SIGNING DAY VIDEOS:
Kendell Beckwith is one of the many high-profile signees in LSU's football class of 2013.
When you have combined for five BCS national football championships, as have the Tide of Alabama and the Tigers of LSU, your name recognition and reputation get you through the front doors of highly-talented high school seniors -- many of whom reside beyond state lines.
For evidence, let's enter the final recruiting efforts for Alabama and LSU on Wednesday's national letter-of-intent signing date.
The two-time defending national champs from Tuscaloosa signed players from 12 states, excluding Alabama.
In Baton Rouge, LSU landed 15 of 27 players from nine different states, excluding Louisiana. The last addition came from defensive end Tashawn Bower (6-4, 250) of Immaculata High in Somerville, N.J., a previous Auburn commitment. Bower was the seventh defensive linemen to pick the Tigers after Les Miles and his staff missed out as expected on end Robert Nkendiche, the nation's top recruit.
Oddly enough, LSU signed three players from Georgia and two from North Carolina but none from high schools in neighboring Texas, Arkansas or Mississippi. The last time LSU failed to land a prospect from the Lone Star State was in 1980 when Jerry Stovall was an 11th-hour head-coaching hire, replacing new coach Bo Rein who died in a January plane crash.
LSU hopes to eliminate that void to the east and to the west next February with 2014 commitments from junior cornerback Chris Hardeman (5-9, 180) of Alief-Taylor in Houston and junior defensive back Devin Voorhies (6-2, 185) of Woodville, Miss.
The Tigers also appear to be in solid shape for three other Texans -- cornerback Tony Brown (6-0, 180) of Ozen High in Beaumont and safeties Ed Paris (6-1, 200) and Brandon Simmons (5-11, 170) of Mansfield, Texas. Both will be visiting Baton Rouge on an upcoming Junior Day. Paris is the nephew of former Karr head coach Jabbar Juluke, now an assistant at Louisiana Tech.
LSU had secured an early commitment from another underclassman, inside linebacker Kain Daub (6-3, 250) of Sandalwood High in Jacksonville, Fla., but he de-committed last fall. LSU, however, does have one pledge from Jacksonville for its class two years down the road. Wide receiver Kevin Toliver (6-2, 180) of Trinity Christian has picked LSU with two years of eligibility remaining. LSU's status with Daub remains up in the air, pending whether or not he attends any future junior camps.
LSU did not sign defensive tackle Tevin Lawson (6-4, 275) of Denham Springs who will visit Kentucky this weekend. LSU made a gray-shirt offer to Lawson, one which he did not accept. Safety Jeremy Cutrer (6-3, 175) of Jewel Sumner in Kentwood will attend Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss., to bolster his academics.
With the Kendall Beckwiths and the Tra'Davious Whites and the DeSean Smiths signed and secured, LSU turns its attention to one of the most talent-laden junior classes in the state's history, one spearheaded by 12 elite recruits.
LSU has already landed two of these top 12 plums – guard William Clapp of Brother Martin and tight end Jacory Washington of Westlake in Lake Charles.
But the competition to land the remaining 10 players promises to be as fierce as any through the years.
Texas A&M and Alabama will be ever-present, as will top-tier teams from across the nation and throughout the Southeastern Conference.
Six of the 2014's 'Dandy Dozen' or 'Dirty Dozen' or just plain 'Damn Good Dozen' hail from the New Orleans area. In addition to Clapp, Curtis wide receiver Malachi Dupre and linebacker Kenny Young along with Karr wide receiver Davante 'Speedy' Noil and defensive end Gerald Willis join St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette as prospects able to attend just about any school of their choosing. Fournette may rate as the Robert Nkemdiche of 2014, tabbed as the best player in the nation.
Wide receivers Trey Quinn of Barbe and Cameron Sims of Ouachita, offensive tackle Cameron Robinson of West Monroe, offensive guard Garrett Brumfield of U-High and safety Laurence Jones of Neville round out this Top 12 destined for intense scrutiny. Stay tuned.
LSU will not only face intense competition to keep these players from becoming exports, but the Tigers will face a murderous schedule this fall, one with road games at suddenly formidable Ole Miss, defending champion Alabama, SEC championship finalist Georgia and Mississippi State. Auburn, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Florida come to Tiger Stadium.
Notes – Clay Moffitt, the son of LSU strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt, is a promising junior tight end at Catholic High. The 6-2, 215-pounder has a younger brother Aaron, who attends St. Aloysius Elementary school in Baton Rouge. Aaron Moffitt stands 6-3 and weighs 250 pounds. And LSU has cast another eye toward the youth of Baton Rouge, having offered 8th-grader Dylan Moses, a 6-0, 215-pound standout running back-linebacker from University High for the Class of 2017 – or is it 2018?
LSU's FOOTBALL CLASS of 2013
| 1. | John Diarse | WR | Monroe, La. | Neville HS | 6-1 | 205 | |
| 2. | Fehoko Fanaika * | OL | Sacramento, Calif. | Florin HS (College of San Mateo) | 6-6 | 340 | |
| 3. | Anthony Jennings | QB | Marietta, Ga. | Marietta HS | 6-2 | 205 | |
| 4. | Avery Johnson * | WR | Pompano Beach, Fla. | Ely HS | 6-1 | 180 | |
| 5. | Christian LaCouture | DT | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Southwest HS | 6-5 | 290 | |
| 6. | Ethan Pocic | OL | Lemont, Ill. | Lemont HS | 6-7 | 287 | |
| 7. | Hayden Rettig | QB | Los Angeles, Calif. | Cathedral HS | 6-2 | 201 | |
| 8. | Logan Stokes | TE | Muscle Shoals, Ala. | Muscle Shoals HS (NE Miss. CC) | 6-5 | 253 | |
| 9. | Duke Riley | LB | New Orleans, La. | John Curtis HS | 6-1 | 205 | |
| 10. | Lewis Neal | DE | Wilson N.C. | James B. Hunt HS | 6-1 | 234 | |
| 11. | K.J. Malone | OL | Ruston, La. | Cedar Creek HS | 6-3 | 307 | |
| 12. | Frank Herron | DE | Memphis, Tenn. | Memphis Central HS | 6-5 | 245 | |
| 13. | DeSean Smith | TE | Lake Charles, La. | Barbe HS | 6-4 | 226 | |
| 14. | Greg Gilmore | DT | Hope Mills, N.C. | South View HS | 6-4 | 275 | |
| 15. | Andy Dodd | OL | Lindale, Ga. | Pepperell HS | 6-3 | 330 | |
| 16. | Josh Boutte | OL | New Iberia, La. | Westgate HS | 6-4 | 324 | |
| 17. | Quantavius Leslie | WR | Hogansville, Ga. | Callaway HS (Hinds CC) | 6-4 | 190 | |
| 18. | Melvin Jones | LB | Lake Charles, La. | Washington-Marion HS | 6-3 | 245 | |
| 19. | Kevin Spears | WR | New Orleans, La. | Holy Cross HS | 6-3 | 190 | |
| 20. | Jeryl Brazil | ATH | Loranger, La. | Loranger HS | 5-9 | 181 | |
| 21. | MJ Patterson | DE | Winnfield, La. | Winnfield HS | 6-2 | 218 | |
| 22. | Rickey Jefferson | DB | Destrehan, La. | Destrehan HS | 5-10 | 187 | |
| 23. | Kendell Beckwith | LB | Jackson, La. | East Feliciana HS | 6-3 | 225 | |
| 24. | Tre'Davious White | DB | Shreveport, La. | Green Oaks HS | 5-10 | 170 | |
| 25. | Rashard Robinson | DB | Pompano Beach, Fla. | Ely HS | 6-1 | 163 | |
| 26. | Tashawn Bower | DE | Somerville, N.J. | Immaculata HS | 6-5 | 241 | |
| 27. | Maquedius Bain | DT | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | Univ. School of Nova Southeastern | 6-5 | 286 |
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LSU’s 2014 early commitments
Pos. Name, School/Hometown
OG William Clapp, Brother Martin, NOLA (6-4, 270)
TE Jacory Washington , Westlake/Lake Charles (6-5, 210)
CB Chris Hardeman, Alief-Taylor/Houston (5-9, 180)
DB Devin Voorhies, Woodville, Miss. (6-2, 185)
Class of 2015
WR Kevin Toliver, Trinity Christian/Jacksonville, Fla. (6-2, 180)
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