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LSU currently has the top-ranked recruiting class for the 2016 cycle.
The question now becomes, less than a month before signing day (Feb. 3), can the Tigers finish at the top and snap Alabama’s streak of five consecutive top-ranked classes.
The answer is yes. LSU is in striking distance for the top overall class this cycle, but several highly-rated prospects who currently are “leans” to end up in Baton Rouge must actually end up in Baton Rouge and then Les Miles and staff have to close the deal on some other major targets.
A lot also depends on a couple of unpredictable variables. One, what commits and de-commits from other programs cause other classes to rise and fall. Two, how will the recruiting industry ultimately rank the individual prospects at the conclusion of all-star games (ending with Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl). The change of prospect rankings obviously impacts the team score.
But if you are just looking at what the Tigers need to do, here’s what would be ideal.
-Get commitments from defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence, cornerback Trayvon Mullen, cornerback Kristian Fulton and offensive tackle Willie Allen. Three of those prospects (Lawrence, Fulton and Allen) are in-state where LSU is dominant.
-Flip quarterback Dwayne Haskins from Maryland. This will be easier said than done. Ohio State also is in the mix and Haskins has been committed to the Terps for quite some time and is a local product.
-Add a two-commit combination of in-state defensive tackle Stephon Taylor, in-state defensive tackle D’Andre Christmas-Giles and in-state running back Devin White.
This should give LSU the points needed to be in the discussion for No. 1 overall on the first Wednesday in February.
Louisiana is deep and talented again this cycle, so that has helped LSU as has the Tigers ability (led by the efforts of secondary coach Corey Raymond) to go into major talent-producing states like Texas and Florida and land top-shelf talent at defensive back.
Of course, the Tigers need a quarterback (Haskins isn’t the only one they are looking at) after Feleipe Franks flipped to Florida this past fall. Looking at the current situation at that position, like so many other SEC programs, LSU needs all the help it can get.
The opinion here is that the Tigers always recruit very well. LSU signs legit top five class after legit top five class and is as talented of a team as there is in the country on an annual basis at most positions on the field. This class is no different. That being said, quarterback is the most important position on the field and the Tigers, for a myriad of reasons, have come up short there. But, LSU can’t keep coming up at the most important position on the field. The Tigers need help there and because time is of the essence (the talent that was signed in 2014 is maturing rapidly- Fournette likely has one more season) it is critical that it happens in this class.
Otherwise it may be a No. 1 class that doesn’t have the career impact that others have had through the years.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
