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Alabama, LSU set the standard recruiting defensive backs
By JC Shurburtt
Published:
If you have a talented defensive back prospect in your state, there are two programs from the western division of the Southeastern Conference that you definitely don’t want to see join the recruiting fray for said homegrown talent- Alabama and LSU.
During the last three recruiting cycles, the Crimson Tide and Tigers both have become quite accustomed to heading into other states and landing high-level talent in the secondary.
The state of Texas in particular has been victimized as four high-level Lone Star State prospects have either signed with (or are currently committed to) Bama or LSU since the 2014 recruiting cycle.
Take a look at the recent history on the out-of-state defensive back gets for both.
Alabama
2014
Tony Brown, CB, Beaumont (Texas) Ozen
2015
Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep
Kendall Sheffield, CB, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall
LSU
2014
Jamal Adams, S, Carrollton (Texas) Hebron
2015
Kevin Toliver II, CB, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian
2016
Saivion Smith, CB, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Eric Monroe, S, Houston (Texas) North Shore
Of course, there’s plenty of defensive back talent in Alabama and Louisiana, too. The Tide kept elite athlete Marlon Humphrey at home in the 2014 cycle. Tre’Davious White was a five-star prospect out of Shreveport, La., that LSU kept at home in 2013 and the list goes on and on. Also, while this is sort of a recent trend for the Tigers, keep in mind that the Tide landed Landon Collins (now in the NFL) out of the state of Louisiana in the 2012 class and also plucked Cyrus Jones out of Maryland during that same cycle.
There are different reasons why these programs have such great success recruiting out-of-state at this particular position. Of course, winning at a high level helps as does putting players in the NFL. For Alabama, given Nick Saban’s track record of developing players in the secondary throughout his career (that spot is his speciality), that’s not a difficult sell to make. For LSU, the work of defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, particularly with the out-of-state prospects the Tigers have been able to lock up, is to be commended. That’s certainly not to give the credit to one person, but make no mistake that Raymond is the driving force there.
It’s interesting to compare the two as well. Right now, Alabama has consistently been churning out elite defensive backs from its program for this entire decade. LSU is ultra-talented in the secondary currently, will be adding even more talent in short order and should experience a similar type run in the near future. You have to say that perhaps no program in the country has been as good talent and development-wise in the secondary since 2010 than Alabama, but you also have to admit that LSU has the potential to do something similar in the near future. For both, it all gets back to recruiting and the ability to go anywhere and land the best defensive back talent.
So again, if you are a fan of another program in another state and you have your heart set on a five-star defensive back that is in your backyard and then Bama or LSU comes in, get nervous.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
