The Crew: LSU offensive linemen Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins, defensive back Jalen Mills to remain in school 1/16/2015 5:32:48 PM By JAMES MORAN Tiger Rag Associate Editor News, good or bad, can be contagious. LSU stemmed a tide of negativity by unveiling its new-look defensive staff on Wednesday, and that party continued for Les Miles and Co. at a press conference on Friday afternoon as six draft-eligible Tigers formally announced they’d decided to put the NFL on hold and return to school next season. The list of returners is headlined by offensive linemen Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins and defensive back Jalen Mills. They were joined by linebacker Lamar Louis, wide receiver Travin Dural and tight end Dillon Gordon. The Tigers still lose three underclassmen to the NFL draft in linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive end Danielle Hunter and cornerback Jalen Collins, but for a program that’s lost more players early to the NFL draft than any in the country, the news is cause for celebration. "This is the core leadership of the team,” Miles said of the six men seated to his right. "This is what you want. When you lose your core leadership annually (to the NFL) that’s not how you build a team.” Beyond retaining leadership, which Miles said was the most-important piece of these returning upperclassmen, the biggest development is that LSU will retain Hawkins and Alexander, who figure to be the Tigers’ starting tackles next season. Miles referred to the two returners as his "tackles” at one point, adding that he expected the returning trio of Alexander, Hawkins and Ethan Pocic to anchor another strong offensive line in 2015. Hawkins said he expects to be the starting left tackle with Alexander sliding over to the right side, but that’s a question that figures to be decided during spring or even summer practice. Of the six draft-eligible players that returned, Alexander sounded as though he was the closest to leaving. He said he went back and forth on his decision inside his own head every day, but ultimately he decided to return to the school he’s loved ever since he was a child. "It’s tough being a college athlete, but it’s worth is to better yourself, better your team and better the LSU program,” Alexander said, who also took time to thank his parents and sister who were in attendance. "You only get one chance to play in Tiger Stadium in front of 102,000 people. I need another year of that.” Hawkins admitted it was a decision he had thought about all season, and one he didn’t finally put to bed until after the Music City Bowl, but after sitting down and really thinking about it, the big Baldwin native knew he still had work to do. "It was like a seesaw to tell you the truth,” Hawkins said. "There was pros and cons to leaving and staying, but I want another year of playing for Louisiana ... I was talking to La’el Collins, who was in the same situation last year, and he told me that it’s a personal decision but that the best thing to do is to stay in school.” For Mills, the hardest part of the decision was watching the success friends and former teammates like Patrick Peterson, Eric Reid and Barkevious Mingo are having at the next level. It was reported after the bowl game that Mills had told teammates he was leaving for the NFL, and he very well may have if not for a trip Miles took to DeSoto, Texas to sit down with Mills and his mother, Kisa. That conversation came two weeks ago, and Mills has had his mind made up ever since. "The NFL might not last for long, but once you get that degree, no one can take that from you,” Mills said. "That’s really what made my final decision, just coming back and trying to get my degree and being one of the leaders on the team.” Miles made similar trips to the homes of Alexander, Hawkins, Louis and the three underclassmen who declared. He wouldn’t call it "re-recruiting” the players to LSU, but instead said he owed it to his men to help them for all the hard work they had done. "The decision is certainly not ours. It is theirs,” Miles said. "What we do is give them as much information as we can.” Whatever Miles is doing, the results seem to speak for themselves. LSU had lost 16 underclassmen to the NFL draft in the last two seasons, a number which doesn’t count star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, who declared one year after being dismissed from the program, or running back Alfred Blue, who left a medical redshirt year on the table in enter the 2014 draft. "Coach Miles is the leader of our team and we trust him,” Mills said. "I trust his judgment, coming to me and telling me all of the things I can benefit from by coming back. He made my final decision, and I called and told him that I’m coming to get my degree and play for a national championship. I want to thank coach Miles for putting the time in with me to help me with my decision.” Retaining the two tackles and Mill was the crucial piece for LSU, but one of the other interesting developments of the day came from Louis, who made it sound as though he was much closer to leaving than anybody on the outside really considered. Louis said that the desire to win a championship and get his degree were enough to bring him back, but added that a conversation with newly-hired defensive coordinator Kevin Steele had him enthused for the upcoming season. Steele figures to employ a multiple defense featuring elements of both 4-3 and 3-4 concepts up front to create pressure, an idea that is quite appealing to an undersized linebacker like Louis. "Being multiple is key, especially for a linebacker of my size,” Louis said. "Being able to take up two to three roster spots is huge for me. Being able to play the 3-4 or the 4-3. Being able to stay in on nickel package. Just looking at different schemes is definitely going to help me at the next level.”
I understand the selling point, come to our school and you will have a quick trip to the NFL, but as an LSU fan it is disappointing that we have continued to be so young for the past years. LSU is missing out on that Senior leadership. When it comes to the NFL I couldn't give a crap what happens to them unless it is Saints or Cowboys.
I tend to pull for the former Tigers, once again, another Tiger will finish this season with a Super Bowl ring. That said, its good to see these guys return.
fuck that. NFL is the NFL as college football is also. the oft injured Claiborne is all that I root for these days in the pros. Vice versa, I wanted Ingram to succeed. Alas, to no avail. Just say'in...
