I am not 100% sure, so correct me if I am wrong, but I think qualification issues are what kept LaFell so low.
O.k. you two knuckleheads knock it off. No one is mentioning the 5 star that is all but in the bag---Benton. The Times Picayune reported he committed yesterday, but I haven't seen it on the services yet. Yes, he committed last year and ended up at Hargrove, but it is nice to know he is now looked upon as the number one prep school player and his stock has risen. So there is your 5 star, albeit an upgraded retread.
Only one of those guys is a starter (when healthy), and it took Doucet until his 3rd year before he was any good. Of course. That's because there's five times more 2 & 3 star players. But then again it depends on how you look at it. A 2 star isn't expected to be a great player so can you really call them a "bust" just because they don't become one... LaFell's ranking had nothing to do with his dropping the ball (which he's had issues with the past 2 games). That was never even an issue before & I don't expect it to continue to be one. LaFell was very light (weighed like 170lbs), but it was really just a lack of exposure & video that kept him from being a 4 star. He was under the radar of the recruiting services, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a great receiver even in HS. He had a lot of programs after him & by the time he leaves here he'll be a first day draft pick. You are giving the recruiting services to much credit.
It didn't take him until his third year to get good, it took him until his third year to be the main WR. That tends to happen when you're playing behind two first round picks. He's been good. Maybe...
last year was his third year, therefore, last year, he wasn't the No. 1 WR. His 1st 2 years, he was inconsistent to the greatest degree.
lafell a 1st round draft pick i love lsu an i love our gys but lets get serious here i dont see that.........he drops way too many balls an i dont see him being a gamebreaker after he catches the ball i.e. terell owens you know he is going to drop a few but there us always the fact that he can take it to the house at anytime .....i dont see lafell being that player now i hope im wrong boy do i hope im wrong....but i know football ive played it all my life an i just dont see it.....he is afraid to get hit thats why he drops so many balls go look at the tape thats if u tivo the games like i do he dropped all those balls cuz he was anticipating the hit an trust me you cant coach that out of a kid at this stage at least ive never seen it happen this late....but hey i hope im wrong
I said that LaFell would be a 1st day pick, but I wouldn't say first round is out of the question. LaFell is a bit worried about the hit, but can improve on that. He's already much better about it than he was last year. The main thing that will help is as he gains weight. When he came to LSU he weighed less than 170lbs & he's at about 205 right now. Next year when he's at 210+ he'll feel more confident in his body's ability to take that punishment. And IMO, LaFell hasn't been dropping passes just because he's afraid of the hit. He's dropping them because he takes his focus off of the ball. Sometimes it's because of the hit but several times it was because he was looking forward to the play he wanted to make once he got the ball. LaFell has the measurables to be a great receiver. He just needs to continue his development to get there. He has to learn to come back for the ball, be willing to fight for it, not look ahead to the play's development while trying to catch, and better blocking. That sounds like a lot, but by next year I expect it to be there.
Parso, I noticed Saturday night, LaFell tries to catch the ball "In the bread basket" and not with his hands. I hadn't noticed this before but have you, or anyone else, noticed if this is a tendency of his or just happened to be on the plays I was looking for it. Pretty sure that's what happened with the INT- the ball hit off of his pads and bounced. I agree that he should be fine as he progresses.
