Tigers putting finishing touches on strong recruiting class

With his team set to lose 24 seniors to graduation and one junior to the NFL Draft, LSU coach Les Miles knew the 2010 recruiting class would be important to the future of his program.

So far, Miles and his staff have delivered as the Tigers currently have 25 commitments in a class that is ranked No. 6 and No. 7 in the country respectively by recruiting Web sites Rivals.com and Scout.com.

The team also hopes to pick up a few more commitments today on National Signing Day.

“Depending on how they finish in this last recruiting weekend, I’d call it a very solid recruiting class,” said Scout.com recruiting analyst Sonny Shipp. “If they can fill in that wide receiver and defensive tackle slot down the stretch, it can go a long way to filling in two of their bigger need areas.”

Of the 25 current commitments, the Tigers have snagged 12 offensive players, eight defensive players, a kicker and four players listed as “athletes”, meaning their positions will be determined when they arrive on campus.

According to analysts, two of the premier offensive commitments for the Tigers are five-star halfback Spencer Ware and four-star halfback Jakhari Gore.

Ware was a Rivals four-star commitment for most of the recruiting period, but was upgraded to a five-star (the highest ranking) player during the Army All-American game two weeks ago when he rushed for 65 yards on just eight carries.

Shipp said the 5-foot-11-inch Cincinnati native is similar to current LSU halfback Stevan Ridley with his strong and bulky frame.

Fellow recruiting analyst Don Long of the Web site dandydon.com, said Tiger fans will enjoy the hard-nosed running style Ware will bring to Baton Rouge.

“That kid runs down-hill and he’s tough to take down,” Long said. “He will come in and play early.”

Gore has an all-world family pedigree to go with his playing credentials, as he is the first cousin of NFL Pro Bowl halfback Frank Gore.

With the Tigers currently having mostly power halfbacks on their roster, Long said Gore could fill the niche Trindon Holliday had in the offense the past four seasons.

“I really like Gore,” Long said. “He’s a really solid skill player and they will find a way to get him on the field.”

Defensively, four-star defensive back Eric Reid of Dutchtown and four-star defensive end Jordan Allen of West Monroe headline the incoming defensive recruits.

Reid is listed as a defensive back by recruiting services and Shipp said he is projected by the LSU coaching staff as a safety.

Shipp said Reid could potentially help fill the void left by Chad Jones’ departure to the NFL Draft.

“That kid really had a strong showing at the U.S. Army All-American Game,” Shipp said. “With Chad going to the NFL, he probably is going to have a chance to come in and see early playing time.”

Allen landed at LSU after serving as a defensive lineman for the 5A state champions West Monroe.

Long said Allen’s size and strength should allow him to easily transition to the college game.

“He’s about six-foot-six (inches) and about 255,” Long said. “That kid has just a world of potential.”

According to both Shipp and Long, new LSU assistant coaches Frank Wilson and Billy Gonzales are a large credit to the team’s success this recruiting season.

Wilson currently patrols Louisiana and Gonzales recruits Florida and nationwide.

“It’s so difficult for another coach to come into Louisiana and get a kid that Frank Wilson wants,” Shipp said. “He’s a great recruiter.”

But one player who did slip through the cracks was Thibodaux standout Trovon Reed.

Reed recently visited LSU in a visit he said he told the Tri-Parish Times two weeks ago was only “to show respect for the state school.”

But Shipp and Long both say LSU fans should keep their eyes on what might happen in Thibodaux today.

“My gut tells me he will still sign with Auburn on Signing Day,” Shipp said. “But as the day approaches, sometimes that thought of being away from home gets a little bigger and you just never know what might happen.”