Many high school players from around the country won’t have to wait for Aug. 30 to catch a glimpse of LSU football coach Les Miles. Sunday is the start of the Tiger Football Camp for high school football players.
As many as 400 prep players from around the country will be instructed by Miles and his staff.
In the Tiger Football Camp brochure, Miles clearly displays the intent of the camp.
“Our goal with the Tiger Football Camps is to allow young student-athletes of all ages an opportunity to improve and enhance their football abilities,” Miles said. “Our LSU football staff along with an outstanding camp staff give their knowledge of the game and technical expertise in making every camper a better player.”
Aja Print, of Tiger Football Camps, said the players will split up into their positions and learn the basic fundamentals and techniques of football. Afterward, they will participate in seven-on-seven drills and conclude the camp with an awards ceremony.
The Tiger Football Camp is designed to give each individual athlete advice needed to excel at his specific position. This program is directed by Miles along with assistance from his staff and guest lecturers.
Mack Butler, football administration assistant athletic director, made it clear that the purpose of the camp is not for recruiting. The purpose of this camp is to help high school players learn and prepare for their upcoming football seasons.
“This is a non-contact skills teaching camp,” Butler said. “These young men pay money to come to camp and be coached to be better players. The camps are for improving the athletes. There are 400 kids there, and our goal is to coach all of them.”
Although the purpose of the camp is not to court recruits, a number of national recruits are expected to be in attendance. However the University cannot release any information on players attending.
“We can’t make public knowledge of who’s going to be at the camp,” Butler said. “There will be some athletes who are being recruited nationally but we can’t comment on those. We can’t make any kind of public knowledge of who is or is not here.”
Although LSU is not allowed to release any information regarding players, the camp is expected to include several of the top-ranked high school players around the country. Lurking Internet message boards such as Tigerbait.com lend a few hints on players who are supposed to be attend.
One of the top recruits rumored to attend is the top defensive player in the nation, JaMarkus McFarland. The 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound defensive tackle out of Lufkin, Texas, is expected to choose between LSU, Texas and Oklahoma despite being offered a scholarship by most of the top football programs in the country.
Other big-name players expected to attend include Louisiana natives Chris Davenport and Rueben Randle, who is widely regarded as the best player in Louisiana and the top receiver in the nation. Davenport is ranked as the second-best defensive tackle in the nation behind McFarland.
Safety prospect and Texas native Craig Loston, currently committed to Clemson, is rumored to attend along with his cousin Russell Shepard. Shepard is the top commitment for the class of 2009 and is ranked as a five-star quarterback according to most recruiting publications.
The camp is scheduled to end July 23.
—-Contact Tyler Harvey at [email protected]