The LSU football team is swelling with Pelican State pride.
The Tigers boast players from as far away as Michigan, Kansas and South Carolina, but in-state players make up the majority of the team.
Two smaller neighboring cities in northern Louisiana hold their own on the roster, though Baton Rouge and New Orleans claim the bulk of LSU athletes.
Five LSU players have ties to one of the “Twin Cities” — Monroe and West Monroe.
Those Tigers will share the field with former high school teammates this weekend when LSU takes on Louisiana-Monroe in Tiger Stadium.
“A lot of faces I know are coming down for the game,” said LSU redshirt freshman defensive end Barkevious Mingo. “I know cheerleaders, football players, band members. They are all coming down for the game.”
Mingo, junior guard Will Blackwell and freshman defensive end Jordan Allen played together at West Monroe High School. Sophomore tight end Tyler Edwards (Ouachita Parish High School) and sophomore guard Matt Branch (Sterlington High School) are from Monroe.
ULM also utilizes the talent-rich high schools in the area. Seven Warhawks are from either Monroe or West Monroe.
Mingo, the most well-known LSU athlete from West Monroe, has found his niche on the defensive line in his second season, earning his first career start against Auburn.
“KeKe” said he will have his eye on ULM senior running back Frank Goodin, a former teammate from West Monroe High School.
Goodin had a breakout season in 2009, earning second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors with 1,126 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
“Frank and my brother are good friends,” Mingo said. “[Goodin] was good for us [at West Monroe]. He’s good for ULM. It’s nice to play against people you know.”
Blackwell will spend the reunion on the sideline after suffering a broken ankle on LSU’s first offensive play of the season.
The 6-foot-4-inch, 303-pound guard will be out at least two more weeks but could return for the Ole Miss game Nov. 20.
Blackwell has extended the offensive line legacy after Monroe-area natives and former LSU linemen Rudy Niswanger and Andrew Whitworth set the bar earlier this decade.
Edwards will line up against ULM sophomore linebacker Cameron Blakes. The two were teammates at Ouachita Parish High School.
“Like one of our coaches told us yesterday, this is the Louisiana Super Bowl,” Edwards said. “It’s big for them. Those are some of the guys that weren’t able to come to LSU and wanted to play here.”
Branch is also gearing up for a matchup against a familiar face, former Sterlington High School and current ULM freshman defensive lineman LaQuinton Allen.
“It kind of feels like high school days coming back,” Branch said. “I got a lot of friends that go to school there. Most of my high school went there.”
Joe Alleva, vice chancellor and director of athletics, said one of the advantages of scheduling a game against an in-state school like ULM is the connections the players have with each other.
“Each team probably knows a lot of the players,” Alleva said. “Families probably know each other. It’s a great thing.”
The LSU-Monroe pipeline doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon.
West Monroe High School athlete Paul Turner has committed to LSU for the 2011 recruiting class.
Turner, a jack of all trades, plays quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back.
“He’s going to be a freak [at LSU],” Mingo said. “He’s just a freak athlete. He can play multiple roles.”
Turner, a Scout.com three-star recruit, won a state title as a junior, racking up more than 1,000 yards both on the ground and through the air.
“He’s one of those kids that will come down here and work with both sides of the ball,” said Shea Dixon, managing editor of TigerSportsDigest.com. “He’s got the skill set to be a wide receiver.”
 
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]