The next great Tiger?

VooDoo works on barbecue, too
January 7, 2014
Carla Bernard Sapia
January 8, 2014
VooDoo works on barbecue, too
January 7, 2014
Carla Bernard Sapia
January 8, 2014

The LSU football team got its man.

The No. 1 prep player in the country is taking his talents to Baton Rouge. 

After a drawn-out, four-year recruitment process that started in 2010 as a high school freshman, St. Augustine All-American halfback Leonard Fournette announced on Thursday afternoon at the Under Armour All-American Game that he has given his verbal pledge to continue his playing career at LSU. 


The New Orleans native is widely considered to be one of the top halfback prospects in years within the college game.

He chose the Tigers over Alabama and Texas – his three listed finalists. 

If true to his pledge, Fournette will sign his scholarship on Feb. 5, and will be the highest-profile commitment for LSU in several recruiting seasons.


“I’m proud that I’m an LSU Tiger,” Fournette said following the decision. “I’m going to take my talent for the next three or four years to LSU.” 

“He’s a franchise player,” Rivals.com recruiting analyst Mike Scarborough said of Fournette in November. “You use that term in the NFL, but you can use it in college, too. He’s that kid. He’s the franchise player. … You’d have to go back to Kevin Faulk to find a guy that is this big of a national recruit at that position for LSU.”

Just seconds following the decision, which was broadcast on national TV, the official LSU football team’s Facebook page posted a pointed, two-word status update saying simply, “FOREVER LSU.”


While Fournette’s name is obviously unmentioned in the post, the timing and circumstances seem to indicate pretty clearly that the blue chipper’s announcement was the reasoning behind the post. 

It’s easy to see why. 

Fournette rushed for 1,802 yards and17 touchdowns as a senior in St. Augustine’s 11-game season, pushing the team to the State Semifinals of the Division I State Playoffs. 


In addition to the rushing total, Fournette also threw for 322 yards and a pair of scores as a passer. 

The rest of his 3,697 all-purpose yards were accumulated as a receiver and kick returner – an explosive weapon at each position.

LSU 247 Recruiting Analyst Sonny Shipp said that Fournette would fit in at the next level of competition because of his muscular, husky build.


The five-star halfback stands 6-foot, 1-inch and weighs 225 pounds. Almost every analyst touts that Fournette’s body is already college-ready, and that he will be capable of playing right away.

Shipp also made the common comparison and labeled Fournette as an Adrian Peterson-type player.

“That’s a comparison that you hear so often, but that’s because it fits,” Shipp said. “On the field, they are similar. But off the field, by all accounts, you hear that Adrian Peterson is a true class act. Leonard is a similar type of person. He’s a guy that I think fans can be comfortable with, meaning that I don’t think they need to worry about him getting in trouble or anything while on campus.” 


Fournette showcased a lot of his explosiveness at the All-American game. 

The powerful halfback rushed for 43 yards on nine carries to lead his team to a victory. Fournette’s final play before making the verbal commitment was his most memorable. In the fourth quarter of the win, Fournette caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Auburn commitment quarterback Sean White.

After the game, it appeared that Fournette wanted to talk more about the all-star game victory than his decision.


“This experience was something special overall … it was a big-time win for us,” Fournette said with a smile. 

The prized halfback’s decision was the cherry atop a somewhat disappointing day on the recruiting trail for the Tigers. 

LSU entered the All-American Game as a favorite to land five players among the Top 50 players in the country.


But when the day ended, LSU received verbals from just two in the bunch with Texas five-star safety Jamal Adams joining Fournette among the Baton Rouge-bound recruits.

According to Rivals.com, Adams is the No. 35 prep football player in the country and the No. 5 player in the state of Texas.

Standing 6-feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, the elite safety picked LSU over Florida, Texas and Ole Miss – the other programs among his list of finalists.


Adams’ commitment came as a bit of a surprise to some, because of a few family ties. Adams’ godfather is Florida assistant coach Joker Phillips. But when it was time to make a decision, the prospect said LSU was the place to be.

“I feel more comfortable there,” Adams said during his live announcement. “Opportunity is there for me (at LSU).”

But while the Tigers plucked a player considering Florida, the Gators returned the favor and snagged a Louisiana prospect.


At the Under Armour Game, Edna Karr High School five-star defensive tackle Gerald Willis III gave his verbal pledge to the SEC Eastern Division rival, choosing the Gators over LSU. 

Willis is the half-brother of Alabama sophomore safety Landon Collins – another five-star player that spurned LSU for a conference rival. 

The boys’ mother, April Justin, is known nationally among recruiting pundits for her outlandish behavior and support for LSU during Collins’ commitment to Alabama.


At Willis’ ceremony, April seemed equally angered, but didn’t voice her displeasure. 

“It is what it is,” she said. “LSU is still No. 1.” 

Willis’ Karr teammate, five-star athlete Speedy Noil also decided to leave home. The freakishly gifted receiver made his verbal pledge to commit to Texas A&M. 


St. Augustine five-star halfback Leonard Fournette makes a move during a game this season for the Purple Knights. A consensus All-American, Fournette is expected to compete for early playing time in Baton Rouge. Scouts have said that Fournette is the best halfback prospect in this decade. Because of his size, speed and strength, the tailback has drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson.

COURTESY