Just because LSU landed the nation’s No. 1 recruit in Leonard Fournette doesn’t mean the Tigers are ready to call it a day on the recruiting front.
The Tigers are still in the hunt for several big-name recruits, and with a few last-minute pickups, could wrangle one of the nation’s best recruiting classes.
“[LSU is] trying to make a late run at a lot of these guys,” said TigerSportsDigest.com and Scout.com recruiting expert Hunter Paniagua. “[They’re] kind of kicking the tires on a lot of them and seeing who they have a chance with and see who they can really build relationships with.”
LSU’s recruiting scheme is widely thought to be focused on scoring John Curtis wide receiver and the country’s top-ranked pass catcher, Malachi Dupre.
Paniagua said the Tigers are vying for Dupre the most because he can make an immediate impact on an inexperienced receiving corps.
The battle for Dupre is all the more enticing to LSU, considering the team already lost out on several key recruits from Louisiana.
“They probably feel better about [Dupre] than some of the other in-state guys going elsewhere,” Paniagua said. “[LSU has] been recruiting him for a year, so they have a good relationship with him. He has a lot of respect for [LSU offensive coordinator] Cam Cameron and his system and wants to follow in [LSU draft prospect, wide receiver] Odell Beckham’s shoes maybe.”
Dupre took an official visit to Baton Rouge last weekend along with several other potential Tigers.
But potentially more crucial than finding a receiver, LSU coach Les Miles has yet to land a defensive tackle in 2014, which could put the Tiger defense in a sticky situation with Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson declaring for the NFL draft.
“The biggest [need] is probably defensive tackle,” Paniagua said. “That’s definitely a big push there with about three or four defensive tackles they’re looking at.”
LSU has a few defensive tackles on its radar for now, including Trey Lealaimatafao from Texas and Travonte Valentine out of Florida.
Both weigh more than 300 pounds and could be useful in getting back to the dominant days of old for the LSU defensive front.
Valentine is a bit of a wild card, having committed and decomitted to three separate schools since spring of 2012, but Paniagua said LSU likes the way it’s trending with Lealaimatafao, who has several family members in the Baton Rouge area.
“[LSU] still has the potential to finish with a top three class based off some of the guys they’re still going after,” Paniagua said. “They have three guys, at least on our rankings, that are No. 1 in their positions and they’re one of only two schools in the country to have that.”