The Louisiana State Tigers had a very decent season, which began with a 4 game winning streak. They finished with an overall record of 8-5 and even went to the Chick-fil-A Bowl where they beat 14th ranked Georgia Tech with an impressive 38-3 showing. However, the Tigers did finish the season unranked and only had a 3-5 record in the Southeastern Conference.
Even though they had a great recruiting class, they could've been better. They had two top recruits they weren't able to sign, wide receiver DeAngelo Benton from Bastrop and Kenny Bell, a wide receiver from Rayville, La. Benton had originally signed with the Tigers in 2007 but has not been able to enroll due to academic issues and has signed with Auburn instead while Bell switched his commitment to Alabama. Louisiana State also lost two others this year when Dexter Pratt, a running back from Navasota, TX, signed with Oklahoma State and Janzen Jackson, a stellar defensive back from Barbe High in Lake Charles who had committed to the Tigers a year ago, switched his commitment to Tennessee.
The future is bright though, as coach Les Miles brought in a class that he coyly says addressed the team's needs, but others say ranks in the top two recruiting classes. "With each class you have to answer questions that your team needs answered," Miles said. "I think this class did that." This is a class that includes Louisiana's top prospect, Rueben Randle, a wide receiver from Bastrop who had decided on Louisiana State rather than Alabama or Oklahoma, and possibly the nation's top quarterback, Russell Shepard of Houston, Tx.
Louisiana State's staff does their best to get in as many in state talent as possible, and they do well at it. Randle was the 13th in state prospect to sign this year, he was also the last as he sent in his papers in the late afternoon of signing day. Shepard is rated as the top quarterback in the country and is a dual threat, last year he ran for 1,946 yards and threw for 1,843, and with the Tigers returning two players - Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee - who had starts in 2008, Shepard could be moved to wide receiver, which needs depth. Randle can also play different positions. He had 55 catches as a junior and then switched to quarterback as a senior and threw for 2,461 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also rushed for 683 yards.
Other promising recruits for the Tigers are running back Michael Ford of Leesville, La and Safety Craig Loston from Houston, Tx. Loston is the consensus number 1 safety prospect in the nation and Ford is the number 17 player overall. Ford ran for nearly 3,000 yards his senior season, coming up just short at 2,953, with nine games of 200 or more yards rushing and scored 29 touchdowns. Louisiana State is making all the right moves in recruiting and I look forward to seeing them finish in the top 15 next season.
Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching college football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Sports. Check out his LSU Gear or his LSU Store
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