Top 25 Louisiana Recruits for 2015 By Paul Crewe, Cody Bellaire, and cdub71323 on Dec 23 2014, 12:00p 1 Student Sports × Get the latest LSU Tigers news with And The Valley Shook Like And The Valley Shook Facebook Who are the state's best players in 2015? Tweet (18) Share (3) Share Louisiana is one of the nation's prime hotbeds for NFL talent. Outside of the talents that wind up at LSU, or even the SEC, you can typically find a smattering of Louisiana players on rosters all across the country. Cdub, Cody and I put our collective heads together to come up with our own Louisiana Top 20. Here's our composite: 1) Tyron Johnson, WR, Uncommitted The state's lone consensus 5-star, this was a pretty easy choice. Johnson's got a little Odell Beckham Jr. to him, though maybe not quite the athletic skills. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands, and at 6'1", 190, sports good size for the position. He should be a dynamic playmaker at the next level. - Paul Cdub: 1 Cody: 1 Paul: 1 2) Derrius Guice, RB, LSU Commit Balance, toughness, tackle-breaker. Those three words sum him up perfectly. He just doesn’t go down. He is a shorter, stockier back with blazing speed and isn’t afraid to put a shoulder into somebody. Imagine Terrence Magee, but faster with Spencer Ware’s power. One question mark I have is his pass catching. Not a lot of clips of him catching the ball so I honestly don’t know how well he can do that out of the backfield. Same goes with his pass blocking, so we will just have to wait and see with those two. But as a pure ball-carrier, he is terrifying. I can see him stepping in as the lightning to Fournette’s thunder in year one. - Cody Cdub: 2 Cody: 2 Paul: 3 3) Donte Jackson, ATH, Uncommitted LSU has had a recent bad streak with speedsters, whether it be never reaching their potential, heading elsewhere or off-field issues, but Donte could easily break that trend. At the start of this season, it looked iffy that LSU would miss on all three of the LA speedsters (Donte, Dillon, Merritt), but things are looking better for the first two, which is definitely needed on this team. Jackson is more than likely a CB at the next level, and while he will be bucking the trend of the bigger, more physical corners Raymond has come to love, the insane speed and quick hips of Jackson are a welcome consolation for Raymond. - Cdub Cdub: 3 Cody: 8 Paul: 2 4) Jerry Tillery, OT, ND Commit (signed financial agreement papers) An athletic tackle that can play on the defensive line, but I believe his future is at OT. He is super athletic for the position and has such good size and arm length. Very good in the run and pass and uses his arms very well. Strong punch with good side-to-side mobility. A bit off-balance at times and can get caught leaning, but that can be cleaned up. Easily the best offensive linemen in the state. - Cody Cdub: 6 Cody: 4 Paul: 5 5) Xavier Lewis, DB, LSU Commit Xavier Lewis wasn't blessed with the freak athletic skills, nor tremendous size, but I love the way this kid plays this game. He's a hard-nosed, competitive kid that will simply get after you. The lack of tremendous athleticism and overall size, may limit him to more a nickel role, though his physicality at the line of scrimmage could help mask those deficiencies. Physical and fierce, he's got some Jalen Mills to his game. - Paul Cdub: 10 Cody: 5 Paul: 4 6) Daylon Charlot, WR, Uncommitted LSU fans should be happy Charlot recently decommitted from Alabama because he seems like the type that would come back to haunt you at a school like that. One thing that stood out to me watching his video, and I'm not sure if he's been coached it or does it intentionally, but he nonchalantly bumps the covering corner at the last second to get that slight space at the end to make the catch. He does it a couple times and looks like he knows what he's doing. Outside of that, he shows solid hands and isn't afraid to leave his feet to make the catch. - Cdub Cdub: 7 Cody: 3 Paul: 7 7) David Ducre, RB, LSU Commit The recruiting sites list Ducre as a FB, but I'm not positive that's his future. At 5'11", 230 pounds, he's exceptionally well put together and chiseled. Ducre blasted a 4.46 40 at LSU Elite Camp this summer, impressive for his size. He runs with good balance and power, and is tough to wrestle to the ground. He's not a guy that's gonna make a ton of people miss in the open field, but he'll make one cut and get downhill in a hurry. He'll remind of Charles Scott. - Paul Cdub: 8 Cody: 6 Paul: 6 8) Nick Brossette, RB, LSU Commit If you told me Guice weighs more than Brossette, I wouldn't believe you, but the numbers don't lie. Brossette plays a lot bigger than his listed 207 lbs., which is beneficial for him since he lacks top-end speed. He can still make people miss, but it's the determination that makes him stand out and normally causes more than one defender to bring him down. He's been putting up huge numbers for some time now at U-High so he's doing something right. - Cdub Cdub: 5 Cody: 11 Paul: 9 9) Derrick Dillion, ATH, Florida Commit The Florida coaching change may wind up being LSU's gain, but either way Dillon brings that elite speed that LSU has been missing for some time now. Unlike Donte Jackson, Dillon may be better suited for the offensive side, where that speed and agility combo can be deadly in the open field. The one thing that impresses me about him is that it takes only a split second before he's at his top speed and that burst can be a dominant trait to have. - Cdub Cdub: 4 Cody: 15 Paul: 8 10) Kirk Merritt, ATH, Uncommitted Super athlete that happens to be a great pass catcher equals an impressive prospect. He does not have the best route running which is his biggest downfall, but when the ball is in his hands he is deadly. Doesn’t have elite agility, but his straight-line speed is scary enough to make you worry about that instead. If he can clean up his routes and be a little more fluid in his cuts he could be even scarier at the next level. - Cody Cdub: 9 Cody: 9 Paul: 14
11) Deshawn Raymond, CB, TCU Commit The thing to love about Raymond is his absurd length. At 6'1", he's got tremendous wingspan to stretch out and knock down passes. He's listed at 190, but just eyeballing he looks quite a bit thinner. He'll need to add some bulk and strength before he's ready to be a full-time contributor. I've seen him flash some pretty good agility in camp settings, though on tape he's not as fluid. I think the big thing here is upside. - Paul Cdub: 12 Cody: 10 Paul: 10 12) Jazz Ferguson, WR, LSU Commit A jumpball nightmare, Ferguson combines his 6'5" height and impressive vertical to make life difficult for smaller defenders. Quarterbacks always enjoy having a security blanket that has a long frame to haul in errant throws, and Ferguson's hands give them that comfort. He also boasts surprising athleticism for a guy his size. - Cdub Cdub: 11 Cody: UR Paul: 11 13) Isaiah Washington, DE, LSU Commit I'm surprised Washington didn't get a boost in his rating after his senior season because I was impressed with his footage. He still needs a little time to grow, but he does a lot of things well. One thing I liked the most is his ability to position the lineman blocking him on running plays to put himself in better position to make the tackle, something you don't see too often in high school. He also does a good job of getting around the edge and uses that old-school Reggie White uppercut to disengage his blocker (how's that for an old school reference?). - Cdub Cdub: 18 Cody: 12 Paul: 13 14) Kendall Bussey, RB, Tennessee Commit A smaller speed-back that isn’t afraid to run between the tackles. He is an absolute burner that is a fantastic pass catcher. Tends to bounce towards the outside when he breaks to the second level, but is capable of making players miss in traffic. Would really like to see him run more vertically, but his speed allows him to beat defenders to the outside. Tennessee will force him to run upfield more so if he is able to wiggle between the first level and explode into the secondary he could be a consistent homerun hitter. - Cody Cdub: UR Cody: 7 Paul: 18 15) Michael Chigbu, WR, Georgia Commit Big, tall receiver with great speed for his size and runs smooth routes. Not exactly the best hands as he lets the get to his body a little more than I’d like him too. But his route running his so impressive, along with his frame, that if you can teach him to attack the ball instead of waiting for it to get to him he could be super impressive in the future. - Cody Cdub: 16 Cody: 14 Paul: 19 16) Justin Reid, S, Uncommitted He may not be as big as his older brother Eric just yet, but he shares the same tenacity at the safety position that has made Eric one of the better safeties in the NFL. While Justin's earlier highlights were mostly him looking for the big hit, he has rounded off his game to become a more complete safety and has seen his stock rise recently. With that rise finally came the LSU offer in hopes he continues to grow at his position and make the same mark his brother did. - Cdub Cdub: 13 Cody: UR Paul: 16 17) Jozie Milton, OL, TCU Commit I'm a bit surprised Milton doesn't sport an LSU offer, but he's an interior only guy and that may be the rationale. Milton isn't the biggest guy, listed at 6'3", but probably checking in shorter. He's explosive off the ball and tenacious as hell, though. He plays nasty, and I love that about him. He'll probably be a OC at TCU, but I think he's an underrated player in state. - Paul Cdub: UR Cody: UR Paul: 12 18) Deshawn Capers-Smith, ATH, Texas A&M Commit Normally, a player like Deshawn would be regarded as the top athlete in the state, but this year is a little different with Donte and Dillon at the top of the list. That's not a knock against Deshawn though, who is a top-caliber athlete with the ability to play at a lot of different positions for top Warren Easton. While he has played quarterback for them, Capers-Smith will likely play at WR or CB for the Aggies and could provide some more speed for the Aggies to hang in the SEC. - Cdub CDub: 14 Cody: 20 Paul: UR 19) Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma Commit Easily the most ferocious lineman in the state for me. Super quick off the line and gives a strong jab in pass protection. He is relentless in the run game and has very quick feet. Love his tenacity and ability to bury people early and often. Not sure how his style will play-out against the heavier DT’s in college, but if he gets stronger he could be one of the premier linemen in the country. - Cody Cdub: UR Cody: 13 Paul: UR 20) Terrell Chatman, WR, Miami Commit I really don't understand this one. This will be my bold prediction: By the end of their college tenures, Chatman will be the second best WR to come from this Louisiana class when all is said and done, behind Tyron Johnson of course. As of right now, I would even put him above Chigbu, who normally outranks Chatman by far on every list. Something about his leaping ability and how he attacks the ball in the air is going to make him special. Just go watch his highlights and you'll see. - Cdub Cdub: 15 Cody: UR Paul: UR
21) Kevin Henry, S, Oklahoma State Commit I never really saw Kevin Henry as a future S, but sites continue to project him as such. At 6'1", 200, to me, he's a prototypical Chavis LB. I absolutely love the way he hits, and he comes downhill in a hurry. His coverage is suspect, which I think will limit him as a safety, but this guy can play in the box and be a difference maker with just a little added bulk. - Paul Cdub: UR Cody: UR Paul: 15 22) T.D. Moton, DT, Alabama Commit Big boy that can bulk up even more to be a true nose tackle, but is athletic enough to be a talented 3-tech. He is very good at taking up space and blockers. Fits more into a 3-4 scheme that puts him at nose. - Cody Cdub: 19 Cody: 19 Paul: 20 23) Stanley Morgan, WR, Nebraska Commit Excellent at high-pointing the football and that fits well with his vertical. At 5’10", 175 lbs. he plays bigger than his size. Very physical in traffic and bullies corners in the red zone and runs hard on crossers over the middle. Is not afraid to come over the middle and catch the ball in traffic. Doesn’t have blazing speed, but his strength makes up for it. Routes are not crazy fluid, but manages to sell on double moves. Solid receiver that can play inside or outside and is a natural pass catcher. - Cody Cdub: UR Cody: 16 Paul: UR 24) Bo Wallace, LB, Notre Dame Commit A prototypical rush-end linebacker, Wallace already has a couple of moves in his arsenal already to get to the quarterback and wreak havoc in the backfield. Another solid thing that he does in his videos is does a quality job of maintaining the edge on rushing plays and containing the back. That's a rare thing you see in pass rushers and will be vital for him in getting early playing time. - Cdub Cdub: 17 Cody: UR Paul: UR 25a) Adrian Magee, OT, LSU Commit Big time mauler in the run game. Man-handles people at the LOS. Doesn’t have the quickest feet, but his power makes up for it. Not super long arms and could get caught holding the quicker pass rushers that slip around him. Obviously more of a run blocker that will be a guard at the next level. - Cody Cdub: 20 Cody: 18 Paul: UR 25b) Arthur McGinnis, LB, Uncommitted Very athletic and has a nose for the football. Does extremely well in stopping the run and is an even better blitzer. If he could gain 20+ pounds I would love to see him as a 3-4 pass rusher. Does not do that good of a job in coverage due to his stiff hips, but I love his tackling ability and sideline-to-sideline speed. - Cody Cdub: UR Cody: 17 Paul: UR 25c) Oshea Dugas, OT, Louisiana Tech Commit Dugas believes there is only one proper place for defenders: on the ground. Nearly every play results in a defender eating turf and Dugas standing tall over him. I'm not sure how athletic he is, but I love him as a pure mauler. His initial punch isn't dynamite, but he's ox-strong and is able to win despite it. He's long-armed and doesn't look terrible out in space. I, for one, would be happy if he were a late flip to LSU. - Paul
In a class like this, is there a guy like Speedy Noil that could come in and immediately make an impact in special teams returning kicks?
Having seen Travin Dural in high school, I thought he was the best return guy coming out that year. There are a number on that list, White I'm guessing will keep returning punts. Magee will need someone to replace him, I'd like to see someone replace Fournette in the return game.
In case anyone wants to watch Tyron Johnson in action the replay of Neville and Warren Easton is on FSSW right now. John Diarse's younger brother is in this game also.
