LSU Tigers: Gerald Willis
BATON ROUGE, La. -- GeauxTigerNation writer Gary Laney took your questions:
From: Hunter Johnson: Do you think LSU would rather sign Racean Thomas or Darrel Williams at running back with Leonard Fournette, and does Kwon Alexander being from the same high school as Thomas helps us? Also any update on the situation at kicker?
From: Hunter Johnson: Do you think LSU would rather sign Racean Thomas or Darrel Williams at running back with Leonard Fournette, and does Kwon Alexander being from the same high school as Thomas helps us? Also any update on the situation at kicker?
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Harris on display as spring games flourish 
May, 20, 2013
May 20
10:40
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The stage was set for Brandon Harris.
The 2014 quarterback, whose stock has risen steadily throughout the spring, had the stage to himself when his school, Bossier City, La.'s Parkway High, hosted Alexandria, La./Alexandria Senior High for a spring game.
The 2014 quarterback, whose stock has risen steadily throughout the spring, had the stage to himself when his school, Bossier City, La.'s Parkway High, hosted Alexandria, La./Alexandria Senior High for a spring game.
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Now that spring ball has started, ESPN 150 defensive tackle Gerald Willis III has been inundated with interest from college recruiters visiting New Orleans Edna Karr High School. He expected that.
That’s why, even if he’s comfortable with naming his top four schools, his list remains a fluid one. New schools are working hard to get in the mix, and Willis is ready to hit the road for more visits this summer.
That’s why, even if he’s comfortable with naming his top four schools, his list remains a fluid one. New schools are working hard to get in the mix, and Willis is ready to hit the road for more visits this summer.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- GeauxTigerNation writer Gary Laney takes your questions:
Joe (Denham Springs, La.): Who are the big-name prospects coming to LSU's spring game?
Gary Laney: The spring game (2 p.m. Saturday) is always a big draw and we are working on figuring out the guest list.
Joe (Denham Springs, La.): Who are the big-name prospects coming to LSU's spring game?
Gary Laney: The spring game (2 p.m. Saturday) is always a big draw and we are working on figuring out the guest list.
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How about this for a tailor-made banner recruiting class.
Of LSU's 10 most prominent recruiting targets, eight are from Louisiana and all 10 are in the top 100 of the ESPN 150. The other two? One is already committed to the Tigers and the other, while out of state, lives about 15 minutes from the Louisiana state line.
So yeah, LSU has a chance at a pretty good recruiting class if the Tigers can close the deal on these 10 targets:
1. RB Leonard Fournette (New Orleans/St. Augustine) 6-foot-1, 232 pounds
(ESPN 150 Rank: 1
Why they want him: Whether or not Cam Cameron opens up LSU's offense, the Tigers will still build around a power running game. And when Louisiana produces a talent like Fournette, there's no way LSU doesn't move mountains to bring him aboard. LSU clearly put its eggs in the Fournette basket by not signing a single RB in the 2012 class.
Who else wants him: Everybody, headlined by Alabama.
Odds they get him: 70 percent. Alabama leads the pack of out-of-state suitors, but we like LSU's chances given its history of using running backs and recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson's long relationship with Fournette's family.
Of LSU's 10 most prominent recruiting targets, eight are from Louisiana and all 10 are in the top 100 of the ESPN 150. The other two? One is already committed to the Tigers and the other, while out of state, lives about 15 minutes from the Louisiana state line.
So yeah, LSU has a chance at a pretty good recruiting class if the Tigers can close the deal on these 10 targets:
1. RB Leonard Fournette (New Orleans/St. Augustine) 6-foot-1, 232 pounds
(ESPN 150 Rank: 1
Why they want him: Whether or not Cam Cameron opens up LSU's offense, the Tigers will still build around a power running game. And when Louisiana produces a talent like Fournette, there's no way LSU doesn't move mountains to bring him aboard. LSU clearly put its eggs in the Fournette basket by not signing a single RB in the 2012 class.
Who else wants him: Everybody, headlined by Alabama.
Odds they get him: 70 percent. Alabama leads the pack of out-of-state suitors, but we like LSU's chances given its history of using running backs and recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson's long relationship with Fournette's family.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- On the weekend before RecruitingNation reveals its first ESPN 150 for the Class of 2014, two players sure to be near the top of the list, Leonard Fournette and Jabrill Peppers, were in the same place.
Fournette, the highly touted running back from New Orleans' St. Augustine High, and Peppers, the talented cornerback from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic were on LSU's campus taking in the Tigers' final scrimmage before Saturday's spring game.
Here is some of the feedback and some notes on players who were on campus:
Fournette, the highly touted running back from New Orleans' St. Augustine High, and Peppers, the talented cornerback from Paramus (N.J.) Catholic were on LSU's campus taking in the Tigers' final scrimmage before Saturday's spring game.
Here is some of the feedback and some notes on players who were on campus:
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Most states would be happy to have eight players among the top 300 in the nation.
In Louisiana, that's just one metro area this year.
Here are the eight New Orleans-area players on the ESPN 2014 Watch List, plus a few more to keep an eye on:
In Louisiana, that's just one metro area this year.
Here are the eight New Orleans-area players on the ESPN 2014 Watch List, plus a few more to keep an eye on:
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- GTN writer Gary Laney took your questions on Twitter (@glaneyespn) and email (glaneyespn@gmail.com):
From Ryan (Denver, Colo.): There are a lot of Louisiana kids in the Under Armour Game. Is this surprising?
Gary Laney: Not at all.
From Ryan (Denver, Colo.): There are a lot of Louisiana kids in the Under Armour Game. Is this surprising?
Gary Laney: Not at all.
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This is the fourth in a series of players that LSU might target in the 2014 recruiting class. Previously, we looked at wide receivers and tight ends, running backs and quarterbacks and offensive linemen.
BATON ROUGE, La. -- By signing day, defensive line coach Brick Haley had to feel like the star of the show for LSU.
When the Tigers got Tashawn Bower to flip from Auburn to LSU on signing day, it wrapped up a banner recruiting season for LSU on the defensive line, with seven new faces signed to help replenish an area hit hard by the NFL draft.
With the Tigers needing at least four more defensive linemen in the 2014 class, who might they target?
BATON ROUGE, La. -- By signing day, defensive line coach Brick Haley had to feel like the star of the show for LSU.
When the Tigers got Tashawn Bower to flip from Auburn to LSU on signing day, it wrapped up a banner recruiting season for LSU on the defensive line, with seven new faces signed to help replenish an area hit hard by the NFL draft.
With the Tigers needing at least four more defensive linemen in the 2014 class, who might they target?
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Fournette compares to Louisiana's best
February, 14, 2013
Feb 14
8:00
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
Wayne Reese knows what a good running back looks like.
He was the coach at New Orleans' Carver High School when a shifty little back named Marshall Faulk passed through his program en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
So when Reese, now the head coach at New Orleans' McDonogh 35 High, sees Leonard Fournette play, he recognizes the talent.
He was the coach at New Orleans' Carver High School when a shifty little back named Marshall Faulk passed through his program en route to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
So when Reese, now the head coach at New Orleans' McDonogh 35 High, sees Leonard Fournette play, he recognizes the talent.
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LSU can fill (almost) every '14 need locally
February, 12, 2013
Feb 12
8:00
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- There's a perception in Louisiana that as long as LSU puts a recruiting fence around the state, so to speak, the Tigers will have a top 10-15 team annually.
There is truth to this notion, but also some exaggeration.
In most years, there are positions where LSU might feel compelled to leave the state to fill the need.
So that makes the 2014 class that much more remarkable.
Save quarterback, one can find major prospects in Louisiana at every position. This is a year when LSU can sign a great class without leaving the state. Here's how:
There is truth to this notion, but also some exaggeration.
In most years, there are positions where LSU might feel compelled to leave the state to fill the need.
So that makes the 2014 class that much more remarkable.
Save quarterback, one can find major prospects in Louisiana at every position. This is a year when LSU can sign a great class without leaving the state. Here's how:
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- With signing day 2013 wrapped up, it's time to turn our attention to 2014. Here are five players LSU will be pursuing for the 2014 class:
RB Leonard Fournette (New Orleans/St. Augustine)
Fournette is one of the top players and top running backs in the 2014 class, and he is already being mentioned as one of the great running backs to come out of Louisiana, a bold statement considered the state's storied history. At 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds with blinding speed and tremendous feel for the game, Fournette's talent was a big reason why LSU did not take a running back in 2013.
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU took a step forward in its recruiting process without adding a single player to its 2013 class over the weekend.
That's because LSU took a break from the 2013 grind by hosting its big, in-state junior day, "Boys in the Boot," a one-day gathering of the state's top 2014 prospect that serves as a primer to the recruiting process for the up-and-comers.
A couple of Tiger prospects brought the process to (perhaps) a conclusion by committing.
That's because LSU took a break from the 2013 grind by hosting its big, in-state junior day, "Boys in the Boot," a one-day gathering of the state's top 2014 prospect that serves as a primer to the recruiting process for the up-and-comers.
A couple of Tiger prospects brought the process to (perhaps) a conclusion by committing.
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'Boys from the Boot' have top 2014 players
January, 11, 2013
Jan 11
8:00
AM ET
By
Gary Laney | ESPN.com
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Ask any long-time observer of Louisiana football and they'll tell you that the Class of 2014 will be a special one in the state.
Headlined by running back Leonard Fournette, offensive tackle Cameron Robinson and safety Laurence "Hootie" Jones, is expected to be a banner year for Louisiana, which is already a normally recruit-rich state.
LSU tries to get a jump start on its in-state recruiting every year with its "Boys from the Boot" event, an unofficial visit day for rising seniors that serves as a kickoff to the heart of the recruiting process for them.
Headlined by running back Leonard Fournette, offensive tackle Cameron Robinson and safety Laurence "Hootie" Jones, is expected to be a banner year for Louisiana, which is already a normally recruit-rich state.
LSU tries to get a jump start on its in-state recruiting every year with its "Boys from the Boot" event, an unofficial visit day for rising seniors that serves as a kickoff to the heart of the recruiting process for them.
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So, the season's over.
LSU finished playing football before the year even ended with Monday's last-second, 25-24 loss to Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, a downer of an ending to a 10-3 season.
The most disappointing part? It was over before January. The eighth-ranked Tigers were the only team in the BCS top 12 to play before New Year's Day, which is usually the date where the serious bowl games begin. That LSU was left out of the New Year's Day games seemed to put a damper on the whole postseason, a feeling amplified by the result of the game.
Despite that, there's plenty to look forward to in the next five-plus weeks.
It is prime recruiting season, after all.
There will be all-star games, visitation weekends and even an early jump on 2014 recruiting for LSU and its prospects, all capped by national signing day Feb. 6.
Here's what's on the agenda and what to watch from an LSU perspective:
Friday
Under Armor All-America Game: LSU targets Maquedius Bain and Kendell Beckwith will announce their commitments at the game. Targets Robert Nkemdiche, Priest Willis, Josh McNeil, Antonio Conner, Artie Burns and Tim Williams are also playing in the game. Also playing are LSU commits Jeryl Brazil, Greg Gilmore and Ethan Pocic are also playing.
Semper Fidelis All-American Game: LSU commits Jeremy Cutrer and Christian LaCouture will play in this game.
Saturday
U.S. Army All-American Bowl: LSU fans will be able to take a glimpse at the Tigers' offensive future with LSU commits Hayden Rettig (quarterback), Desean Smith (tight end), John Diarse (wide receiver) and Josh Boutte (offensive line) all on the same team. LSU commits Tre'Davious White and Frank Herron are also in the game on defense.
Jan. 12
Boys from the Boot Day: Top 2014 players from Louisiana will be invited for unofficial visits designed to get them familiar with the recruiting process and to jump-start their relationships with LSU coaches.
That will be a huge day for LSU, considering Louisiana, perhaps the nation's most prospect-laden state on a per-capita basis, looks particularly strong in 2014. Among the players who might attend are running back Leonard Fournette, Cameron Robinson, Gerald Willis, Speedy Noil, Trey Quinn and several others.
Jan. 14
Spring semester begins: Early enrollees will begin classes, letting us know what players will get a jump on their classmates with spring practice.
Jan. 19-21, 26-28
Visit weekends: Players who haven't visited yet can set up visits on these weekends.
Feb. 6
National signing day: The culmination of the recruiting season.
LSU finished playing football before the year even ended with Monday's last-second, 25-24 loss to Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, a downer of an ending to a 10-3 season.
[+] Enlarge
Scott Drucker/IntersportLSU fans will get an early look at DL commit Greg Gilmore at the Under Armour All-America Game.
Scott Drucker/IntersportLSU fans will get an early look at DL commit Greg Gilmore at the Under Armour All-America Game.Despite that, there's plenty to look forward to in the next five-plus weeks.
It is prime recruiting season, after all.
There will be all-star games, visitation weekends and even an early jump on 2014 recruiting for LSU and its prospects, all capped by national signing day Feb. 6.
Here's what's on the agenda and what to watch from an LSU perspective:
Friday
Under Armor All-America Game: LSU targets Maquedius Bain and Kendell Beckwith will announce their commitments at the game. Targets Robert Nkemdiche, Priest Willis, Josh McNeil, Antonio Conner, Artie Burns and Tim Williams are also playing in the game. Also playing are LSU commits Jeryl Brazil, Greg Gilmore and Ethan Pocic are also playing.
Semper Fidelis All-American Game: LSU commits Jeremy Cutrer and Christian LaCouture will play in this game.
Saturday
U.S. Army All-American Bowl: LSU fans will be able to take a glimpse at the Tigers' offensive future with LSU commits Hayden Rettig (quarterback), Desean Smith (tight end), John Diarse (wide receiver) and Josh Boutte (offensive line) all on the same team. LSU commits Tre'Davious White and Frank Herron are also in the game on defense.
Jan. 12
Boys from the Boot Day: Top 2014 players from Louisiana will be invited for unofficial visits designed to get them familiar with the recruiting process and to jump-start their relationships with LSU coaches.
That will be a huge day for LSU, considering Louisiana, perhaps the nation's most prospect-laden state on a per-capita basis, looks particularly strong in 2014. Among the players who might attend are running back Leonard Fournette, Cameron Robinson, Gerald Willis, Speedy Noil, Trey Quinn and several others.
Jan. 14
Spring semester begins: Early enrollees will begin classes, letting us know what players will get a jump on their classmates with spring practice.
Jan. 19-21, 26-28
Visit weekends: Players who haven't visited yet can set up visits on these weekends.
Feb. 6
National signing day: The culmination of the recruiting season.
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