Well we still have Bumphis in our sites and he talkes to coach Stud every other week or so. He is being recruited as a Slot WR like Bell and Wooten but I still do not see him apart of this class with the other WR ahead of him IMO.
I like Appleton just fine, but everyone seems to forget about Pat Patterson. If that guy's listed measurables are accurate (6'3" 215#, 4.5 second 40), we don't have a receiver quite like him on our roster or in our pipeline. He has tremendous size, very good speed, and great hands. I really don't know what Appleton does that separates him from Patterson, and Patterson is physically closer to us.
Patterson was my pick to be the 3rd WR and still may be my pick even with the Appleton info coming out. Patterson is the safe pick IMO. Appleton's video is very comparable to Patterson's but I would say Appleton is slightly better overall. Both catch the ball with there hands and make it look effortless. Appleton is 6'2.5 190# 4.4 also.
I know there are some people that have expressed concerns over Patterson's speed. He has posted slow 40 times. However, his defenders believe that the times were slow for everyone timed that day, etc.. Both rivals and scout have Appleton ahead of Bell in their rankings. Apparently you believe that LSU has Bell ranked ahead of Appleton, Patterson and Bumphis though if you think his spot is saved, right? It is hard to say just how fast some of these guys are when all you see is the standard 4.4 or 4.5 posted. You know that isn't a clocked time and the kid could be a 4.75 for all we know and be too slow for the SEC. Seeing the third digit usually indicates a clocked time.
I am of the opinion that Bell is nowhere near having a saved spot on this team. He waits too long, he will lose out.
Another receiver namaed Patterson, Jamal Patterson from GA is considering us. Sheppard has also spoken to him and touted the academic center. The Good Sheppard is a recruiting monster!! Well, I have no way of knowing if we will save a spot for Bell, but with all these WR's showing interest I think we will get someone very good, no matter what happens. Our BCS title, as well as Crowton's offense, may be giving us a boost this year. If we take a committment from Appleton, for instance, before Bell has verbaled it will be a sign that we may not be saving a spot for Bell. We only have so many WR slots and if we think we have a legitimate shot at one of the big boys, Dubose, etc. we may put Mr. Bell on hold.
I think Appleton, Patterson, and some others have nothing to do with Bell. Bell's a very different kind of receiver than those guys. He's a small, quick, water-bug type receiver. Think Tyrone Prothro. Appleton and Patterson are big receivers. The only receivers who MAY figure into the Bell question are Debose and Wooten. Of the 3, I would rank them 1) Debose, 2) Bell, and 3) Wooten. Then again, Bell's videos are almost useless. He may be much better than his videos show. I do know that the people who seem to know the most believe that Bell has a committable offer until he's good and ready regardless of what anyone else does.
As far as Patterson goes, I really hope we get him. I like it anytime a player's GPA is the same as his 40 time...4.5
You're referring to Jamal Patterson, while I was thinking about Pat Patterson. I really think there's little chance of Jamal Patterson being a part of this class. I think he's probably headed somewhere like Stanford. His videos aren't really LSU-impressive, and there are so many others on the board right now that some strange things would probably have to happen before he became part of this class.
:geaux::crystal::helmet: Agree 100%. Bell's spot may not be near as secure as he thinks it is. I don't think he's as safe as say Randle, Davenport and Mingo. With kids like Appleton and others showing serious interest and LSU returning that interest, Bell could definitely get caught up in a numbers game and find himself on the outside looking in! He might want to consider taking the offer while it's still on the table. :geauxtige:champs::LSU231:
