Since the blow-up of recruiting Web sites like Rivals.com and Scout.com during recent years, recruiting has become more and more like Astronomy 1001 – it’s all about the stars. While signing a slew of five-star players is indeed a luxury most teams love to have, the less-touted players in a class are the players who ultimately will determine whether a class is a failure or a success. Take Jacob Hester for example. Hester was just a lowly two-star prospect out of Evangel High School in 2004, but the Shreveport native was the heart and soul of the Tigers’ national championship team. In the defensive secondary, cornerbacks Johnathan Zenon and Chevis Jackson were both three-star prospects who no one dreamed would anchor the secondary during their tenures at LSU. On the flip side, a notorious flop is former five-star wide receiver Xavier Carter, who used a combination of speed and quickness to earn Rivals’ No. 5 wide receiver ranking in 2004. Carter’s most memorable moments at LSU were his accomplishments on the track team with his low-point coming when he kneeled the ball at his own 1-yard line on a kick return. Much like one cannot judge a book by its cover, one should also wait three to four years to judge a recruiting class. With that said, let’s take a look at some 2008 signees who will be potential “Hesters” – players who will have big-time impacts despite not receiving big-time hype.
Jordan Jefferson, QB, 6’4 200 lbs, Destrehan High School The prize of the Louisiana class is four-star Destrehan quarterback Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson began his senior season under the radar as just a two-star prospect because of a wrist injury in his junior season. But dominant play and an undefeated state championship season shot the 6-foot-4-inch signal caller up to the state’s undisputed No. 1 quarterback ranking. If Jefferson was not coming off an injury in 2006, he would have probably been a five-star player and one of the nation’s top-five quarterbacks. Many Tiger fans were bummed by the nation’s No. 1 player Terrelle Pryor shunning LSU, but Jefferson could easily challenge redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee for the starting position once junior Ryan Perrilloux’s career comes to an end.
Tyler Edwards, TE, 6’3 222 lbs, Ouachita High School When Edwards committed to LSU in early January, he was one of the highest-rated tight ends in the country, having many fans drooling about his future four seasons in purple and gold. Since that time, Rivals.com has moved Edwards from a high four-star prospect to a three-star prospect because of a bad week of workouts at the Under Armour All-Star Game. Every good student occasionally makes an F, every good shooter occasionally has a bad night and every football player occasionally has a bad week. That said, I trust Edwards’ high school career more than I trust a fluke combine. Edwards also received scholarship offers from Florida, Nebraska and Alabama during his recruiting process, so expect him to be a force throughout his career at LSU. Lavar Edwards, DE, 6’4 300 lbs, Desire Street Academy When the Tigers received a verbal pledge from Edwards on Jan. 26, fans weren’t jumping out of their seats in excitement with the pledge from the state’s No. 33 player. But while Edwards is raw and quite a bit unpolished, the sky is the limit once he fills out his 300-pound frame. With a probable redshirt season and two or three seasons waiting his turn on the sidelines, Edwards will be similar to future NFL pass rusher senior Tyson Jackson, who was also regarded as a three-star prospect in 2004.
Drew Alleman, K, 6’0 170 lbs, Acadiana High School OK, so kickers may not be the most exciting people in the world, but Alleman is a lead-footed touchback machine. Considering LSU’s kickoff coverage ranked No. 40 in the NCAA this past season, getting the two-star Alleman to accept a walk-on position is a huge bonus for the Tigers’ special teams. Alleman has the nation’s fifth-strongest high school leg, according to Rivals. Expect the walk-on to be a special teams savior for LSU for the next four seasons.
Don’t judge a recruiting class by its Rivals ranking
February 7, 2008