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Building fences around Louisiana
Bryan Lazare | TigerBait.com Senior Writer
It has always been a recruiting goal for LSU coach Les Miles to keep the best football players in Louisiana.
Rashard Lawrence of Neville in Monroe is a big keeper for Les Miles
Signing Day 2016 takes place Wednesday. The Tigers currently have commitments from four of the top ten players in Louisiana. Two top-ten players are committed to schools other than LSU. Four of the top-ten players are uncommitted.
The Tigers four commitments are defensive linemen Glen Logan of Destrehan (No. 2) and Rashard Lawrence of Monroe Neville (No. 5), linebacker Michael Divinity of Marrero Ehret (No. 6) and offensive lineman Edwin Alexander of Hammond St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 9). Divinity has already enrolled at LSU.
The two players who have committed to schools other than LSU are defensive lineman Briston Guidry of Metairie Rummel to Arkansas (No. 8) and wide receiver Clyde Leflore-Chriss of New Orleans Easton to Texas A&M (No. 10).
The four uncommitted players are defensive back Kristian Fulton of Rummel (No. 1), defensive lineman D’Andre Christmas-Giles of New Orleans St. Augustine (No. 3), wide receiver Mykel Jones of Patterson (No. 4) and athlete Shyheim Carter of Kentwood (No. 7). The Tigers want Fulton to wrap up the class.
So, it’s possible that the Tigers may only sign five of the top ten players in Louisiana for 2016. Beginning with 2012, LSU has been getting slightly more than 50 percent of the top ten players in the state. In the last four recruiting classes, the Tigers have signed 23 of the 40 top-ten players (58 percent).
Only one of these 23 Tigers signees has earned All-Southeastern Conference honors – running back Leonard Fournette from New Orleans St. Augustine. LSU lost four notable top-ten players during this time – three to Alabama.
Those four top-ten players are offensive lineman Cameron Robinson of West Monroe (Alabama), linebacker Kenny Young of River Ridge Curtis (UCLA), defensive back Landon Collins of Dutchtown (Alabama) and linebacker Denzel Devall of Bastrop (Alabama).
Since Miles became coach, the Tigers have signed about two-thirds of Louisiana’s top-ten players (74-of-110/67 percent). Of those 74 top-ten players, there have been 16 who earned All-SEC honors.
In the early years of Miles’ tenure, Oklahoma had some success pulling away some of Louisiana’s top players – defensive back Nic Harris and running back Chris Brown from Alexandria and defensive lineman Frank Alexander from Baton Rouge Southern Lab.
Other top-ten players who left the state and had success were running back Joe McKnight of Curtis at Southern California, running back Eddie Lacy of Dutchtown at Alabama, linebacker Michael Mauti of Mandeville at Penn State and offensive lineman Greg Robinson of Thibodaux at Auburn.
Of course, it is not just the top-ten players who develop into outstanding players in college. Quarterback Dak Prescott of Haughton just completed an outstanding career at Mississippi State. The best low-rated in-state prospect at LSU was cornerback Morris Claiborne from Shreveport Fair Park.
Here is a breakdown of the college careers of the top ten-rated players in Louisiana since Les Miles became coach in 2005.
2005
LSU signed six top-ten players. Two made All-SEC.
DL Rahim Alem (New Orleans St. Augustine)
LB Darry Beckwith (Baton Rouge Parkview)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Nic Harris, Oklahoma (Alexandria): 232 tackles, 7 interceptions
WR Lucas Taylor, Tennessee (Carencro): 113 catches, 1,433 yards, 6 touchdowns
DL Alonzo Horton, Auburn (New Orleans Abramson): 3 tackles
WR LaTerryal Savoy, Michigan (Mamou): 17 catches, 212 yards, 1 touchdown
2006
LSU signed nine top-ten players. One made All-SEC.
RB Charles Scott (Jonesboro-Hodge)
Top-ten player not signed by LSU
RB Chris Brown, Oklahoma (Alexandria): 627 carries, 2,923 yards, 42 touchdowns
2007
LSU signed seven top-ten players. Three made All-SEC.
DB Chad Jones (Baton Rouge Southern Lab)
DL Drake Nevis (Marrero Ehret)
OL Will Blackwell (West Monroe)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
RB Joe McKnight, Southern California (River Ridge Curtis): 347 carries, 2,213 yards, 13 touchdowns
WR Ahmad Paige, Louisiana Tech (Sterlington): 16 catches, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns
DL Frank Alexander, Oklahoma (Baton Rouge Southern Lab): 142 tackles, 20½ sacks
2008
LSU signed seven top-ten players. None made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
LB Michael Mauti, Penn State (Mandeville): 183 tackles, 4½ sacks
DB Jerico Nelson, Arkansas (Destrehan): 268 tackles, 4 interceptions
DB Robby Green, Alabama (River Ridge Curtis): 39 tackles, 1 interception
2009
LSU signed six top-ten players. Three made All-SEC.
WR Rueben Randle (Bastrop)
OL Chris Faulk (Slidell Northshore)
DL Barkevious Mingo (West Monroe)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Janzen Jackson, Tennessee (Lake Charles Barbe): 106 tackles, 6 interceptions
DL Darrington Sentimore, Alabama/Tennessee (Destrehan): 27 tackles
RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama (Dutchtown): 355 carries, 2,402 yards, 30 touchdowns
DL Dequinta Jones, Arkansas (Bastrop): 99 tackles, 3½ sacks
2010
LSU signed nine top-ten players. Two made All-SEC.
DB Tyrann Mathieu (New Orleans St. Augustine)
DB Eric Reid (Dutchtown)
Top-ten player not signed by LSU
WR/DB Trovon Reed, Auburn (Thibodaux): 39 catches, 384 yards, 1 touchdown; 13 tackles
2011
LSU signed seven top-ten players. Four made All-SEC.
OL La’El Collins (Baton Rouge Redemptorist)
DL Anthony Johnson (New Orleans O. Perry Walker)
WR Jarvis Landry (Lutcher)
WR Odell Beckham (New Orleans Newman)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
OL Greg Robinson, Auburn (Thibodaux)
DB Floyd Raven, Texas A&M (Reserve East St. John): 1 interception
DB Bradley Sylve, Alabama (Buras South Plaquemines): 40 tackles, 7 pass breakups
2012
LSU signed four top-ten players. None made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Landon Collins, Alabama (Dutchtown): 184 tackles, 5 interceptions
DL Toshiro Davis, Texas (Shreveport Woodlawn): 69 tackles, 6½ sacks
LB Denzel Devall, Alabama (Bastrop): 83 tackles, 6 sacks
LB Otha Peters, Arkansas/UL-Lafayette (Covington): 108 tackles, 6½ tackles-for-loss
WR Alonzo Moore, Nebraska (Winnfield): 40 catches, 606 yards, 6 touchdowns
WR Davonte Bourque, Tennessee (Crowley)
2013
LSU signed eight top-ten players. None have made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DL Tim Williams, Alabama (Baton Rouge University): 26 tackles, 11 sacks
DB Noel Ellis, Texas A&M (New Orleans Karr): 25 tackles, 1 pass breakup
2014
LSU signed five top-ten players. One has made All-SEC.
RB Leonard Fournette (New Orleans St. Augustine)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
OL Cameron Robinson, Alabama (West Monroe)
WR Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (New Orleans Karr): 67 catches, 809 yards, 7 touchdowns
DB Laurence Jones, Alabama (Monroe Neville): 3 tackles
DL Gerald Willis, Florida/Miami (New Orleans Karr): 14 tackles
LB Kenny Young, UCLA (River Ridge Curtis): 104 tackles, 5 tackles-for-loss
2015
LSU signed six top-ten players. None have made All-SEC
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
WR Daylon Charlot, Alabama (Patterson): 2 catches, 9 yards
RB Kendell Bussey, Texas A&M (New Orleans Newman): redshirted
DL Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame (Shreveport Evangel): 12 tackles, 1 sack
DB DeShawn Raymond, TCU (Metairie East Jefferson): redshirted
Bryan Lazare | TigerBait.com Senior Writer
It has always been a recruiting goal for LSU coach Les Miles to keep the best football players in Louisiana.
Rashard Lawrence of Neville in Monroe is a big keeper for Les Miles
Signing Day 2016 takes place Wednesday. The Tigers currently have commitments from four of the top ten players in Louisiana. Two top-ten players are committed to schools other than LSU. Four of the top-ten players are uncommitted.
The Tigers four commitments are defensive linemen Glen Logan of Destrehan (No. 2) and Rashard Lawrence of Monroe Neville (No. 5), linebacker Michael Divinity of Marrero Ehret (No. 6) and offensive lineman Edwin Alexander of Hammond St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 9). Divinity has already enrolled at LSU.
The two players who have committed to schools other than LSU are defensive lineman Briston Guidry of Metairie Rummel to Arkansas (No. 8) and wide receiver Clyde Leflore-Chriss of New Orleans Easton to Texas A&M (No. 10).
The four uncommitted players are defensive back Kristian Fulton of Rummel (No. 1), defensive lineman D’Andre Christmas-Giles of New Orleans St. Augustine (No. 3), wide receiver Mykel Jones of Patterson (No. 4) and athlete Shyheim Carter of Kentwood (No. 7). The Tigers want Fulton to wrap up the class.
So, it’s possible that the Tigers may only sign five of the top ten players in Louisiana for 2016. Beginning with 2012, LSU has been getting slightly more than 50 percent of the top ten players in the state. In the last four recruiting classes, the Tigers have signed 23 of the 40 top-ten players (58 percent).
Only one of these 23 Tigers signees has earned All-Southeastern Conference honors – running back Leonard Fournette from New Orleans St. Augustine. LSU lost four notable top-ten players during this time – three to Alabama.
Those four top-ten players are offensive lineman Cameron Robinson of West Monroe (Alabama), linebacker Kenny Young of River Ridge Curtis (UCLA), defensive back Landon Collins of Dutchtown (Alabama) and linebacker Denzel Devall of Bastrop (Alabama).
Since Miles became coach, the Tigers have signed about two-thirds of Louisiana’s top-ten players (74-of-110/67 percent). Of those 74 top-ten players, there have been 16 who earned All-SEC honors.
In the early years of Miles’ tenure, Oklahoma had some success pulling away some of Louisiana’s top players – defensive back Nic Harris and running back Chris Brown from Alexandria and defensive lineman Frank Alexander from Baton Rouge Southern Lab.
Other top-ten players who left the state and had success were running back Joe McKnight of Curtis at Southern California, running back Eddie Lacy of Dutchtown at Alabama, linebacker Michael Mauti of Mandeville at Penn State and offensive lineman Greg Robinson of Thibodaux at Auburn.
Of course, it is not just the top-ten players who develop into outstanding players in college. Quarterback Dak Prescott of Haughton just completed an outstanding career at Mississippi State. The best low-rated in-state prospect at LSU was cornerback Morris Claiborne from Shreveport Fair Park.
Here is a breakdown of the college careers of the top ten-rated players in Louisiana since Les Miles became coach in 2005.
2005
LSU signed six top-ten players. Two made All-SEC.
DL Rahim Alem (New Orleans St. Augustine)
LB Darry Beckwith (Baton Rouge Parkview)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Nic Harris, Oklahoma (Alexandria): 232 tackles, 7 interceptions
WR Lucas Taylor, Tennessee (Carencro): 113 catches, 1,433 yards, 6 touchdowns
DL Alonzo Horton, Auburn (New Orleans Abramson): 3 tackles
WR LaTerryal Savoy, Michigan (Mamou): 17 catches, 212 yards, 1 touchdown
2006
LSU signed nine top-ten players. One made All-SEC.
RB Charles Scott (Jonesboro-Hodge)
Top-ten player not signed by LSU
RB Chris Brown, Oklahoma (Alexandria): 627 carries, 2,923 yards, 42 touchdowns
2007
LSU signed seven top-ten players. Three made All-SEC.
DB Chad Jones (Baton Rouge Southern Lab)
DL Drake Nevis (Marrero Ehret)
OL Will Blackwell (West Monroe)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
RB Joe McKnight, Southern California (River Ridge Curtis): 347 carries, 2,213 yards, 13 touchdowns
WR Ahmad Paige, Louisiana Tech (Sterlington): 16 catches, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns
DL Frank Alexander, Oklahoma (Baton Rouge Southern Lab): 142 tackles, 20½ sacks
2008
LSU signed seven top-ten players. None made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
LB Michael Mauti, Penn State (Mandeville): 183 tackles, 4½ sacks
DB Jerico Nelson, Arkansas (Destrehan): 268 tackles, 4 interceptions
DB Robby Green, Alabama (River Ridge Curtis): 39 tackles, 1 interception
2009
LSU signed six top-ten players. Three made All-SEC.
WR Rueben Randle (Bastrop)
OL Chris Faulk (Slidell Northshore)
DL Barkevious Mingo (West Monroe)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Janzen Jackson, Tennessee (Lake Charles Barbe): 106 tackles, 6 interceptions
DL Darrington Sentimore, Alabama/Tennessee (Destrehan): 27 tackles
RB Eddie Lacy, Alabama (Dutchtown): 355 carries, 2,402 yards, 30 touchdowns
DL Dequinta Jones, Arkansas (Bastrop): 99 tackles, 3½ sacks
2010
LSU signed nine top-ten players. Two made All-SEC.
DB Tyrann Mathieu (New Orleans St. Augustine)
DB Eric Reid (Dutchtown)
Top-ten player not signed by LSU
WR/DB Trovon Reed, Auburn (Thibodaux): 39 catches, 384 yards, 1 touchdown; 13 tackles
2011
LSU signed seven top-ten players. Four made All-SEC.
OL La’El Collins (Baton Rouge Redemptorist)
DL Anthony Johnson (New Orleans O. Perry Walker)
WR Jarvis Landry (Lutcher)
WR Odell Beckham (New Orleans Newman)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
OL Greg Robinson, Auburn (Thibodaux)
DB Floyd Raven, Texas A&M (Reserve East St. John): 1 interception
DB Bradley Sylve, Alabama (Buras South Plaquemines): 40 tackles, 7 pass breakups
2012
LSU signed four top-ten players. None made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DB Landon Collins, Alabama (Dutchtown): 184 tackles, 5 interceptions
DL Toshiro Davis, Texas (Shreveport Woodlawn): 69 tackles, 6½ sacks
LB Denzel Devall, Alabama (Bastrop): 83 tackles, 6 sacks
LB Otha Peters, Arkansas/UL-Lafayette (Covington): 108 tackles, 6½ tackles-for-loss
WR Alonzo Moore, Nebraska (Winnfield): 40 catches, 606 yards, 6 touchdowns
WR Davonte Bourque, Tennessee (Crowley)
2013
LSU signed eight top-ten players. None have made All-SEC.
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
DL Tim Williams, Alabama (Baton Rouge University): 26 tackles, 11 sacks
DB Noel Ellis, Texas A&M (New Orleans Karr): 25 tackles, 1 pass breakup
2014
LSU signed five top-ten players. One has made All-SEC.
RB Leonard Fournette (New Orleans St. Augustine)
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
OL Cameron Robinson, Alabama (West Monroe)
WR Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (New Orleans Karr): 67 catches, 809 yards, 7 touchdowns
DB Laurence Jones, Alabama (Monroe Neville): 3 tackles
DL Gerald Willis, Florida/Miami (New Orleans Karr): 14 tackles
LB Kenny Young, UCLA (River Ridge Curtis): 104 tackles, 5 tackles-for-loss
2015
LSU signed six top-ten players. None have made All-SEC
Top-ten players not signed by LSU
WR Daylon Charlot, Alabama (Patterson): 2 catches, 9 yards
RB Kendell Bussey, Texas A&M (New Orleans Newman): redshirted
DL Jerry Tillery, Notre Dame (Shreveport Evangel): 12 tackles, 1 sack
DB DeShawn Raymond, TCU (Metairie East Jefferson): redshirted
