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. 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.
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