If this past Saturday’s LSU Spring Game is any indicator of the Tigers’ 2007 season, senior wide receiver Early Doucet is about to blow up. The St. Martinville native grabbed nine passes for 115 yards and was all over the Baton Rouge news reels looking extra quick. Doucet obviously has good speed, but one fan mistook him for another fleet-footed Tiger. “Dude, look at Trindon get loose,” history senior Paul Loisel exclaimed as we watched the Spring Game’s highlights. Upon further review, I realized it was No. 9 instead of No. 8 running all over the field eluding Tiger defenders, and a correction was in order. “Wow, it is Early,” Loisel said. “Damn, he looks fast.” Of course, I agreed. Doucet is the Tigers’ leading returning receiver, hauling in 59 catches for 772 yards last season and eight touchdowns in 2006. With the departure of Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis to the NFL Draft, Doucet said he will have to be the man. “I am looking forward to being more of a leader this year,” Doucet said. “With Dwayne and Buster here last year, I didn’t have to be much of a vocal leader. Now that we have a lot of young guys, it is time for me to step in that big brother role.” Purple team quarterback Matt Flynn said he and Doucet have been working hard to strengthen their bond for this season. “As soon as the season was over, Early and I were throwing with each other almost every afternoon,” Flynn said. “We would always call each other to try and meet up. Sometimes other receivers would come. We try and get as much chemistry together as possible.” Obviously, the work has been paying off. Nine of Flynn’s 11 completions were to Doucet on Saturday, including one touchdown. What exactly makes Doucet such a threat to opponents? Is it his blinding speed? Is it his sure hands? Is it his tremendous leaping ability? The answer is a resounding yes, yes and yes. Big-time receivers are not a new thing at LSU. Of course fans were high on both Bowe and Davis in 2006, but Doucet has a rare combination of intangibles that will set him apart from past pass-catchers. Dwayne Bowe was a terrific receiver – arguably one of the best in LSU history. But Bowe also would often come down with a serious case of the dropsies. Buster Davis was always sure-handed, had great speed and had probably the most insane calves ever to grace Tiger Stadium, but fans still wonder what Davis could have done had he been 100 percent all four years in purple and gold. Physically, Doucet has both beat. But even if Doucet has all the physical attributes, will he answer the call in pressure situations? Doucet’s number has been called quite a bit when the game was on the line, and he is no stranger to big catches. As a sophomore, Doucet grabbed a 39-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to defeat Arizona State 35-31 in the first game after Hurricane Katrina. Last season, Doucet’s four-yard touchdown catch with nine seconds left gave LSU a 28-24 victory at Tennessee. Doucet’s buzz is not reserved for Baton Rouge, however. Even though he may not be the prototypical NFL receiver at 6-feet, 207 pounds, Doucet will have scouts watching him very closely this season. He is listed in ESPN’s 2007 NFL Draft Guide as one of the 10 college players who will be on everyone’s draft boards next season, and NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said he has high hopes for the Tigers’ new No. 1 receiver. As far as LSU comparisons go, Doucet is like a bigger, faster Josh Reed. If Flynn can get him the ball, Doucet could be even better than the 2001 Biletnikoff Award winner. Saturday’s Spring Game was just a taste of what is to come from Doucet.
—–Contact Keith Claverie at [email protected]