Not buying the Williams to FSU talk. I am sure he likes them a lot but think he stays home. Could see Beckwith as well. Gilmore, Robinson and possibly someone like Crayton after the miss on Pagano and others. We have backed off Pevot... Likely see a couple deflections for multiple reasons as the year goes on and have a couple of other spots left for other targets.
I agree with you about these guys that supposedly locks to other schools. Having said that, I still have the gut feeling that EITHER Williams or Beckwith will not sign with LSU and I personally think that is fine for LSU. These players are almost the exact same size and personally I like variety in bodies and skills. I definitely want Gilmore so getting one of Williams/Beckwith is just fine. Add in a couple of DBs and you would be at 25 right there. Of course, I like Prevot and I like Crayton. If you have watched the interview video on Crayton, you can tell he is a hard worker just like Neal and would improve his skills. Pagano I just had the opposite view of, especially when he let his mouth do his talking downplaying other DL and then when he goes to a camp, he doesn't impress that much.
Just don't see the connection between Williams and Beackwith. One is strictly being recruited as an OLB and the only one we would take at that position. Williams is a mingoesque type of player who has great speed off the edge. Beckwith could shift down to DE after a couple of years but just different types of players.
My comparison point is Williams is 6'4" 230 lbs according to Rivals. Beckwith is 6'3" 228 lbs according to Rivals. Weight and height is NOT everything (speed and quickness is obviously in there somewhere) but it counts for a lot especially at this point in their development. Right now, they are essentially twins on both height, weight, ranking, etc. I will admit that having two Ming vases is better than one but on the other hand, I prefer variety in body types with the same college potential. That way they truly can find their ultimate positions in yearS. Notice I didn't use the phrase "recruited as an" because quite frankly, that and 50 cents might buy some coffee. I am NOT criticizing you for using that phrase since everybody wants to project 1+ years before they enroll at LSU. My point on these projections are that many times you look at the same player on 3 different services, and you see two or 3 different positions listed for the guy. And I would BET that even within the LSU staff, they pretty much agree on who they want to sign, but ask them if they would stake their lives on the "recruited as an" position being the one the guy ultimately plays. I would guess after a couple of years you would have a lot of dead LSU coaches because it depends on how their bodies fill out, their efforts in the weight room, the LSU depth chart at different positions, etc.
I would think comparatively we don't have that much position change. By comparatively, I mean to guys who play the position in which they were recruited. I mean you have guys like Davenport and Justin Maclin who make switches, but others are not so dramatic. For instance, not many felt Shep would stick at QB. Not many expected Matt Branch to remain a TE. The coaches seem to do a pretty good job of analyzing a guys strengths relative to his body composition to determine where I guy should play. Take Keke Mingo for instance. A lot of people were surprised a guy that athletic and that fast in high school (he played in the secondary most of the time) would be recruited at DE, but at 6'5, he was perfect. His frame wouldn't hold much more weight effectively, and he was too slender to be a LB, so he was recruited at a position he hardly ever played in high school. So in regard to Beckwith and Williams, despite there similar stats in height/weight, I believe the staff is gonna play those guys where they recruit them. Not to mention the fact that despite their similar stature on paper, they might carry that weight completely different. One could be thicker in the legs or torso, the other could be broader in the shoulders. Just seeing it on paper doesn't really tell the tale. It's more in there weight distribution and the potential to effectively carry the extra pounds they'll both inevitably gain.
I was also referring to the get one of the other and not both. From a LSU staff standpoint they want both. From a prospect standpoint they are not more or less likely to come to LSU because the other commits.
I sort of agree with you but there have been some pretty big position changes at least from their listing by the services. No one listed Barksdale as a OT...they all had him on defense. No one had Clement listed as a TE.. they all had him on defense. No one had Copeland listed as a FB...they all had him at DT. They have learned the "LSU way" as the DT Swanson is listed at RB by Rivals at least. And to be fair, Swanson's video has him carrying the ball several times in his HS JR season. Your Shepard example I had to laugh at in agreement. ANYONE who saw that guy in the Under Armour skills test before that all star game had to know he had 0 chance at QB. I think MOST male HS students could have beaten the guy throwing a pass...I do NOT mean HS football players, I mean MOST male students in HS. His ball fluttered in the air and went like 25 yards and on the rapid fire drill throwing at the trailing target, he was inaccurate and slow in his release and every single pass came up short. He was just awful and finished dead last in the competition. Obviously you are correct on their build since height and weight isn't exactly the same appearance on different people. But you and I have not seen them at camp, so I'm simply going by the evidence available. I like you have no problems with any switches the staff has made...DeAngelo Peterson to TE, the ones I mentioned earlier, etc. When a switch doesn't work out, my feeling and I'm guessing yours is that the guy simply didn't have enough ability. Quite frankly, that is my opinion of Russell Shepard. Is he darn fast? You betcha!! But are his hands great? No. Does he run accurate routes? No. Is he a great blocker? No. Does he break tackles or hard to bring down? No. Russell Shepard IMO is the perfect example of a 5* guy who really is a high 3* caliber player. That is NOT his fault that he was overrated out of HS! But IMO absolutely he was and it was a horrible miss by the recruiting services.
With Mett at QB, I bet we finally get to see the real Russell Shep. He'll be running routes knowing....not wondering...if the ball will get to him. I wouldn't be surprised at a breakout year by him.
I think you are totally wrong, but we will see. Odell Beckham is so much better than Shepard it isn't even funny. IMO, Jarvis Landry will prove the same. IMO, Boone is better and maybe Wright. Shepard is simply not a remarkable football player as he was rated out of HS. Once again, that is not his fault... the services saw his speed and then overrated him big time. He doesn't have good hands...doesn't run routes well...goes down with a sneeze (remember the times he was literally bodyslammed on tackles...other than WWE, when do you see that in college football)....doesn't block particularly well....doesn't have the strength to get yards after catches, etc. I think it is going to be hard for him to have a breakout year when he is probably the 3rd or 4th WR on the depth chart.
Agreed. I'm sure not many anticipate that Liggins, if and when he returns, will stick at QB either. Especially with an even more impressive Jennings coming in. I really wonder if Shep isn't kicking himself for not switching to DB instead of receiver. He has the ability to be dynamic with the ball in his hands, but it's getting the ball in his hands that's the issue. I think he could've been an excellent corner with great size for the position. Chavis and Cooper could've done much more with him than Crowton/McCarthy/Billy G have done. Maybe Adam Henry will change him for the better his senior year. I just hope he gets enough opportunities to get a Senior Bowl invite and get a serious look at the combine. He'll get drafted because he'll probably have a good workout. And maybe then he'll give a switch consideration and take a few years to develop some DB skills because I do not see him being effective on offense in the pros. A switch at that level is very atypical, but there are teams that will take a great athlete and stick him on the practice squad for a few years to let them develop. Wouldn't be a bad idea for a guy with that kind of ability.
