LSU National Signing Day 2015: 5 Takeaways from Tigers' Class

LSU head coach Les Miles has performed his recruiting magic once again on national signing day. 

Miles and his coaching staff have earned the reputation of closing the recruiting cycle as strong as anyone. They reeled in some elite prospects late in the process to turn a decent class into a great one.

LSU's 2015 class of 25 players finished fifth in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings. This is impressive considering they were once outside the top 10 in January. 

One great recruiting class cannot win championships, but consecutive crops of magnificent players can. The 2015 haul for Miles marks his third straight top-six class in the country. 

Miles believes this 2015 coup can take the Tigers to the next level, per Tiger Rag's James Moran:

"

Les: "This is a class, in my mind, that can help us compete for championships." #LSU

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

The major takeaway from LSU's national signing day is the Tigers took a massive step forward in being back in contention to win SEC championships. Here are five other aspects of what made another first Wednesday of February a day to remember in Baton Rouge.  

Offensive Skill Position Firepower

LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron must be salivating at the weapons coming his way. 

The Tigers probably felt comfortable about strong verbal commits Derrius Guice and Tyron Johnson, who are the best running back and receiver, respectively, in LSU's class. But the depth added to that made this crop of talent special. 

"

Warren Easton WR Tyron Johnson makes it official with LSU pic.twitter.com/cey5J4bDoO

— Sharief Ishaq (@ShariefIshaq) February 4, 2015"

Four-star running back Nick Brossette had been flirting with the idea of heading to Texas. Head coach Charlie Strong had made a ferocious push for Brossette's services, but the Baton Rouge back said proximity to his family was one of many deciding factors, per 104.5/104.9 ESPN Radio's James Haralson:

"

Nick Brosette on @1045espn's #MorningDrive: "I wanted to stay close to my family because I love them so much." #LSU

— James Haralson (@jamesharalson) February 4, 2015 "

"

Nick Brossette and family embrace. Long, hard road for them to reach this point. #LSU @WAFB pic.twitter.com/jJTkFwvNxx

— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) February 4, 2015"

Guice, Brossette and 4-star early enrollee David Ducre will form a formidable backfield with returnees Leonard Fournette and Darrel Williams. 

LSU's late receiver haul was a magnificent development for Miles as well.

The Tigers were able to flip Florida commit Derrick Dillon to the Tigers late in the process. Dillon, a Franklinton, Louisiana native, is the No. 21 ranked receiver in the country.  

LSU was also able to seal the deal with 3-star Brandon Martin. The 6'4'' Martin made his decision on signing day after a spectacular official visit to Baton Rouge last weekend. 

For the second straight season, LSU will bring in four receivers in a recruiting class. Johnson, Dillon, Martin and 4-star Jazz Ferguson will join forces with a receiving corps that is arguably the most talented in the SEC. 

There is now no excuse for returning quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris not to be successful. 

Nice Finish in the Trenches

It sounds cliche, but games are won and lost in the trenches. The Tigers' 2015 class looked meek there weeks ago, but an amazing haul of talent late in the cycle has changed the tide. 

Outside of quarterback, the biggest position of immediate need was at defensive end. LSU had only one defensive line commitment total before the start of last week in 3-star end Isaiah Washington.  

That all changed when 4-star defensive end Arden Key committed to the Tigers last week on Fox Sports South. Key's 6'5'', 230-pound frame will need some extra bulk, but expect him to immediately contribute as a situational pass-rusher next season. 

James Smith of The Times-Picayune said LSU's heavy-hitting recruiters deserve all of the credit:

"Ed Orgeron, Frank Wilson and Kevin Steele all assisted in closing on Key, but former LSU defensive line coach Brick Haley should also be credited, as he was responsible for putting LSU in such a good position to begin with. Key becomes the 21st commitment for the Tigers," said Smith. 

Though the Tigers were unable to nab a defensive tackle, they return nearly every player that received snaps at the position last season. Add in massive 4-star redshirt freshman Travonte Valentine to the equation and LSU looks fine.

Still, blanking at any position is never a good thing. Not adding any run stoppers in a league annually loaded with talented running backs can be costly. 

On the offensive line, the late additions of 4-star offensive tackles Chidi Valentine-Okeke and Toby Weathersby give second-year offensive line coach Jeff Grimes plenty of young studs to develop. Grimes also received signatures from 4-star guard Maea Teuhema and 3-star tackles George Brown Jr. and Adrian Magee. 

Grimes shared his excitement for his new maulers on Twitter:

"

Proud to welcome these 5 Big Men to the Tiger O-Line Family!!! #oderintdummetuant pic.twitter.com/L1HHOvmSTR

— jeff grimes (@coachgrimey) February 4, 2015"

Key, Valentine-Okeke, Weathersby and Teuhema are all top-10 prospects at their respective positions. That alone should make Miles smile. 

Quarterback and Linebacker Struggles

It came to no surprise LSU did not reel in another quarterback in the 2015 class on signing day. Still, the idea of another year of Anthony Jennings and/or Brandon Harris does not sound exciting to fans.

The Tigers were in the running for 4-star dual-threat quarterback Torrance Gibson. But Gibson, the Ohio State commitment, stayed true to the Buckeyes on signing day. 

The Tigers do have 3-star early enrollee Justin McMillan ready to compete in spring practice.

McMillan accounted for more than 3,500 yards of total offense and 43 touchdowns as a senior at Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas. With that said, he is not the caliber of player to compete for starting snaps a true freshman. 

Miles believes McMillan can help immediately though, per Moran:

"

Les on QB Justin McMillan: "We see him as having ball skills and a craftiness about him that will allow him to compete a long time." #LSU

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

"

Les on Justin McMillan: "We know that he'll be a developmental player. But he could be a guy who could contribute early."

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

The Tigers' mediocre quarterback play last season held them back. Unless Jennings or Harris takes a step forward, expect Cameron, despite his new weapons, to be handcuffed as a play-caller.  

LSU also brought in no linebackers in the 2015 class. They were a finalist for the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect Leo Lewis, but he chose to sign with Mississippi State over the Tigers.

"

Les refers to Leo Lewis: "We missed on a LB that we felt we had." Brings up coaching changes. #LSU

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

"

Les: "Next year's class will have to be a very, very heavy linebacker class." #LSU

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

As previously mentioned, blanking on run stoppers in the SEC is never a good thing. Luckily enough the Tigers return starting middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith and a gifted supporting cast next season. 

DBU Tradition Continues

LSU brought in another magnificent crop of defensive back talent, which will continue the Tigers' tradition of being titled "Defensive Back University."  

Four-star Louisiana natives Xavier Lewis and Donte Jackson honored their commitment to LSU on national signing day. Lewis and Jackson might not get much playing time in the secondary as true freshman, but they will factor in on special team units. 

"

Jus another step to greatness &nd if she smiling we have no problems #GodGotMe #blessed pic.twitter.com/XkoMFDlLwg

— ZayDot (@_ImKing) February 4, 2015"

"

Donte Jackson makes it official. #LSU pic.twitter.com/3GwICmFPDS

— Rod Walker (@rwalkeradvocate) February 4, 2015"

The Tigers already had early enrollee Kevin Toliver II locked in before national signing day. Toliver II's speed and 6'2'', 185-pound frame gives him the versatility to play any position in the secondary. Expect LSU's No. 1 overall prospect to compete for a starting role in spring practice. 

The lone projected safety is JUCO transfer Jeremy Cutrer, who the Tigers also already had a signature from before Wednesday. Cutrer will join the Tigers' loaded depth at safety alongside Jamal Adams, Jalen Mills, Rickey Jefferson and others. 

Defensive backs coach Corey Raymond's embarrassment of riches in the secondary is unparalleled. Raymond has players that would start on most teams that will not even see the field on defense. His incoming crop has the ability to make his job even easier, yet also harder, when it comes to creating personnel groupings.   

Solid Debut for Steele and Orgeron

Miles proved his hiring Steele and Orgeron turned out to be a wise one for recruiting purposes. LSU's new defensive coordinator and defensive line coach showed why they are feared on the trail by other coaches.  

The addition of Steele and Orgeron created a "dream team" of recruiters at LSU according to Glenn Guilbeau of WWLTV.com. The duo has a combined four national recruiter of the year awards. LSU recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson has an impressive resume himself. 

Steele, Wilson and Orgeron's prowess showed on the trail. They were able to bring in Key, which was a massive position of need. Their efforts in getting players like Leo Lewis and CeCe Jefferson came up short, but at least LSU was on Lewis and Jefferson's radar. 

A signature from Lewis or Jefferson would have been wonderful. But considering Steele and Orgeron only had a roughly a month to make something happen, their opening recruiting act was fine. 

Miles raved about Steele and Orgeron's energy, per Moran: 

"

Les on new staff: "Kevin Steele and Ed Orgeron added a lot of energy to this class." #LSU

— James Moran (@SmartestMoran) February 4, 2015"

Orgeron shared his excitement of LSU's successful national signing day on Twitter:

"

What a great day for the LSU TIGERS!!! Hold that tiger!! pic.twitter.com/FHURK7VDQE

— Coach Ed Orgeron (@Coach_EdOrgeron) February 4, 2015"

Steele and Orgeron certainly brought a spark. They will produce better results in the years to come. 

Stats, rankings and additional information provided by cfbstats.com, ESPN.com and LSUsports.net. Recruiting information provided by 247Sports.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow me on Twitter at @CarterthePower.