LSU Football Recruiting 2012: The Good and the Bad of National Signing Day

Things have gone from good to unbelievable to bad for the LSU Tigers from the beginning of the season until now.

The Tigers were having an astounding undefeated campaign this season before laying an egg in the BCS National Championship game against Alabama.

Now, the Tigers are struggling to lock down top talent on the biggest recruiting day of the year for college football coaches.

This will not hurt them in the short term. LSU returns a plethora of talent from their 2011 team, and will be a powerhouse again next season.

However, it is uncharacteristic of this prestigious program to get overlooked by any marquee recruits.

Here are the good and the bad from LSU's National Signing Day thus far.

Bad: Cordarrelle Patterson

Cordarrelle Patterson decided to play his college ball at Tennessee rather than a more formidable LSU squad.

The Tigers would have liked to land Patterson. Zach Mettenberger will be LSU's new quarterback next season, and Patterson would have provided his inexperienced arm with an electric weapon.

Patterson has the size to compete for a starting job from day one for the Volunteers. He will benefit from Tyler Bray's solid quarterback play and Da'Rick Rogers' experience on the outside.

Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley should be very happy to grab this accomplished junior college athlete.

He will add excitement to Tennessee's vertical passing game and their kickoff team, where he averaged over 50 yards per return for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons last season.

Bad: Landon Collins

Landon Collins spurned the Tigers for Alabama despite living less than an hour from Baton Rouge.

According to Collins' mother, Nick Saban may have offered a little bit more than your average scholarship.

Collins is widely regarded as the best safety in the nation. Considering his proximity to LSU, not grabbing this 5-star prospect stung the Tigers.

He has the complete skill set you look for in a defensive back. He can cover the back end of the field, or he can lay the lumber in run support.

Based on talent alone, Collins could replace former 'Bama safety Mark Barron from day one.

Bad: Torshiro Davis

Torshiro Davis switched his commitment from LSU to Texas almost a year after he told the Tigers he was theirs.

Losing Davis hurt the Tigers' pride more than it did their talent. It's not that Davis isn't good, because he is very good. The Tigers just happen to be extremely deep on the defensive side of the ball.

Davis has the potential to develop into a very good rush end if he can add strength. He has an exceptional first step, and will use his burst to blow by slower blockers at the line of scrimmage.

Because of his speed and size, Davis can stand up and play outside linebacker or put his hand in the dirt and play on the line of scrimmage.

The Longhorns will appreciate the versatility he brings to their front seven.

Good: Kwon Alexander

Kwon Alexander shocked many people with his commitment to LSU on National Signing Day.

The Alabama product was expected to remain in-state by committing to either Alabama or Auburn. Instead, Les Miles scored a victory over his SEC nemeses.

Alexander missed his senior season because of an ACL injury. He could take a redshirt next season in order to fully recover and add strength to his frame.

He is excellent in space, and can be a violent tackler in the open field. However, he will need to add muscle if he wants to shed SEC blockers.

Once Alexander develops the Tigers will have another very solid linebacker on their hands.