LSU Tigers preview for 2014 National Signing Day
Jan 2, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Nitro wide receiver Malachi Dupre (15) catches the ball over Team Highlight cournerback Jermaine Roberts (2) during the first half of the Under Armour All America football game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
For the second week in a row LSU has made significant progress in the final stages of the class of 2014 recruiting cycle. After hosting 10 official visitors last weekend things are some positive momentum surrounding the remaining targets despite no official commitments on the trips.
Here’s a breakdown on where the LSU Tigers stand before National Signing Day on Feb. 5.
Commitments (18) No. 4 class according to 247Sports.
QB: Brandon Harris (4)
RB: Leonard Fournette (5), Darrel Williams (4)
WR: Trey Quinn (4), Tony Upchurch (4), D.J. Chark (3)
TE: Jacory Washington (4)
OL: Garrett Brumfield (4), Will Clapp (4)
DL: Davon Godchaux (4), Deondre Clark (4)
LB: Clifton Garrett (5), Donnie Alexander (3)
DB: Ed Paris ( (4)), Jamal Adams (5), John Battle (3), Devin Voorhies (4)
K: Cameron Gamble (3)
The two defensive line commits will need to be monitored until they send in their signed letters of intent. Godchaux has visited the Auburn Tigers and loved everything about the trip and Clark is being aggressively pursued by the Oklahoma Sooners where his mother reportedly wants him to stay in-state.
Top Targets
LSU has seven open scholarships to fill out a class of 25 and these are the candidates most likely to take LSU up on their offer.
Malachi Dupre: The nation’s No. 2 wide receiver recruit and John Curtis (New Orleans, LA) standout has long been considered an LSU lean and despite visits to Ole Miss, UCLA, Alabama and Florida State looks LSU will be able to get the Under Armour All-American participant.
Travonte Valentine: LSU needed a defensive tackle in a bad way and after Valentine decommitted from Miami swept in and made him a bigger priority. He was one of the 10 visitors this weekend and his parents came away equally impressed with the program. A weekend visit to Miami looms large, but LSU has put themselves in a great position to land the big four-star tackle.
Derrick Kelly, Jr.:The 6-5, 295-pound three-star offensive tackle entered the picture in December when LSU focused on adding an offensive tackle to their class that features two standout guards, but no tackles. After visiting this past weekend, LSU will have to hold off pressure from Florida State who will have his final official visit, but the Bayou Bengals are the team to beat after he hit it off with new offensive line coach Jeff Grimes.
Flip Candidate
Emmanuel Porter: The 6-5 three-star receiver decommitted from Texas and quickly committed to TCU but after being blown away on last weekend’s visit to LSU and a forthcoming visit from LSU coaches has the Tigers trending for the Tigers.
Too close to call
Kenny Young: The high school teammate of Dupre looks like he could be headed out of state to Texas A&M after he was blown away on an official to College Station. UCLA may actually be second on his list and has an official there this weekend. LSU would love to keep the No. 7 inside linebacker and four-star recruit close to home, but he appears set on leaving the state.
Trey Lealaimatafao: The 6-0, 300-pound three-star defensive tackle picked up his offer from LSU on Jan. 9 shortly after LSU missed out on Gerald Willis and was on campus after the dead period was lifted two weekends ago. His sister attends Southern University in Baton Rouge so that could be a big selling point for the San Antonio native. He will pick either the Oregon Ducks or LSU.
Wildcards
Adoree Jackson: LSU made the final four for the nation’s top uncommitted recruit who will choose from USC, UCLA and Florida in addition to LSU at 1:05 p.m. CT on ESPNU on Feb. 5. USC and Florida have been perceived as his leaders, but LSU coaches have been pulling out all the stops with Jackson who could be a starter from Day 1. This would be a major coup if LSU reels him in.
Lorenzo Carter: The five-star defensive end is one of the top edge rushers in the nation in the mold of former Tiger Barkevious Mingo and after a successful in-home visit in December and official in January that really impressed the 6-5, 232-pound end and his parents gives LSU a shot here. The continuity with defensive line coach Brick Haley and coordinator John Chavis is another factor that could prove beneficial for the Georgia product. As is the case with Jackson, this would be a mild surprise, but not a complete shocker.
Bottom Line
If LSU is successful in landing Dupre it will be a good day for LSU as he could be a Day 1 starter, but the potential to have a grand slam home run of a day exists if they land either Jackson or Carter which could move them up to the No. 2 class in the country.