East St. John quarterback Ryan Perrilloux answered the prayers of the LSU faithful and new Tigers coach Les Miles when he officially signed with the Tigers on Wednesday morning.
LSU signed 14 players in Miles’ first recruiting class.
“People that didn’t know my last name but knew I was the head coach did not say hi,” Miles said at his post-signing day press conference. “[They] said ‘How are we doing with Perrilloux?’”
Most of LSU’s other prospective signees were asking that same question, Miles said. Perrilloux’s signing gives the new era of LSU football a boost of confidence.
The 6-foot-2, 207-pound quarterback gained a Louisiana high school record 5,006 total yards of offense as a senior — 3,546 passing and 1,460 rushing.
“You have no idea what impact he had on the other signees today,” Miles said. “Those guys were holding firm and understood they wanted to be at LSU, but they also wanted Ryan to be at LSU.”
Miles said he believes Perrilloux’s decision boiled down to family support and immediate impact potential with sophomores Matt Flynn and JaMarcus Russell as the only returning scholarship quarterbacks.
“Ultimately, he wanted to stay in-state,” Miles said. “He has a strong family tie and enjoyed his high school experience. Obviously the opportunity he has with really only two quarterbacks on scholarship … it gives him a good opportunity to compete.”
Anxiety over Perrilloux’s decision-making progress poured through Miles’ mind throughout the recruiting process, but he said the star quarterback wanted to come to LSU all along.
“I had a strong feeling that he was soon to be an LSU player almost initially,” Miles said. “He didn’t say a lot. He listened and wanted to be a part and was very receptive. I felt [his] community really embraced the decision to go to LSU — his coach, his administrators, his buddies. He was looking for an opportunity to become an LSU quarterback.
Miles said keeping the state and the nation’s best quarterback in Louisiana was key.
“With the [coaching] change, I think it was important for he and his family to see that there was a qualified face to go with the head coach at LSU,” Miles said. “I think meeting that criteria make him feel real comfortable coming in.”
Ten of the Tigers’ 14 signees reside in the Bayou State. Miles’ Texas ties helped land the other four recruits.
“It’s difficult to manufacture relationships,” Miles said. “Fortunately, I knew a number of the guys we were recruiting so the relationships were not so stretched. The best players in this state are again staying for the most part and coming to LSU. If that continues, certainly LSU will look forward to great classes and the opportunity to win championships.”
Miles said LSU’s reputation and top-of-the-line facilities also helped a great deal in the recruiting process.
“I really believe that in every facet of the decision that LSU has answered that piece with excellence,” Miles said. “I think the Cox Communications Academic Center and Roger Grooters and the job they do is spectacular. It’s the absolute finest in academic support there is in the country. Tour it one day. It will make you say, ‘Wow’.”
With LSU graduating only nine seniors last season the Tigers were only able to sign a limited number of players, but Miles said he believes they are the right guys.
“I think the class is a very solid one,” Miles said. “We felt like we did get what we needed and a quality group of men. They will fit specific needs. It’s not so much the number but who you have, and how good are they.”
Miles said one example of high quality without large quality is the two offensive linemen LSU signed.
Tyler, Texas, signee Ciron Black (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) and Parkview Baptist standout Max Holmes (6-foot-4, 295 pounds) will hold the Tigers over until the next recruiting class with three seniors on the offensive line in 2005.
“We’d like to have a large offensive line class next year, but we felt like we got enough,” Miles said.