He was replaced at the top by some dude named Tyrann Mathieu. Who names their kid Tyrann? I'm going to write rivals a nasty email.
It is kind of hard to tell how good he is, as they never throw his way. TM7 just finds the ball anyway. Is this the best LSU secondary unit ever?
Last week, 4 of our secondary members were in the top 25 (they dropped Reid from the list as he was at the bottom of the list and obviously didn't play last week). With the emergence of Ron Brooks, I would put this secondary ahead of the 2010 secondary and the 2003 secondary, based on quality depth. We've never had a dime back cause havoc like Ron Brooks has done this season. Reid and Taylor have made tremendous strides from last year at both safety positions. This has been the biggest difference in terms of being that much better in the secondary this season. Simon has been every bit as effective as Claiborne was for us in 2010. And obviously you can swap Claiborne for Pat Pete this year.
The funny thing is hearing the butchering of his name. I was in NJ for Thanksgiving and watched the game with my Dad, then watched the local NY news, and the sportscaster just totally messed up the pronunciation -- I couldn't even begin to try and duplicate it. :geauxtige
From a pro perspective, this has to be LSU's most talented secondary. Mo will obviously be a high first round selection. Brandon Taylor could well go in the third round. Eric Reid and Tyrann could end up being first round picks, though I know Tyrann's size will hurt him, but man if there is ever a player that defies the measurables it is him. Ron Brooks will make an NFL roster. I believe Tharold Simon and Craig Loston have shots to make NFL rosters with continued development. That is pretty unheard of, really, and we're not talking about the guys coming in or those who are buried on the depth chart.
My projections are: Claiborne (top 5-10 in the entire draft) Reid (late first to mid 2nd) Mathieu (2nd) Taylor (late 2nd to mid 3rd) Simon (3rd) Brooks (3rd - 4th) Loston still has plenty of time to develop and I think he will be a good one.
Agreed about Claiborne. Reid if he has another good year would be a likely first rounder. He's got it all. Brooks I think will be a 4th or 5th rounder. Tharold with some more seasoning athletically has all of the tools and could go 2nd to 3rd. Tyrann is a tough call. He's got first round ability and instincts, but he's so small. It's going to be tough for him in a world where you go up against Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham's split out wide. He could be a 2nd or a 1st just depending on who falls in love with him. Loston is a bit more unknown, but I think he'll make the league. Mostly agreed with you, izzy!
We've never had close to this much overall talent on the secondary and that is knowing that the 2003 unit was a great college group. I think Simon is going to move into Mo's stratosphere just like Mo moved into PP's. Landry was a great freshman who started playing a lot after the first third of the season on 03. Taylor matches him as he is a senior and plays so smart now. Hunt was cerebral but not near the athlete Reid is, and the size difference is big. Gay was a damn good nickel but TM is great. Add in Brooks and wow.
I think the what sets this year's secondary apart from the '03 squad is their overwhelming athleticism. They are pretty much all making ridiculous plays, all the time. Hell, when HB7 was not as active, Ron Brooks filled the void. Mo is always making jaw-dropping picks, and we obviously know what Reid's capable of. The '03 squad was very disciplined and aggressive, but this unit is just a damn freakshow.
