LSU's Final Recruiting Push: Heading into Rival Territory

Never a national recruiting powerhouse, LSU has maintained a limited regional appeal for most of its history. LSU football rises and falls with the high school classes in Louisiana, East Texas and South Mississippi.

Even during the reign of slick Nick Saban, LSU’s recruiting coups came from signing local talent and occasionally plucking a plum four or five-star recruit from South Florida or Alabama.

LSU has always had a scattering of national talent on its teams.  However, that talent has either come from personal relationships with the staff or from areas LSU consistently recruits. Rarely has LSU been able to commit a recruit from an area where they do not have a continuing presence. 

Despite the recruiting success over the past decade, LSU had not reached the point where they could simply send a letter and gain instant credibility.  Cold-calling the top recruits in the nation had not yielded consistent success.  While such recruits had flirted with LSU in the past, the courtship always seemed forced and insincere.

This year things are slightly different. While the majority of the talent that will eventually sign with LSU will be from Louisiana, LSU has made inroads in states without a strong historical presence. Venturing out into rival SEC country, LSU is successfully recruiting in Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina.    

This year, those out-of-state players who formally held only nominal interest in LSU are starting to commit. 

The reasons are twofold: First, coming off a national championship last year, LSU gained some momentum and national exposure. 

Secondly, the state of Louisiana had a banner crop of recruits this year. While it may seem contradictory to pump-up out of state recruiting with in-state talent, it is not.    Talent wants to go where it will win.

LSU received some early commitments from extraordinary players from Louisiana and East Texas. These early commitments gave way to a waterfall of press, hype and interest.  

The top high school prospects know each other. They meet at camps, all-star games and banquets.  Word spreads and the self-fulfilling prophecy that is college football recruiting continues. 

Immediate Impact Commitments

The driving force behind this year’s signing class is Russell Shepard, a five-star all-everything QB from Houston. One of the best prospects in the nation, Shepard will see immediate action on the field next fall. Shepard will be used to spell Jordan Jefferson at QB, likely utilizing his quickness in a pistol formation. As a true freshman, the extent of Shepard’s impact on the field is unknown. Shepard’s impact on the recruiting trail however, has already paid dividends. 

One of LSU’s earliest commitments of note, Shepard singlehandedly put LSU in the running for top recruiting class. While at the Under-Armour High School All-Star game last month, Shepard relentlessly pushed LSU to his fellow players. He made sure they had all seen LSU’s dismantling of Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl and understood there were more victories to come.   

A more direct impact comes from Dominque Allen, an under the radar three star Fullback from Paris, Tennessee. LSU currently has only one fullback on the roster, Steven Ridley. Ridley measures out at 6’0”, 215 and has been converted from Running Back to Fullback.

The 6’0” 250 Allen will be used to spell Ridley at first, but then will gradually allow Ridley to return to his natural position of RB. LSU was in need of a big short yardage fullback and Allen fits the mold. 

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