LSU Tigers: Football Recruiting
BATON ROUGE, La. -- It's been since Jordan Jefferson in 2008 that one could find a Louisiana quarterback who met the four-star threshold.
Back then, before RecruitingNation issued stars, Jefferson was given an 80 score, which translates to four stars.
Brandon Harris (Bossier City, La./Parkway) broke that drought this year. And now he's done something no Louisiana quarterback has done in the RecruitingNation era.
Back then, before RecruitingNation issued stars, Jefferson was given an 80 score, which translates to four stars.
Brandon Harris (Bossier City, La./Parkway) broke that drought this year. And now he's done something no Louisiana quarterback has done in the RecruitingNation era.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- GTN writer Gary Laney took your questions:
From Bryan (Houston): LSU used to own Rosenblatt. Will the Tigers like the new stadium in Omaha?
Gary Laney: Skip Bertman's LSU teams, in particular, were built for Rosenblatt Stadium, which was a hitter-friendly park for most of the Tigers' run. LSU was the team in mind when the term "Gorilla Ball" was coined. To me, it was a huge advantage for LSU to play in that venue for national championships, because it played similar to Alex Box Stadium.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- With LSU's summer semester under way, new players who graduated from their previous schools in May are on campus and taking part in summer workouts. The one exception is defensive back Rashard Robinson, who will use summer school to try to become academically eligible for the fall.
With eight newcomers having already enrolled in the spring semester and gone through spring practice, that means 18 new scholarship faces joined the program. Here are the 10 most likely to make a quick impact:
With eight newcomers having already enrolled in the spring semester and gone through spring practice, that means 18 new scholarship faces joined the program. Here are the 10 most likely to make a quick impact:
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
After Kizer pledge, Harris sticks with plan 
June, 12, 2013
Jun 12
10:45
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Mason Rudolph (Rock Hill, S.C./Northwestern) once looked like he might be LSU's quarterback recruit for the 2014 class.
Then there was a cooling from one side or the other and last week Rudolph committed to Oklahoma State.
By then, DeShone Kizer (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) seemed like the hot name anyway. LSU would get him, many thought. It was just a matter of getting him to campus for a visit.
Before that could happen, a favorite closer to home, Notre Dame, offered and on Tuesday, three days before Kizer was to visit Baton Rouge, he pledged to the Irish.
And then, there was one.
Brandon Harris (Bossier City, La./Parkway), one of three four-star quarterbacks who have been part of the LSU 2014 quarterback recruiting conversation in recent months, is now the last of the three still out for the taking.
Did Tuesday's news change his outlook on the process?
Then there was a cooling from one side or the other and last week Rudolph committed to Oklahoma State.
By then, DeShone Kizer (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) seemed like the hot name anyway. LSU would get him, many thought. It was just a matter of getting him to campus for a visit.
Before that could happen, a favorite closer to home, Notre Dame, offered and on Tuesday, three days before Kizer was to visit Baton Rouge, he pledged to the Irish.
And then, there was one.
Brandon Harris (Bossier City, La./Parkway), one of three four-star quarterbacks who have been part of the LSU 2014 quarterback recruiting conversation in recent months, is now the last of the three still out for the taking.
Did Tuesday's news change his outlook on the process?
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Top-rated defensive end Da'Shawn Hand (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) has kept his recruitment under control and organized. He had narrowed his list down to five schools but has since shaken up that group and trimmed his list to three.
Alabama, Florida and Michigan, listed in alphabetical order, make up the final schools he will consider. The No. 4 player in the ESPN 150 said these are the final three, with two more still having an outside shot.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Running back Corey Avery (Dallas/Carter) has watched his recruiting take the microwave dinner approach. It went from cold to red hot in a short time.
Once a player with a lone West Virginia offer, Avery, a rising senior running back, now holds seven offers and is looking to hit double digits soon. Baylor is the latest school to offer, but he also has scholarships from Texas Tech, Nebraska and Oklahoma State, among others.
A 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back, Avery still has some time to make a decision. While he is grateful of the offers he’s received, Avery said two schools currently are in the lead.
Once a player with a lone West Virginia offer, Avery, a rising senior running back, now holds seven offers and is looking to hit double digits soon. Baylor is the latest school to offer, but he also has scholarships from Texas Tech, Nebraska and Oklahoma State, among others.
A 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back, Avery still has some time to make a decision. While he is grateful of the offers he’s received, Avery said two schools currently are in the lead.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Kizer wastes little time with Irish offer
June, 11, 2013
Jun 11
5:11
PM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic quarterback DeShone Kizer said last week that Notre Dame exceeded the criteria he was looking for in a school. When Notre Dame offered a few days later on June 5, the Irish immediately jumped into his top group.
Following a weekend visit to South Bend, the 6-foot-5, 208-pound signal-caller, the No. 6 ranked dual-threat quarterbacks nationally, committed to Notre Dame. Central Catholic coach Greg Dempsey confirmed the commitment of his four-star and Elite 11 quarterback.
- DeShone Kizer
- Quarterback: Dual threat
- 2014
- Committed: Notre Dame
| Pos Rk | Stars | Grade | Hometown |
| 6 | 83 | Toledo, OH |
This commitment is welcomed news for Notre Dame, which has not had much positivity around the position the last few weeks. Everett Golson, who led the Irish to the national championship game last season, was suspended from school in late May. A few days later, ESPN 150 quarterback Kyle Allen, who many felt could end up signing with Notre Dame, pledged to Texas A&M.
Former backup quarterback Gunner Kiel, a member of the ESPN 150 in 2012, left the program this spring as well.
Ohio has been kind to the Irish the past two recruiting classes. In the 2013 class, Malik Zaire of Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter signed with the Irish and enrolled in January.
Later this month, Kizer will compete at the Elite 11 finals after taking top honors in a regional event in Columbus, Ohio, on June 1. LSU coaches Les Miles and Cam Cameron watched Kizer at the event.
Kizer is the 11th commitment in the Irish’s 2014 class and is the latest piece to what is becoming a stellar offensive haul. Four-star running back Elijah Hood and four-star offensive tackle Alex Bars are both members of the ESPN 150, and Sam Mustipher (No. 11 guard), Justin Brent (No. 38 receiver) and Quenton Nelson (No. 19 guard) are also four-star recruits. Three-star offensive tackle Jimmy Byrne is also committed.
Notre Dame’s class ranks No. 8 nationally but could move up with Kizer’s commitment.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Louisiana has four wide receivers in the ESPN 150, so it was a bit of a surprise to see LSU take a commitment Monday from D.J. Chark (Alexandria, La./Alexandria), a receiver who isn't part of the state's big four.
That may lead to some wondering why the Tigers would take him, especially considering that LSU already has a commitment from one relatively lightly-regarded receiver in Tony Upchurch (Pearland, Texas/Glenda Dawson) in a class that has again grown to 10 commitments (LSU had a commitment from junior college receiver D'Haquille Williams, who has since decommitted).
There are a couple of reasons.
That may lead to some wondering why the Tigers would take him, especially considering that LSU already has a commitment from one relatively lightly-regarded receiver in Tony Upchurch (Pearland, Texas/Glenda Dawson) in a class that has again grown to 10 commitments (LSU had a commitment from junior college receiver D'Haquille Williams, who has since decommitted).
There are a couple of reasons.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
SEC recruiting has home-field advantage
June, 11, 2013
Jun 11
9:29
AM ET
By
Craig Haubert | ESPN.com
Recruiting is the lifeblood of every program in the country, and every conference has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to landing top prospects. In the start of a weeklong series, we'll examine the BCS conferences plus Notre Dame to find each's strength, the biggest obstacle each faces and the overall view of the conference. The SEC is up today.
Biggest obstacle: When it comes to recruiting in the SEC, the biggest obstacle arguably comes from within. No conference recruits as consistently strong from top to bottom as the SEC and the margin for error is very small. From 2006 through 2013, the SEC has had no fewer than six programs finish within the top 25 of the class rankings in any given year, and the 2013 final class rankings saw all 14 teams finish in the top 40, including 10 in the top 25. A program could be having good success on the recruiting trail and still find itself in the middle or even the back of the pack. Mississippi State, for example, finished with the 25th-ranked class this past cycle only to finish 10th within its own conference.
Being able to recruit as a member of the SEC brings with it many benefits, but as a result of that there are no weak links among SEC teams on the recruiting trail. Alabama has posted back-to-back top-ranked classes and a group that includes programs such as Florida, Georgia and LSU are usually top 10-15 staples, if not top class contenders themselves year in and year out. Other programs within the SEC have shown the ability to have success and even make a big impact as well. Ole Miss this past cycle broke from the pack to land a top-five class that included the nation's top-ranked prospect (Robert Nkemdiche). Even Vanderbilt, long considered a back-of-the-pack staple, made a surge on the recruiting trail as well under the direction of James Franklin and finished with a top-25 class for 2013.
Competition on the recruiting trail is tough all over, but in the SEC it has proved to be extremely fierce and a class that would be great in any other conference simply might not be good enough as a member of this conference.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
LSU was a dream school for Alexandria (La.) Senior High School receiver D.J. Chark growing up.
So when the 2014 prospect got the opportunity to become a Tiger while on an unofficial visit to campus on Monday, he took advantage and gave LSU his verbal pledge.
"It's great," Chark said. "I feel really good."
Chark, who was recruited by special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, named a top three of LSU, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M going into the visit and was planning a return visit to the Aggies after they offered him on Sunday night, a week after he performed at their June 2 camp.
But after touring the campus and soaking in everything LSU had to offer academically and athletically and spending time with the coaching staff, Chark believed it was time to make a pledge right then and there in Les Miles' office.
"I was convinced about coming to LSU and that's when we shook on my commitment," Chark said.
The 6-foot-1, 176-pound receiver won't be visiting the Aggies now and is happy to be staying with his home state Tigers. Chark built a good relationship with McGaughey, who hopes to use him on special teams in addition to receiver when Chark arrives at LSU.
"He became like a mentor," Chark said. "He knows what he's doing and he does it well."
Aside from his top three, Chark had offers from Memphis, Tulane, Southeastern Louisiana and Southern University.
So when the 2014 prospect got the opportunity to become a Tiger while on an unofficial visit to campus on Monday, he took advantage and gave LSU his verbal pledge.
"It's great," Chark said. "I feel really good."
But after touring the campus and soaking in everything LSU had to offer academically and athletically and spending time with the coaching staff, Chark believed it was time to make a pledge right then and there in Les Miles' office.
"I was convinced about coming to LSU and that's when we shook on my commitment," Chark said.
The 6-foot-1, 176-pound receiver won't be visiting the Aggies now and is happy to be staying with his home state Tigers. Chark built a good relationship with McGaughey, who hopes to use him on special teams in addition to receiver when Chark arrives at LSU.
"He became like a mentor," Chark said. "He knows what he's doing and he does it well."
Aside from his top three, Chark had offers from Memphis, Tulane, Southeastern Louisiana and Southern University.
When he made his first trip to College Station, Texas, in October for the Texas A&M-LSU game, Alexandria (La.) Senior High School 2014 receiver D.J. Chark remembers enjoying the experience.
On June 2, Chark returned to Aggieland, this time for their first Sunday camp of 2013. He performed well enough to earn a scholarship offer from the staff, which he was told about on Sunday night after the Aggies' second Sunday camp, which he did not attend.
On June 2, Chark returned to Aggieland, this time for their first Sunday camp of 2013. He performed well enough to earn a scholarship offer from the staff, which he was told about on Sunday night after the Aggies' second Sunday camp, which he did not attend.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- There's a quarterback controversy brewing among LSU fans.
No, it doesn't mean Zach Mettenberger is being challenged as the starter. It does mean LSU is hot on the trail of some four-star talent at the position in recruiting.
Which one do you like?
No, it doesn't mean Zach Mettenberger is being challenged as the starter. It does mean LSU is hot on the trail of some four-star talent at the position in recruiting.
Which one do you like?
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- In Friday's mailbag, GTN writer Gary Laney takes your questions on the best player at LSU's prospect camp and the recruiting situation at quarterback.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The explosion of offers and attention was overwhelming enough for Brandon Harris when spread over four months.
But it was nothing compared to the 72-hour window a week ago that essentially offered confirmation that the four-star quarterback (Bossier City, La./Parkway) has arrived on the national scene and isn’t going away.
But it was nothing compared to the 72-hour window a week ago that essentially offered confirmation that the four-star quarterback (Bossier City, La./Parkway) has arrived on the national scene and isn’t going away.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Here's what we learned after LSU's four-day football camp, which concluded Wednesday morning. Its second camp will be July 14-17:
1. New offers look ahead: LSU extended three offers on the weekend, all to players in the 2015 or 2016 classes.
1. New offers look ahead: LSU extended three offers on the weekend, all to players in the 2015 or 2016 classes.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ABOUT GEAUX TIGER NATION
Gary Laney
Gary Laney joined ESPN.com in 2012 after spending a year and a half as online sports editor of the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate. Before that, he covered LSU sports for the Advocate. He has also been the sports editor at the Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise and covered McNeese State athletics for the Lake Charles (La.) American Press. Laney currently lives in Baton Rouge. Email him at glaneyespn@gmail.com