The 2006 recruiting class is beginning to round into shape as LSU’s first recruiting weekend since the 40-3 victory over Miami in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl hosted a very talented group of prospects and picked up two commitments.
Last recruiting season, Les Miles’ first as head coach, he had only a month before national signing day to convince recruits to play for LSU.
Although Miles, who was hired on Jan 2, 2005, signed only 13 players in 2005, he managed to pull in some of the best talent from around the nation.
This included current LSU quarterback and five-star high school prospect Ryan Perrilloux, who spurned a seven-month verbal commitment – verbal commitments are not binding – with the national champion Texas Longhorns to sign with the Tigers.
But with a full year to prepare this season, Miles and his staff have assembled a very deep and talented group that had as many commitments as the 2005 class Miles recruited before he called a play in his first game. 
LSU currently stands with 24 commitments and is ranked by recruiting Web site rivals.com as the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation.
The haul of running backs, which includes four-star players Charles Scott and Richard Murphy along with five-star junior college transfer Keiland Williams, is rated by the site as the No. 1 collection of backs in the nation.
Williams, who prepped at Northside High School in Lafayette before attending Hargrave Military School, is expected to be one of the few first-year players who will make an immediate impact in the Southeastern Conference.
“I committed to LSU because it was the right decision in my heart,” said Williams at his press conference on Monday. “I have some important family issues to take care of, and being close was a big factor and it just felt right.”
There’s also speedster Trindon Holliday who doubles as a athlete on the track team.
Although Holliday graduated from Northeast High School in Zachary in 2005 and is enrolled in classes this spring, he will officially be a part of the class of 2006 after greyshirting.
A greyshirt is allowed to sign with a school one year, sit out that upcoming football season for whatever reason and enroll in the spring of the next year.
In the 2006 class, there is speed and athleticism present with 11 skill position players on board, but the most pressing need Miles and his staff addressed is the situation on the offensive line.
The offensive line was hit the hardest this season by graduation, losing three starters – center Rudy Niswanger and tackles Nate Livings and Andrew Whitworth, along with consistent reserve Terrell McGill.
After losing four, Miles has reeled in five with offensive lineman Matt Allen, Steven Singleton, Mark Snyder and Zhamal Thomas, and Phil Loadholt verbally committed to play for the Tigers.
All are highly-regarded prospects who turned down offers from traditional powers such as Oklahoma, Southern California and Miami to play for LSU.
Loadholt said he chose LSU because he sensed the Tigers are on track to do something significant.
“I wanted to pick a school where I knew I could be part of something special,” Loadholt said. “LSU had everything I was looking for. They’re going to win a national title, and I want to be part of that.”
Even with five commitments on the offensive line, LSU is still in hot pursuit of five-star offensive lineman Andre Smith.
The Birmingham, Ala., native was one of the prospects on campus this past weekend and is rated the No. 2 prospect overall in the country.
Following his visit to Baton Rouge, Smith cut his list of possible schools down to LSU, Alabama and Southern Cal.
With signing day approaching on February 1, the Tigers’ coaching staff will be waiting to see which prospects they can add to their already-impressive commitment list and seal the recruiting class of 2006.
Contact Jeff Martin at [email protected]