Monday, February 25, 2013
Louisiana represented well on signing day
By Gary Laney
BATON ROUGE, La. -- How deep is the football talent in Louisiana?
Consider this: Every football bowl subdivision (FBS) conference in the nation has had a least two Louisiana players sign letters of intent with its member schools for the 2013 recruiting cycle, according to the ESPN database of recruits.
Louisiana high schools sent 92 players to 29 FBS programs, the data shows. Players will spread from coast to coast, with players at Stanford (wide receiver Taijuan Thomas) and Miami (tight end Standish Dobard). And they will play as far north as Kent State and as far south as Hawaii.
LSU, with 12 signees from the Bayou State, got the bulk of the top players, but lost some good ones like Tim Williams (Alabama) and Dobard. Tulane, with 17 in-state recruits (plus LSU transfer Chris Davenport), had the most.
Outside of Louisiana, no schools raided the state more than Southern Mississippi and Houston, both of which brought in five Louisiana players (both are within two hours of the Louisiana state line).
SEC (20)
Alabama (2): DE Tim Williams, WR Raheem Falkins
LSU (12): LB Kendell Beckwith, CB Jeryl Brazil, TE DeSean Smith, CB Tre'Davious White, DB Rickey Jefferson,WR John Diarse, WR Kevin Spears, LB Duke Riley, OG K.J. Malone, OG Josh Boutte, LB Melvin Jones, DE Michael Patterson
Ole Miss (1): RB Eugene Brazley
Mississippi State (2): WR Shelby Christy, QB Damian Williams
Texas A&M (3): CB Noel Ellis, LB Darian Claiborne, S Shaan Washington
Other BCS conferences (including Big East)
ACC (2)
Florida State (1): C Ryan Hoefeld
Miami (1): TE Standish Dobard
Big 10 (2)
Nebraska (2): TE Cethan Carter, Ath Tre'vell Dixon
Big East (8, 1 juco)
Cincinnati (1, 1 juco): RB Rodriguez Moore (juco)
Houston* (5): WR Donald Gage, TE Deondre Skinner, LB Caleb Tucker, OT Josh Thomas, RB Javin Webb
Louisville (1): LB Lyn Clark
Memphis* (1): LB Claude George
* - Joining Big East in 2013
Big 12 (3)
Kansas State (1): WR Judah Jones
TCU (2): DT Tevin Lawson, RB Jermaine Antoine
Pac 12 (3)
Arizona State (2): DE Corey Smith, WR Ronald Lewis
Stanford (1): WR Taijuan Thomas
Non-AQ Conferences
Conference USA (31, 2 jucos)
Tulane (17): OG Christopher Taylor, OT Kenneth Santa Marina, RB Sherman Badie, G Jason Stewart, QB Tanner Lee, LB Quinlan Carroll, CB Richard Allen, DE Eric Bell, DE Eldrick Washington, DE Luke Jackson, LB Eric Thomas, S Jarrod Franklin, CB Tanzel Smart, CB Parry Nickerson, S Sergio Medina, OG Brandon Godfrey, S Leonard Davis
Southern Mississippi (5): DT Christopher Robinson, OL Cameron Tom, K Tyler Sarrazin, TE Draper Riley, WR Marquise Ricard
UAB (1, 1 juco): WR DeVante Scott (juco)
Louisiana Tech* (7, 1 juco): DE Hakim Gray, Ath. Carlos Henderson, WR Trent Taylor, K Jonathan Barnes, CB Xavier Woods, DE Nicholas Bickham, DT DeAngelo Brooks (juco)
Texas-San Antonio* (1): S Dondre Dobbins
* - Joining C-USA for 2013
MAC (2)
Kent State: S Elcee Refuge, TE Ryan Malone
Mountain West (4, 1 juco)
Air Force (2): S Kieron Williams, DE Jalen Bowers
Hawaii (1, 1 juco): LB Darzil Washington (juco)
San Diego State (1): RB Brandon Porter
Sun Belt (17, 3 jucos)
UL-Lafayette (7, 1 juco): OT D'Aquin Withrow, Ath. Carlton Perkins, WR Devin Scott, RB Elijah McGuire, DT DeQuin Andrews, DE DeMeatre Casey, CB Corey Trim (juco)
UL-Monroe (6): RB Tevin Horton, S Roland Jenkins, QB Brian Williams, DE David Elias, LB Sterling Doss, S Jared Dunn
South Alabama (2, 1 juco): RB Kaleb Blanchard, DE Akeem Lewis (juco)
Western Kentucky (2, 1 juco): OT Jimmie Simms, S Dalton Patterson (juco)
