LF College Football's Next Phenom

Discussion in 'The Tiger's Den' started by Bengal B, Aug 24, 2014.

  1. b_leblanc

    b_leblanc That's just my game...

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    As long as LSU is "running back by committee"...we'll never have a heisman running back.
     
    cajdav1 likes this.
  2. Guido Merkins

    Guido Merkins Founding Member

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    The season might start off as running back by committee, but IMO, LF is leaps and bounds more talented than any back we've probably ever had and certainly the most talented back Miles has ever had at LSU. Not sure you can compare our situations in the past to what we have now. People are talking about Adrian Peterson, for crying out loud...

    If he's THAT good, IMO, you'd be a fool to take him off the field...
     
  3. red55

    red55 curmudgeon Staff Member

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    Well, the September fans are starting to drift back in.

    I think that "running back by committee" is when you don't have anyone that is a feature back and you need someone to emerge. For the last several years, LSU has been blessed with multiple feature backs with an effective mix of upper classmen and young guns. I think what Les runs is more "rotating running backs". Each one in the regular rotation brings something to the offense. It not only gives the OC more tools, but it gives us fresh legs whenever we need them. It has never kept the star backs from getting their thousand yards and it helps preserve them from injury in won games. We have been sending a regular stream of running backs to the NFL with good knees.

    What I want to see more of is rotating offensive linemen. We have quality depth now and Grimes needs to play his top 8 or 9 guys. We will not only take injuries, but there will be games when we need fresh bodies in on the line. Giving the starters a blow every now and then keeps them fresh longer and works up replacements for next year. We are going to lose four starters on the O-line after this season.
     
  4. Bengal B

    Bengal B Founding Member

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    A Star is Born

    Leonard Fournette is not a freshman.

    Just keep repeating that to yourself, over and over, though not so loud that people think you’re strange.

    I’ve spent the past few months working to condition and program myself to this thought. Maybe we should just call him LSU’s “first-year” running back.

    Fournette doesn’t look, act -- or, most importantly -- run like a freshman. So let’s just move past the fact that he is one.

    It’s a dangerous game, hyping those who have yet to gain a yard, throw a pass or make a tackle. It’s one that can make someone like me look quite foolish, causing hand-wringing from fans. (“He’s 18, HANEY!”)

    But what happens when we’re right? What happens when Jameis Winston, as a first-year starter, wins the Heisman?

    From all I’ve gathered, including a stop last week in Baton Rouge, we’re right on Fournette. You’ve seen the comparisons, from Michael Jordan’s determination to Adrian Peterson’s physique as a teenager.

    “I’ve never seen a freshman like him,” someone close to the program told me. “Never.”

    College football’s 2014 prodigy will debut Saturday night in Houston, when LSU meets Wisconsin in a top-15 matchup at the Texans' stadium.

    In addition to Fournette, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn are expected to be in the receivers rotation. Jamal Adams is a defensive back who isn’t getting enough buzz because of the offensive guys.

    And, oh by the way, coach Les Miles has said QB Brandon Harris will play. He might even start.

    [+] Enlarge[​IMG]
    Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY SportsFreshman QB Brandon Harris will also headline LSU's young group of impact players.
    These players, and other youngsters, were recruited to play immediately.

    “We just want to get the best players on the field,” defensive coordinator John Chavis told me last week. “We don’t care what year they are. We tell them that.”

    In addition to natural attrition, LSU has lost 17 underclassmen to the NFL draft the past two cycles. That precipitates need unlike anything we’ve ever seen, really.

    “These kids have embraced that idea since day one in the recruiting process,” said Jeremy Crabtree, ESPN.com senior recruiting writer. “They knew they were good. They knew they were going to have to play early. And they didn’t back away from it one bit.”

    If some or all of the freshmen hit, LSU will be a dark horse playoff contender. Three of the 20 coaches I polled this week had the Tigers in the four-team field.

    “They can sneak up on you some years,” one of them told me. “That’s when they’ve won [titles]. There’s a lot of attention on Alabama and Auburn right now, and Les probably likes it that way.”
     

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