It wasn’t the most eventful semester of recruiting in LSU history, but several key players in both football and basketball either verbally or officially decided to join the Tigers in the future.
The LSU basketball team, led by head coach Johnny Jones, has seen a turnaround in recent seasons under Jones’ leadership, largely due to his impact on the recruiting game.
Even before the 2013 squad first stepped onto the court in the PMAC, Jones was active on the recruiting trail, swiping several future Tigers.
Elbert Robinson III, Aaron Epps and Jalyn Patterson all signed their national letters of intent in November. Robinson is a four-star center from Garland, Texas. Epps is a three-star, 6-foot-9 Tioga, La., native who also plays center. Patterson is a three-star point guard from Alpharetta, Ga.
But the most notable signing came from 2015 recruit Ben Simmons, who is a five-star, 6-foot-9 power forward from Melbourne, Australia.
For LSU football, coach Les Miles had a quieter fall on the recruiting trail.
LSU added another member to its 2014 class with the signing of Davon Godchaux, a four-star defensive end prospect from Plaquemine, La.
The only other commitment came from 2017 prospect Dylan Moses, a University High freshman running back and linebacker, who agreed to join the Tigers in the distant future. He is expected to be the No. 1 recruit in the nation during his senior season.
While the commitments have been quiet, Miles still has quite the challenge ahead.
In the months leading up to National Signing Day, LSU will fight against a number of Southeastern Conference schools, with Alabama proving to be its main rival.
The battleground will be set on the No. 1 recruit in the 2014 class, five-star running back Leonard Fournette. The St. Augustine High School product has been deciding between LSU and Alabama over the last few months.
Jason Howell, Rivals.com’s Southwest/Midlands recruiting analyst, said Fournette is likely favoring LSU.
Five-star prospects Speedy Noil, Adoree’ Jackson, Tony Brown and Lorenzo Carter will also be making their decisions in the coming months.
Noil — the only Louisiana native of the group — could be playing in Tiger Stadium next season.
“If I had to guess right now, I’d say [he’ll choose] LSU,” Howell said. “He’s planning to graduate early, and he’s not going to go down to the wire with Signing Day. That offense and what they’ve done this year under Cam Cameron really helped a lot to make a strong case for him.”
As of now, the Tigers have 15 commits in their 2014 class. The commits include 12 four-star prospects and a trio of three-star players.
2014 National Signing Day is on Feb. 5.