Patrick Peterson (Jr), Mo Claiborne (So), Jai Eugene (Sr) , and Brandon Taylor (Jr). With Brooks (Jr), St. Julien (So), Hatcher (Jr), and Loston (Fr) And that isn't discussing up and coming talent like Vinson, Mathieu, Reid, Calhoun, Simon, Gibson - most if not all 4-stars. Is this the deepest ever? Last ten years? Last twenty years? What do you guys think?
It's so deep that I believe it's the most likely area of future "attrition"...next is wide receiver. And I'm beginning to wonder if we have so many athletes, defensive backs and wide receivers that we're too thin at other positions like offensive line and linebacker...it may not necessarily be such a great thing. Are we really balanced?
You look at all the DBs we have and all the WRs we are bringing in along with more Dbs and its getting a little crowded. I'm not opposed to converting WRs to DBs but we don't have space in the defensive backfield to do that. We also have alot of RBs in the future. I'm thinking some ways to deal with this could be....... Reid- LB Hill-LB ?
Of course, you can't count your chickens before they hatch...but I think OL depth is fine AT THIS POINT...considering the incomings. Totally agree that in the last couple of years, we have been very thin. We've moved a couple of DL to the OL to help, but we have a decent group on the OL now...they're just young. I think next year, this team is gonna be sick across the board. And with the players we brought in with this class and the next class, I see long term Tiger football. - I would rather see the focus on LB than OL right now. But as stated by KE, we have a couple of guys that can move there. Reid moreso than Hill, IMO...but with Chavis' system, you can thrive with smaller hybrid style LBs.
61 Ben Domingue C 6-3 276 Fr. RS Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More HS) 62 Robert Blackmon OL 6-1 220 Fr. HS Burkburnett, Texas (Burkburnett HS) 63 Allen Buniger OL 6-3 257 Fr. HS New Orleans, La. (West Jefferson HS) 64 P.J. Lonergan C 6-4 300 So. 1L New Orleans, La. (Rummel HS) 68 Josh Dworaczyk OG 6-6 295 Jr. 2L New Iberia, La. (Catholic-New Iberia HS) 70 Evan Washington OT 6-5 315 Fr. HS DeSoto, Texas (DeSoto HS) 71 Alex Bonnette OT 6-2 271 Fr. RS LaPlace, La. (Riverside Academy) 72 Alex Hurst OT 6-6 329 So. 1L Bartlett, Tenn. (Arlington HS) 74 Josh Williford OG 6-7 324 Fr. RS Dothan, Ala. (Houston Academy) 75 Greg Shaw OT 6-5 295 Jr. SQ Hialeah, Fla. (Edward Pace HS) 76 Chris Faulk OT 6-6 316 Fr. RS Slidell, La. (Northshore HS) 77 Josh Downs DT 6-1 278 So. 1L Bastrop, La. (Bastrop HS) 78 Joseph Barksdale OT 6-6 318 Sr. 3L Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech HS) 79 Matt Branch OG 6-6 287 So. 1L Monroe, La. (Sterlington HS) Went and checked some figures. We have 10 OL that are either freshman (some of which will be redshirted and be freshmen again) or sophomores. Then, we have the incoming class, which is pretty star studded. - I'll also bet you lunch that Elliot Porter is a Tiger next spring...a freshman Tiger. I have a feeling this whole Elliot Porter thing is being blown way out of proportion. It's not uncommon. Harry Coleman greyshirted, and he turned out OK I think.
We seem to do a lot of moving OL to DL and vice versa. If a kid was recruited as a TE or DL and he's never played an OL position in his life it has to be a difficult transition. Are we just not signing enough OL recruits?
Again, I think we went thru a period that we didn't...but look at what we have brought in this past class, and what we're bringing in next class. So far in 2011, we have Collins, Trai Turner, and Corey White as committed OL...all blue chippers, with Collins being a top 5-6 overall recruit. I think the issue existed, and it has been/is continuing to be addressed. All three of the guys in this class are top 250 overall recruits. Can't ask for much more than that.
I don't follow recruiting but it seems to me that this shuffling in the past has contributed to our OL problems.
Actually, it was necessary due to a lack of OL and OL progression. Joseph Barksdale came to LSU as a DL...and was moved. Thank God for that, because without him, we'd have literally no experience on the OL this year! - But the point I'm trying to make is that it has been realized, and is being corrected...very well. :thumb:
