LSU Elite Again on National Signing Day
By Spencer Darr
All of the presents are open and it is time to play with the toys.
LSU has wrapped up another National Signing Day with a traditionally great class. Business as usual in Baton Rouge: The Tigers appear in the top 10 of every major recruiting website’s team rankings.
- 24/7 Sports – #5
- Rivals – #8
- ESPN – #10
As predicted, the Tigers clawed up the rankings the final days to secure their spot in the top 5 for many expert’s, and the top 3 of the SEC. Alabama tops both divisions, boasting the #1 nationally ranked class by ESPN and 24/7 Sports.
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Trailing behind them was the East’s Tennessee – a team coming on strong both on the field and in recruiting under coach Butch Jones.
If you average the three ranking services referenced above, LSU and Auburn are tied (#7.6) for 3rd in the SEC and West division.
Auburn won the most media attention of the day when #1 overall prospect Byron Cowart failed to turn his Letter of Intent for over 6 hours after his commitment. He also carries around a Chucky doll to inspire his on-field violence, I just thought you deserved to know that.
Feb 4, 2015; Seffner, FL, USA; Armwood High School defensive end Byron Cowart talks to ESPN about his decision to go to Auburn on National Signing day at Armwood High School. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Trailing the Crimson Tide, Tigers, and War Eagle in the SEC West are Texas A&M (11.3 avg.), Mississippi State (11.6 avg.), Ole Miss (18.6 avg.), and Arkansas (23.6). Georgia is the only SEC East school to crack the top 10 national rankings.
LSU didn’t make many headlines during National Signing Day, mainly because they were so busy signing players in the week leading up to the big day. In the last seven days the Tigers scored commitments from three 4-star linemen.
Out of the three signing day targets for LSU, mentioned here yesterday, Todd Weathersby was the only player to sign with the Tigers. He will be one of four stout offensive linemen from this class. The Tigers are known for dominating the line of scrimmage, which isn’t sexy, but goes a long ways towards winning actual football games. Eat your vegetables.
Arden Key and Chidi Valentine-Okeke are the two other recent pickups, with Key committing Monday night and Valentine-Okeke this past Friday. Both players are rated on the high end of the 4-star spectrum. Expect to see Key find playing time earlier than Valentine-Okeke however. With only a few season’s worth of football experience, the Nigerian-native will need more time to develop the skills to match his enormous size (6’5″ 307 lbs).
Nov 27, 2014; College Station, TX, USA; LSU Tigers mascot Mike the Tiger and the band perform during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Losing out on Leo Lewis to Mississippi State is disappointing, but LSU wasted no time in filling out the vacated spots. Unfortunately, the team has a need at linebacker and will have to look elsewhere for depth. A former linebackers coach, Kevin Steele may need to convert one of the team’s incoming defensive ends to an upright backer to fill Lewis’s position.
Some Tiger’s fans held out hope that Daylon Charlot would defect from Bama, however his commitment to the Crimson Tide stuck. Same story for Torrance Gibson, an Ohio State signee. LSU’s staff recovered quickly, flipping a pair of wide receivers: Derrick Dillon, a 4-star receiver/Gator decommit, and Brandon Martin, a 6’4″ 3-star/Mizzou decommit.
Everyone knows recruits are made all the more sweeter when they’re stolen. As for the ones stolen from your team? Those wounds heal quickly once spring practice gets rolling. Lucky for Tigers fans: they held onto all of their big targets!
National Signing Day may have lacked a lot of fireworks for Tigers fans, but their high ranking reflects the strong work they put in all year long. Depending on the sites you follow, LSU signed three 5-star recruits: Maea Teuhema, Tyron Johnson, and Derrius Guice. This gives the team two new playmakers, and a linemen to open those plays up. This will be the beginning of weekly articles on LSU’s incoming recruiting class and positional outlooks as fans await spring practice.
Keep checking with Big Easy Believer for the latest in Tigers football.