

Also, California defensive tackle Cassius Marsh is having second thoughts about his commitment to LSU. He's apparently thinking things over and strongly considering LSU. The distance from home seems to be the biggest factor. Marsh recently enjoyed a great week at the US Army All-American game and has seen his rankings with the recruiting services sky rocket as a result. In a year when LSU needs defensive tackles, LSU would be left with just one if Marsh leaves.

More to come...

LSU Football 2009 Season In Review

2010-01-19T21:02:00.000-06:00

What in the heck happened this year? I've given it my best shot to objectively look at the 2009 LSU Football season in efforts to figure out exactly why the team, and especially the offense, looked so bad in most games. Many are filling up the message boards and call-in shows with angry demands that Les Miles and Gary Crowton hit the road. While the passion is good to see, it doesn't answer the questions that need to be answered.

Is it the coaching or is it the talent? LSU has consistently hauled in recruiting classes ranked in the Top 12 nationally, so it can't be the talent, can it? While coaching shoulders much of the blame (more on that later), I firmly believe LSU is indeed lacking talent in certain areas.

With stars like Brandon Lafell, Charles Scott, Richard Dickson, Terrance Toliver, Trindon Holliday and Keiland Williams and more potential stars such as Russell Shepard and Reuben Randle, how in the heck can an offense like that can be ranked 112th in the nation? It's a valid question and one that I asked many times throughout this season...usually at a high volume. However, all of the players I listed above have one thing in common. None of them are linemen.

A team can have all the talented play makers in the world, but they need a good line to make holes for the runners and to give the quarterback time to throw. Well, LSU has talented linemen, right? Since the guys from the 2005 class thru 2007 class should have made up the upperclassmen during the 2009 season, let's take a look at the guys they signed on the offensive line in those years:

2005
Ciron Black - All-American plagued by knee problems causing him to underachieve in 2009
Lyle Hitt - Converted defensive tackle. Below average SEC lineman.

2006
Matt Allen - left team, currently a starter at Texas A&M
Phil Loadholt - never enrolled at LSU, was All-American at Oklahoma
Steven Singleton - left team
Mark Snyder - career over due to injuries
Zhamal Thomas - kicked off team due to disciplinary issues

2007
Jarvis Jones - kicked off team due to disciplinary issues
Ernest McCoy - left LSU's team
T-Bob Hebert - LSU's starting center
Josh Dworaczyk - LSU's starting left guard
Will Blackwell - signed as DT, now backup guard
Joseph Barksdale - signed as DT, now starting right tackle

Look at all the attrition among the offensive linemen during those years. A significant amount of players left the program for various reasons, and LSU plugged in many of the gaps with defensive linemen. Only three players originally signed as offensive linemen from those classes remain on the team (Black, Hebert, Dworacyzk) and all three started in 2009. It's easy to conclude that the abnormally high amount of attrition has taken its toll on LSU's offensive line, adversely affecting the performance on the field.

Consequently, the attrition on the offensive line has affected the defensive line since LSU has moved so many players from defense to offense. LSU is known for having very talented defensive lines recently. Guys like Marcus Spears, Chad Lavalais, and Glenn Dorsey personify LSU Football this decade. But is LSU's defensive line currently at that high level? Let's do the same drill for defensive linemen.

2005
Ricky Jean Francois - left early for NFL
Lyle Hitt - moved to OL
Rahim Alem - signed as LB, starting DE in 2009

2006
Al Woods - started in 2009
Lezarious Levingston - started in 2009
Charles Deas - never qualified academically

2007
Kentravis Aubrey - left LSU's program due to injury
Will Blackwell - moved to OL
Joseph Barksdale - moved to OL
Sidell Corley - left LSU's program
Drake Nevis - part-time starter in 2009

Once again, we see only a small number of players remaining from these classes, and LSU is left with very few upperclassmen.

To conclude that exercise, it's certainly reasonable to deduce that LSU's talent along both lines in 2009 was simply not what we've become accustomed to this decade. It's just not there. And with so many football experts claiming that "everything starts up front" or "the game is won in the trenches", it's no wonder that LSU struggled this season. So when your radio or computer lights up with angry fans claiming LSU is wasting "all this talent" or that LSU is one of the "most talented teams in the nation," you should know that for now, that talent is for the most part limited to the skill positions.

While that helps explain why LSU struggled in 2009, it's only part of the problem. The coaching staff let down the players and the fans this season. If one statistic could tell the story of LSU's season, it would be this: LSU averaged 59 offensive plays this season while their opponents averaged 70. In fact, LSU ran fewer offensive plays per game than any other team in college football. When you look at some of LSU's worst performances of the year, this gets amplified even more.   Here is the count of offensive plays in some games this year:

Washington - 83
LSU - 48

Mississippi State - 86
LSU - 59

Florida - 64
LSU - 47

Alabama - 72
LSU - 56

LA Tech - 84
LSU - 52

Arkansas - 74
LSU - 63

Needless to say, it's really tough to win games when the other team runs 10, 20 or in the case of Washington and LA Tech, 30 more plays than you. LSU had a deadly combination of an offense that could not string drives together and a defense that played a "bend but don't break" style which allowed opponents to keep the ball for long periods of time.

Talking about defense first, I do believe that John Chavis did a good job this season. The primary goal of any defense is obviously to prevent the opponent from scoring. LSU ranked third in the SEC in scoring defense and allowed just 19 touchdowns all season. Compared to 32 touchdowns in 2008, that's quite an improvement. The style of the defense was to play very safe and prevent big plays. While effective in the long run, the soft defense allowed opponents to hold onto the ball and move the chains. It also allowed the opponent to convert a maddening number of 3rd downs. When an opponent is in a 3rd and long situation, most defenses see an opportunity to attack the quarterback and try to make a play to force a punt. Chavis; however, stays true to his philosophy of playing soft and preventing big plays. While LSU's defense was ranked 27th in the nation, allowing the opposition to keep the ball for so long limited the opportunities for an already struggling offense.
If I'm being honest, I can only say that the offensive coaching staff did a very poor job in 2009.   First and most importantly, Gary Crowton poorly designed this offense and he failed to take advantage of his team's strengths.  Starting up front, left guard Josh Dworacyzk weighs 280 pounds. T-Bob Hebert is one of the lightest centers in the league and Lyle Hitt is a very light offensive guard at 290 pounds. Thus, the interior of LSU's offensive line was very light by SEC standards. Dworacyzk replaced Herman Johnson from 2008 who weighed 370 pounds. That's a 90 pound difference. So while the make-up of the interior line changed significantly from 2008, LSU seemed to keep the same play book by consistently forcing the running game up the middle. LSU's line failed to make holes and the offense was faced with a ton of 2nd and 10s and 3rd and 7s this year as a result. With a young quarterback, that's a recipe for a lot of short drives that end in punts. LSU needed to focus their offense on the perimeter to take advantage of their speed. Despite being light, LSU's linemen are athletic and perhaps they would have been more productive by pulling and getting out in front of some running plays to the outside.

What's worse is that week to week, the play calling did not improve, and there's no real explanation for some of the things that took place. LSU continued to try to run an option play that looked ugly at its best. Crowton also failed to involve Russell Shepard, who may have been the best big play threat on the team. They failed to make personnel changes when some were badly needed.   The substitutions in between plays were disorganized. Worst of all, the communication of play calls to the quarterback was miserable which resulted in wasted time outs and delay of game penalties. In short, the offense was a complete and total mess and it didn't improve at all between Week 1 and Week 14.

How did we get here with the offense? In Gary Crowton's first season, LSU set school records on offense en route to a national championship. In two short years, the offense has regressed into a national disgrace. Sure, the talent on the offensive line is not what we're used to but it's also not THAT bad. And the talent along the line has nothing to do with the poor play calling, lack of creativity, and complete disorganization. Unfortunately, this is nothing new for Gary Crowton. Let's take a quick look back at his career:

Gary Crowton was BYU's head coach from 2001 through 2004:
- In Crowton's first season, BYU led the nation in total offense and averaged 46.77 points per game.
- In Year #2, BYU ranked #50 in total offense and averaged 22.67 points per game
- In Year #3, they fell down to #102 nationally with just 16.33 points per game.
- In Year #4, they improved a bit but still struggled averaging 24.27 points per game

Crowton was fired and then became Oregon's offensive coordinator for two seasons:
- In 2005, Oregon ranked 18th nationally and averaged 37.64 points per game
- In 2006, Oregon fell to averaging 29.46 points per game

As you know, Crowton has been LSU's offensive coordinator since 2007
- In 2007, LSU ranked 26th nationally in total offense and averaged 38.64 points per game
- In 2008, LSU's offense regressed to 55th nationally averaging 30.02 points per game
- In 2009, LSU dropped all the way to 112th nationally and averaged just 24.85 points per game

So what does this tells us? It shows a disturbing trend in Crowton's career. He has shown an ability to take over a new job and have great success. But he has not been able to sustain that success. The reasons for this are not clear. Do defensive coordinators around the conference figure out a way to stop his offense after seeing it once?   Maybe. I really don't know. But I do know the pattern is not good.

I've talked a lot about Gary Crowton, but the fact is that the head coach is ultimately responsible for the product on the field. Les Miles makes $3.7 million per year, and his job is the one on the line. If he chooses to retain Gary Crowton for 2010, which is apparently the case, then it may ultimately cost him his job.

Miles also threw a dump truck of jet fuel onto the fire of criticism regarding him being a poor clock manager. The final minutes of the Ole Miss and Penn State game proved, without a doubt, that the criticism was valid. Clock management is a weakness of Les Miles, and it's something that fans will have to get used to as long as he's coaching at LSU.

Things were not all bad this year despite the negativity amongst LSU supporters. We saw a ton of improvement among the linebackers in 2009, most notably Kelvin Shephard who is returning in 2010. We saw the emergence of an All-American cornerback in Patrick Peterson. He needs to play a bit more disciplined at times, but he'll be a difference maker next season. We saw Terrance Toliver step up into a top notch SEC wide receiver, and he'll carry on the tradition of big-time receivers at LSU next year.

To sum up, LSU had less than stellar talent along both lines, an offensive coordinator who is falling right in line with the pattern he's established throughout his career, a head coach who failed to function in critical situations, and a defense that let opposing offenses hold onto the ball for maddening amounts of time. The results were that LSU played some pretty ugly and frustrating football but managed to finish third in the SEC.

My post season awards:

Offensive Player Of The Year - WR Brandon Lafell
Defensive Player Of The Year - LB Harry Coleman
Most Improved Player - LB Kelvin Shephard
Best Moment - Charles Scott game winning TD run against UGA
Worst Moment - Last 1:19 of Ole Miss game
Best Individual Play - Chad Jones 93 yard punt return against Mississippi State
Best Individual Play By Opponent - Julio Jones 73 yard TD reception for winning score in 4th qtr

Kiffin Leaves Tennessee for USC; Impact on LSU Recruiting Class?

2010-01-13T10:46:00.000-06:00

It was reported by several news outlets on Tuesday evening that Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin is leaving to become the head coach at USC.   Kiffin will immediately go to work trying to reassure USC commitments who have been a little uneasy over the last few days after it was reported that Pete Carroll was heading to the NFL.

More importantly to SEC fans, this leaves Tennessee without a head coach just a few weeks before national signing day.   The next week will be interesting as they scramble to find a new leader for their program.  The only guy that comes to mind with ties to the Tennessee program is David Cutcliffe, a former Vols' offensive coordinator who is now the head coach at Duke. A few other candidates have started to emerge as a replacement. One report on Wednesday had Mike Leaach and Air Force's Troy Calhoun as the leading candidates. Many other reports claim that Tennessee offered the job toTexas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp but conflicting reports from Austin state that he turned down the job.   Boise State's Chris Peterson has also come up as a possibility.
This shakeup for the Vols will certainly impact their recruiting class, which was shaping up to be a good one. Other SEC coaches are not going to cut the Vols any slack, and it will be open season on all of the Vols' verbal commitments.

RECRUITING

LSU could stand to benefit from the coaching change on Rocky Top. Remember that one of Tennessee's top recruiters for most of this recruiting season is now on LSU's staff....talking about Frank Wilson. A lot of the Vols' commitments have a relationship built with Coach Wilson and will listen to him.

So who are the possibilities? Here are some names of Tennessee commitments to keep an eye on:

DE Jacques Smith - Smith is a defensive end prospect from Tennessee and is the state's top prospect. He's 6'3" 225 pounds and highly thought of by most recruiting services. Rivals rates him as the #67 player in the nation while Scout.com rates him as a 5-star recruit. One report Tuesday night said that Smith would de-commit from the Vols and commit to LSU. This came as news to everyone because he wasn't ever on LSU's radar as far as recruiting goes. We'll see if anything develops but there seems to be some smoke here.

K Michael Palardy - Palardy is one of the nation's top kicker prospects. He narrowed his choices down to LSU and Tennessee before picking the Vols. Could the coaching change steer him to LSU?   LSU wanted to sign a kicker in this class but still doesn't have one committed.

WR Markeith Anbles - Ambles is a reciever prospect from Georgia who impressed many at last week's US Army All-American Game. He's rumored to have some discipline issues. But he's also rumored to have expressed some interest in LSU recently. We'll see if the coaching shake up has him looking our way.

DE Delvin Jones - Jones is a highly rated DE prospect from Miami that was considering LSU before he committed to Tennessee.

Getting away from the Tennessee stuff, here is some other recruiting news:

Florida wide receiver Kadron Boone is visiting LSU this weekend. Boone is currently a Texas Tech commitment but is looking around after their coaching change. Being from Florida, Boone is very familiar with LSU wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales. Boone is 6'1" 190 pounds and has pretty impressive highlight films. He is rated 4 stars by both Rivals and Scout. It sounds like LSU has a very legitimate chance here.

Belle Chase wide receiver James Wright was down to LSU, Texas Tech, and Alabama. Texas Tech changed coaches and Alabama doesn't appear to have room for Wright. So LSU is in a good place. However, TCU is making a late push and is one to watch.

South Carolina linebacker Justin Parker was scheduled to visit LSU this weekend. However, his visit is now up in the air and he may not visit LSU at all. In my opinion, LSU needs another linebacker in this class and Parker represents the last decent chance at signing one. We'll see what happens, but LSU's chances with Parker may be slipping away.

California safety Dietrich Riley is talking about taking a visit to LSU on January 23.

We haven't done this in a while so here is a breakout of LSU's Class of 2010 with current commitments and remaining targets. Commitments are in bold.

QB
Zach Lee TX

RB
Spencer Ware OH
Jahkari Gore FL
Alfred Blue LA
Lache Seastrunk TX

WR
Justin Hunter VA
James Wright LA
Jarrett Fobbs LA
Trovon Reed LA
Kadron Boone FL

TE
Travis Dickson MS
Nick Jacobs LA

OL
Elliott Porter LA
Evan Washington TX
Cameron Fordham GA
Damien Robinson MS

DT
Dexter Blackmon AL
Cassius Marsh CA

DE
Jordan Allen LA
Justin Maclin TN
Houston Bates LA
J.R. Ferguson VA
Geneo Grissom KS
Jacques Smith TN
Delvin Jones TN

LB
DJ Welter LA
Luke Muncie TX
Justin Parker SC

CB
Tyrann Mathieu LA
Ronnie Vinson LA

S
Sam Gibson AL
Eric Reid LA
Dietrich Riley CA

ATH
Tharold Simon LA (DB or WR)

P
Brad Wing LA

K
Michael Palardy FL

CLASS OF 2011

Terrance Magee of Franklinton high school committed to LSU on Wednesday. Magee makes LSU's third running back for the Class of 2011 joining fellow Louisiana players Kenny Hilliard and Jeremy Hill. Magee makes LSU's seventh commitment for this class.