Rating the 2015 LSU class

Discussion in 'LSU RECRUITING' started by EyeoftheTiger 2015, Feb 4, 2015.

  1. TerryP

    TerryP Founding Member

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    I get that! It's pretty easy to throw out 10 names on who I think will be the two deep next year on OL—separating 1's and 2's? Too much of a headache right now.
     
  2. LSUDad

    LSUDad Veteran Member

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    Agree, want to see the Spring game first. I know this, Ducre will get much playing time at FB/HB.
    What LSU did with the RB this year in recruiting is unreal, look at who we return. Once again too much talent.

    As for DB's once again, a great list of guys that can come right in a play. Corey Raymond just brings them in and moves the right players into the lineup. The group he brought in was first class.

    Grimes with the OL has a number of players that can be brought along slowly, he can get them ready for next year, the return of Hawk and Alexander was big, real big. I did get a chance to talk with Mike Detillier at the Bash last week, he and I both agree on the return of the two guys being big. It is gonna be fun to see Jeff getting the 5 best players on the field. I could see Alexander playing tackle or Guard, but as always, weight comes into play. The Spring will tell us something early.

    The two DE's signed in this class will both have a shot for playing time, won't take long for O to see who can help, O like to rotate like no other with his players, keeping them fresh, putting a rush on the QB's. The DL that have been sitting the bench, the heat is on, get ready, get moving, get learning or get out of the way. O will not stand for players not doing their jobs. Looking at next years early top 30 players in the state of La, 8 players are on the DL, O will get his share.

    I know many are worried about the lack of signing LB's. Same thing with the state and OOS players next year. But to add, last year we played 3 LB formations around 40% of the time. All too often playing 5, 10 and Mustang formations. So all too often, 2 LB's were on the field. The two we lose this year, Kwon and DJ, DJ was moved out during the year and Kwon was injured off and on during the season.
     
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  3. EyeoftheTiger 2015

    EyeoftheTiger 2015 Senior Member

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    Yeah, to be honest, I'm most interested along the DL about whether Gilmore, Herron, Neal, and Bain and maybe M Patterson will get off of milk cartons. We have a rare, rare circumstance here. Will Orgeron take the exact same players and make them into college stud players? Haley has had 2 years to do so. Most of those listed were highly rated with many offers. So one of two things occured 1) they were overrated or couldn't make the jump from HS to college or 2) Haley did a piss poor job of coaching them up. The one negative that Mike Detillier has said about Haley is he teaches basically only one move or so to DL. MD said that Chicago Bears DL told him that when Haley coached the DL there. They said they couldn't believe he thought only in vanilla type moves which of course is not going to work against guys with similar talent on the OL.

    On your LBer comment, here is one issue. IF LSU only had 2 LBers on the field, one of them was K Alexander. But I agree, I have no idea how much L Louis did or D Jones did or D Riley did. etc because I don't remember their names ever being called. But here's the deal, Steele is an aggressive coach, a real LBer coach, and not a hybrid LBer guy. I don't remember a lot of small LBers at Alabama or Clemson while Chavis seemed to love them. Thus, the lack of LBers was a huge deficit in this class. I expect LSU to score huge in LBers this class including the #1 LBer in the nation (#4 overall...the kid from North Carolina). Not only does he have LSU as a heavy favorite but switching out Steele for Chavis and LSU not signing any LBers in 2014 only helps LSU IMO...a dream come true for a HS SR stud LBer to start early.

    For the record, I agreed with almost everything you said....the exception being the LBer recruiting deal. Make no mistake...that was a bad deal.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2015
  4. LSUDad

    LSUDad Veteran Member

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    Geaux247's 2015 Class Superlatives

    Now that LSU’s 2015 class is signed, sealed and delivered it is time for the Geux247 Staff to award its annual class superlatives.

    [​IMG]
    David Ducre is a workout warrior
    MVP

    Sonny: Kevin Toliver II
    Shea: Kevin Toliver II

    Most Upside

    Sonny: Chidi Valentine-Okeke
    Shea: Jazz Ferguson

    Most Underappreciated:

    Sonny: Justin McMillan
    Shea: Blake Ferguson

    Most Versatile

    Sonny: Donte Jackson
    Shea: Donte Jackson

    Biggest Recruiting Victory

    Sonny: Toby Weathersby
    Shea: Tyron Johnson

    Biggest Flip

    Sonny: Derrick Dillon
    Shea: Derrick Dillon

    Biggest Disappointment/Loss

    Sonny: Leo Lewis
    Shea: Leo Lewis

    Team that LSU Hurt the Most

    Sonny: Texas
    Shea: Georgia

    Team that Hurt LSU the Most

    Sonny: Mississippi State
    Shea: Mississippi State

    Fastest Prospect

    Sonny: Donte Jackson
    Shea: Donte Jackson

    Biggest Prospect

    Sonny: Adrian Magee
    Shea: Adrian Magee

    Top Sleeper

    Sonny: Foster Moreau
    Shea: Jazz Ferguson

    Most NFL Potential

    Sonny: Kevin Toliver II
    Shea: Tyron Johnson

    Instant Impact (Offense)

    Sonny: Derrius Guice
    Shea: Derrius Guice

    Instant Impact (Defense)

    Sonny: Kevin Toliver II
    Shea: Kevin Toliver II

    Instant Impact(Special Teams)

    Sonny: Tyron Johnson
    Shea: Donte Jackson

    Weight Room Warrior

    Sonny: David Ducre
    Shea: David Ducre

    Best Senior Season

    Sonny: Nick Brossette
    Shea: Nick Brossette

    Mr. Louisiana

    Sonny: Donte Jackson
    Shea: Tyron Johnson

    Meanest (On the Field)

    Sonny: Maea Teuhema
    Shea: Maea Teuhema

    Quietest (Off the Field)

    Sonny: Maea Teuhema
    Shea: Bry'Keithon Mouton

    Most Accommodating (With Media)

    Sonny: Donte Jackson
    Shea: Blake Ferguson

    Best Motor

    Sonny: Bry’Keithon Mouton
    Shea: Arden Key

    Best Football IQ

    Sonny: Justin McMillan
    Shea: Xavier Lewis
    Blue Collar Award

    Sonny: Blake Ferguson
    Shea: Adrian Magee

    Top Recruiter (Player)

    Sonny: Derrius Guice
    Shea: Derrius Guice

    Top Recruiter (Coach)

    Sonny: Frank Wilson
    Shea: Frank Wilson



    Author
    Sonny Shipp @Sonny247
     
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  5. EyeoftheTiger 2015

    EyeoftheTiger 2015 Senior Member

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    Thanks for posting this. My opinion is the same except in a couple of spots. First, despite having fewer commits, I give top recruiter to Jeff Grimes who came up with the best LSU OL class in memory. And to add to that, the bar was set incredibly low with one of the worst recruiters I've ever seen in Studrawa. On instant offensive impact, I don't see it being Derrius Guice simply because LSU returns 2 guys who played that position and were like #1 and #3 on depth chart there. I look at David Ducre at a position of great need (FB) since LSU has no one returning there plus he is underrated IMO. On "instant" defensive impact, this may be midway through the season, but I expect Arden Key to make his presence known big time. And with LSU finishing 11th in the SEC in sacks last year, DE pass rushing is a huge weakness coming into this season. James Smith has stated he would be surprised if Key isn't starting by game 6.
     
  6. LSUDad

    LSUDad Veteran Member

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    Two of the top 5 in the SEC:
    SEC’s top 5 incoming CBs for 2015
    [​IMG]JON COOPER[​IMG]

    February 13, 2015 @ 4:04pm
    [​IMG]

    The SEC is known for its elite and future NFL cornerbacks. Teams like LSU, Alabama and Florida have stockpiled corners in the NFL, and other teams are using it to their advantage to recruit great cover corners.

    Here are the SEC’s top incoming freshmen corners for 2015:

    Editor’s note: Saturday Down South’s references to ratings follow the 247Sports.com composite rankings.

    1. Kevin Toliver, LSU (Jacksonville, FL)
    The Skinny: Several have already penciled Kevin Toliver to start game one for LSU, as Rashard Robinson is no longer on the team, and knowing Toliver will go through spring practice, there’s a great chance of that happening. Toliver has elite cover skills and great ball skills, and he looks like a future first-round pick in the mold of a Patrick Peterson-type player.

    2. Kendall Sheffield, Alabama (Missouri City, Texas)
    The Skinny: Alabama needs improved cornerback play, and Kendall Sheffield is the first of the two Crimson Tide players in the top five. Alabama dipped down into Texas and nabbed Sheffield away from any team in Texas’ grasp. Sheffield will hit campus this summer, and we’ll see if he makes an impact in 2015.

    3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama (Jersey City, NJ)
    The Skinny: Much like Sheffield, Alabama went into another state and cherry-picked one of its top prospects. Minkah Fitzpatrick may be the better overall corner in the class. He’s slightly taller than Sheffield at 6-1, and Fitzpatrick could be an impact player very shortly in Tuscaloosa. Fitzpatrick combined with Sheffield is a big-time combination, and we haven’t even started talking about last year’s five stars Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey.

    4. Rico McGraw, Georgia (Nashville, TN)
    The Skinny: Rico McGraw was another elite cornerback committed to Alabama, but he signed with Georgia on National Signing Day. The Bulldogs need help quickly in the secondary, and McGraw is good enough to provide it immediately. The Nashville native is one of the best tackling corners in the 2015 recruiting class.

    5. Xavier Lewis, LSU (Reserve, LA)
    The Skinny: LSU’s second top corner on the ranking, Xavier Lewis may have to wait his turn. Lewis joins an already loaded secondary. He’s fluid in and out of his breaks, and he has great instincts and recovery skills. Lewis will be a player to watch in the future.
     
  7. LSUDad

    LSUDad Veteran Member

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    The impact from 2015's early enrollees
    LSU has made a habit of bringing in early enrollees each January, giving a handful of incoming freshmen a head start on their college careers with the opportunity to not only enroll in school a semester early, but also work through an entire spring with the coaches and weight room staff.

    [​IMG]
    Kevin Toliver's decision to enroll early could pay huge dividends in 2015 (Photo: Greg Oyster, 247Sports)
    Earlier this month, LSU signed 25 prospects in the 2015 class - four of which have already been on campus since classes started in January.

    Five-star cornerback Kevin Toliver II - who ranked as one of the Top 10 overall prospects in the country - headlines an group of early enrollees in Baton Rouge that includes one Louisiana graduate in David Ducre and a pair of Texans: Hanner Shipley and Justin McMillan.

    For Toliver, the decision to enroll early still left him with a longer wait than nearly any other prospect in the country, committing to the Tigers in November 2012 and riding out the decision until his enrollment last month - which LSU head coach Les Miles feels was just as impressive as his abilities at cornerback.

    "Kevin Toliver sets an all‑time record for being committed for that length of time and then going to the school of his choice,” Miles said. “For him to stay committed through time is just a tremendous thing for him and with his view of his opportunity here at LSU."

    That opportunity - furthered by his decision to enroll early - will likely come quick for the Floridian. Toliver enters the mix at cornerback with a legitimate chance at grabbing the No. 2 cornerback role next season. Junior Tre’Davious White will keep his role as the team’s top cornerback, but with Rashard Robinson and Jalen Collins now gone from the lineup, the door is open for Toliver to step in and grab playing time. His biggest competition returning from last year’s lineup will be Ed Paris and Dwayne Thomas, though Thomas has shown an ability to thrive in the nickel role, meaning the battle for full-time duties on the outside will likely be between Toliver and Paris - with five-star cornerback Donte Jackson joining the competition when he enrolls this summer.

    "There's no finer (cornerback) prospects in America than Toliver and Jackson,” Miles said.

    The rest of the early enrollees are on the offensive side of the ball, with the quickest impact likely to come from Lakeshore High’s David Ducre - a 5-foot-11 and 235-pound running back prospect who left high school ranked as the No. 1 fullback in the country. And with the Tigers returning just two scholarship running backs and no scholarship fullbacks (or any fullbacks with experience, for that matter), Ducre will likely be needed at both spots.

    “Our loan fullback is the No. 1 fullback in the country,” Miles said. “And he’s a very, very talented man, and very bright student.”

    Miles said he expects Ducre to play a similar role to Kenny Hilliard, who saw significant action in all four years of his LSU career, often contributing in the ground game as both a fullback and a running back.

    A name that will help pave the way in the ground game for Ducre and the rest of the backs will be fellow early enrollee Hanner Shipley, who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 280-pounds, giving the Tigers another blocking tight end comparable to Dillon Gordon, who is headed into his final year with the team.

    “He has the ability to block the line of scrimmage, but also has real ball skills,” Miles said. "It will be interesting to see how he develops. I would think that he would be that style of tight end that we have been used to having.”

    However, one of the most intriguing early enrollees might be quarterback Justin McMillan, who enters the program during a time of quarterback turmoil - though his arrival didn’t create much of a splash during the recruiting process despite the reality that LSU only had two scholarship quarterbacks on the entire roster.

    So, what aren’t fans seeing in the three-star, southpaw prospect out of Texas that convinced Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron that he was the man for the job when it came to building depth at the position in the 2015 class?

    "We see him as having ball skills and a craftiness about him that will allow him to compete extremely well,” Miles said. "He's a guy that you need to watch him play first. You watch him in his evaluation film, you see him have the ability to make plays and he's competitive as they can be.

    "I watched a game live versus another very talented team right there in Texas, and it was back and forth and back and forth. And for the quarterback to stay in that game and make big plays, and really have a knack to him, that was awfully important to me.

    “So, to watch him this spring will have to be what we do. You're going to have to see him. We know he certainly would be a developmental player, but we don't know that he might not be a guy that could step forward and play early.”

    LSU kicks off spring practice on March 7.
     

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