LSU recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson has kept up the Tigers’ sterling reputation on the recruiting trail in his first year on the job.
The New Orleans native has nabbed a 17-member, top-5 ranked recruiting class for 2011, according to Rivals.com and ESPNU.
But Wilson is not a recruiting coordinator in the eyes of the 17 high school seniors — they see him as a father.
“He’s a great father to all of us,” said Anthony Johnson, a Scout.com five-star defensive          lineman from O. Perry Walker High School. “He’s the father figure I never had. He’s been there every step of the way since eighth grade.”
Johnson and many of the other prospects from across the state in the 2011 recruiting class have become such a tight-knit group through the recruiting process they dubbed their group “The Fam.”
The cream of LSU’s 2011 recruiting crop lead “The Fam” — Scout five-star offensive tackle La’el Collins, four-star running back Jeremy Hill, four-star wide receiver Jarvis Landry, three-star wide receiver Alonzo Lewis and Johnson, among others.
“We call each other brothers,” Lewis said. “We’re that close.”
“The Fam” began to form between the players’ sophomore and junior high school football seasons when they attended camps at various  colleges.
“It started with all of the Junior Days and the small activities on campus,” Hill said. “We just started to build relationships.”
This year’s class features a significant amount of Louisiana talent.
In-state recruits account for 71 percent (12 of 17) of the 2011 class compared to only 46 percent for the 2010 (13 of 28) and 2009 (11 of 24) classes.
“We’re all hometown guys and want to represent for our state,” Johnson said.
“The Fam” has kept in touch through high school football games on Friday nights and LSU games on Saturdays.
“What’s so big about the game weekends is that the cornerstones of the class can be in town every weekend,” said Shea Dixon, managing editor of TigerSportsDigest.com. “They make a point to get to pretty much every game.”
The group’s bond is also tight away from the football field.
“We go out on the weekends too,” Hill said. “We play video games or go to the movies. We’re real close, not just because of football.”
Hill, a local product out of Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, said he was swayed to commit to the Tigers because of Wilson, the ringleader of the 2011 recruiting class.
Wilson, who also doubles as  running backs coach, was hired in December from Tennessee after former recruiting coordinator Larry Porter left LSU for the head coaching job at Memphis.
“He was one of the main     reasons I committed to LSU,” Hill said. “I was a little down when Coach Porter left, but when I heard Coach Wilson was hired, it lifted my spirits.”
The impact from Wilson has been seen through the way the players have bonded with the St. Augustine High School alumnus.
“Everybody loves him,” said Johnson, who is also a New Orleans native. “If you want to be called ‘The Fam,’ you have to have a great role model.”
The charismatic coach mentored former St. Augustine, Ole Miss and New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis when he was the Rebels’ running backs coach from 2005 to 2007.
“His ability to have that rapport with kids and be that father-figure type works really well,” Dixon said.
“He’s the guy that it all rotates around.”
Members of “The Fam” said they plan to keep their strong relationships when they join the team in the spring or summer.
“Teams from other places have guys that haven’t spoken to each other, and it’s going to be awkward for them,” Hill said. “We’ve been able to bond since we were freshmen and sophomores. It will carry on for the rest of our lives.”
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Contact Michael Lambert at [email protected]