The Top 10 LSU Football Recruiting busts of the 2000's
For the majority of the 2000's when you look at the recruiting rankings, LSU has been at or near the top in every season. Every highly-rated recruit can't turn out like Leonard Fournette, Patrick Peterson, or Tre'Davious White however, which isn't that big of a surprise. These ten players committed to LSU with a ton of hype but, didn't quite live up to the expectations.
10. Akiem Hicks - Defensive Line
This one is weird to consider a bust but, it certainly deserves to be mentioned considering the circumstances. The Tigers landed a commitment from Akiem Hicks which was massive until it came out that he received improper benefits and was ruled ineligible. The 2009 class was incredible and given Hicks success in the NFL, he would've been a massive piece for LSU.
9. Mario Stevenson - Cornerback
The Tigers landed one of the best Junior College players when they landed Mario Stevenson who was projected to be a massive piece at cornerback. Unfortunately, Stevenson never truly lived up to the expectations playing in just seven games due to injuries.
8. Al Woods - Defensive Tackle
As a recruit, Al Woods was a five-star recruit ranked as a top-15 player in the recruiting class. Woods has had a lengthy NFL Career but, he never really caught on at LSU finishing his career with 73 total tackles and 3.5 sacks.
7. Carnell Stewart - Offensive/Defensive Tackle
Landing Stewart was massive for the LSU Football team in 2003, as he was one of the highest-ranked defensive linemen in the class. Stewart hardly ever saw playing time on the defensive line, which would've landed him higher on the list but, he did play his Senior season as an offensive tackle.
6. Ryan Perrilloux - Quarterback
This one hurts to write about and will probably catch a ton of flack but, its fair to say that Ryan Perrilloux was a bust for LSU. As a recruit, Perrilloux was the unanimous top quarterback in the class and proclaimed that he'd win a Heisman at LSU. Given the expectations, Perrilloux has to be considered a bust despite his incredible peaks.
Perrilloux will forever be an LSU hero for stepping up and helping the Tigers win the 2008 National Championship. That said, Perrilloux was a transformational recruit but, only finished with 704 yards passing for 8 touchdowns and two interceptions adding 220 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. When Perrilloux was slated to start in 2008 he was dismissed from the program causing LSU to go 8-5 after winning the National Title the year prior.