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Trying to get back to the Top
By Mike Detillier
LSU head coach Les Miles has realized that once you win a national championship the faithful don’t accept anything less.
The “Who Dat Nation” feels the same way about what Sean Payton has done with the New Orleans Saints.
That success bar has been raised very high and for many, the past is the past, and it is what are you going to do for us today?
It is part of success, getting paid at the highest level, and expectations.
Many say that national signing day, recruiting ratings and the level of covering the top high school players entering the college ranks are way overrated. And to some extent I can’t disagree, but all I know is that if you are not successful on signing day you won’t win on Saturdays.
Much has been made on recruiting ratings and how it equates or doesn’t equate to professional talent, but if I am a college head coach or assistant I want the best talent I can get that fits what I do. it is fact that the most successful recruiting teams over the past few years have ended up in the hunt for conference championships and national championships.
Yes, Baylor, TCU and Boise State have not been Top-15 rated teams in the recruiting battles. Their coaches have done a phenomenal job finding the best talent for their respective teams. But over the past five to seven years hasn’t Alabama, Florida State, Oregon, Ohio State, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Michigan State, USC, UCLA, Stanford, Clemson, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Notre Dame been the best teams and been in the upper-tier of recruiting players?
It is the tie-in that separates the pretenders from the contenders.
In the Class of 2015 LSU landed the best threesome of running backs in the nation in Derrius Guice, Nick Brossette and David Ducre. They landed the best threesome of cornerbacks I have ever seen hit LSU at one time in Kevin Toliver, Xavier Lewis and Donte Jackson. They again were able to sign three of the top wide receivers in the nation in Tyron Johnson, Derrick Dillon and Jazz Ferguson.
But what makes this class special are the big men they landed.
Last year at this time LSU whiffed on getting the quality big men along the offensive line that wins national championships. This year they hit a homerun in that category.
There is not another team in college football that got as many quality linemen. The Tigers got in the best offensive tackle prospect in Ohio in George Brown, two of the top three offensive line prospects in the state of Texas in Maea Teuhema and Toby Weathersby, one of the top developmental offensive line prospects in the nation in Chidi-Valentine-Okeke from Georgia and a standout “big man” from the state of Louisiana in Adrian Magee. It is a major part of winning conference and national championships, winning the battle in the trenches.
On defense the Tigers got one of the elite pass rush defensive ends in the nation in Arden Key from Georgia and one of the top defensive end prospects in the Deep South in Edna Karr High School’s Isaiah Washington.
The Tigers missed out on a couple of top defensive tackle prospects, but they get Travonte Valentine and Trey Lealaimatafao, two highly recruited freshman from the Class of 2014, back into the lineup chase in 2015.
The Tigers didn’t sign any linebackers and it will be a bulls-eye spot for them in 2016, but for Tiger fans the obvious to come out of this recruiting class is that there is no immediate or long term significant answer to the quarterback dilemma. That is the one question all of us in the media and if you are involved with LSU get asked constantly.
For 2015 the key is not only recruiting a very strong class of freshmen and getting them ready to play quickly for some, but it is developing the most important spot on the team at quarterback.
It is why Urban Meyer and Oho State won the national championship. He didn’t have just one player at the most critical spot, he had Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones and he won the national championship with a third-string quarterback.
We have seen enough from Anthony Jennings and realize that he is just not accurate enough as a passer to bring this team to the championship level, but he knows what he is doing from play to play. He just doesn’t have the passing skills and accuracy ability to be a standout passer at the college level. Brandon Harris does have those type passing skills and like Jennings, he is a very good runner with the ball.
Now LSU and Les Miles have to adapt their offense to the skillset of Harris and Jennings and they must get Harris ready mentally. He is a very good prospect with all the tools to succeed, but you have to know what you are doing on every snap, not just every once in a while.
The recruiting class of 2015 is very impressive, but bottom line is that you win at the highest level of college football with the big guys upfront along the offensive and defensive lines and at quarterback.
The quarterback “mystery” has to be solved and quickly in Baton Rouge. There will be no outside life raft to throw to help. The answer is getting Brandon Harris ready to take those significant snaps as the starter and he has to make that big jump mentally from freshman football to a sophomore leader.
Mike D's Top 15 Top Prep Players in the state of Louisiana for 2016
1. Shea Patterson, Quarterback, 6-2, 190, Calvary Baptist
2. Edwin Alexander, Defensive Tackle, 6-2 1/2, 320, St. Thomas Aquinas
3. Willie Allen, Offensive Tackle , 6-6, 290, John Curtis
4. Glen Logan, Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 280, Destrehan
5. Stephen Sullivan, Wide Receiver, 6-5, 215, Donaldsonville
6. Devin White, Linebacker/Halfback, 6-0, 230, North Webster
7. Kristian Fulton, Cornerback, 5-11, 170, Rummel
8. Rashard Lawrence, Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 290, Neville
9. Shyheim Carter, Cornerback/Safety, 5-11, 180, Kentwood
10. Michael Divinity, Linebacker, 6-1 1/2, 205, John Ehret
11. Willie Baker, Defensive End, 6-3, 220, Livonia
12. Mykel Jones, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 180, Patterson
13. Stephon Taylor, Defensive Tackle, 6-3, 265, McDonough 35
14. Clyde Leflore-Chriss, Wide Receiver, 6-2, 175, Warren Easton
15. Donovaughn Campbell, Offensive Guard/Tackle, 6-4, 340, Ponchatoula
LSU's La'el Collins on his Future
Monday Night on WWL-870 New Orleans Second Guess Show LSU offensive tackle La'el Collins spoke about what he is doing to upgrade his NFL draft stock.
"I don't want the pros to just think of me as a left tackle, right tackle or a guard. I want to play every spot along the offensive line. I am training at tackle, guard and center. The more I can do the more I can help an NFL team. It doesn't matter to me where I play as long as I can contribute to a team and help them win games. Winning is paramount."
"I look at Andrew Whitworth with the (Cincinnati) Bengals. They ask him to play guard and he is an All-Pro. They put him at tackle and he is an All-Pro tackle. I am working hard on my footwork skills and techniques, but most important is what I have done on the field. I had some great backs behind me. I think of Spencer Ware, Michael Ford, Jeremy Hill, Alfred Blue, Terrence Magee, Kenny Hilliard and Leonard Fournette. I have been blessed with some great backs at LSU. I don't want to let them down when they run in my direction. I want to make the key block on a big running play. I want to be the guy to make that key block when the quarterback is looking downfield for a target. I want to be known for his skillset and my versatility."
The All-American offensive tackle also commented on the possibility of playing for the New Orleans Saints.
"That would be a dream come true. For me to say that I played high school in Louisiana, play college football at LSU and then with the Saints. I would be thrilled. Had some conversations with the Saints at the Senior Bowl and it would be an honor to play for them."
Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDetillier