LSU Football Recruiting: Meet the Tigers' 2015 Class

LSU head coach Les Miles and his coaching staff did exactly what they needed to do with their 2015 recruiting class. The Tigers are now ready to compete for SEC championships again.

Miles firmly believes that to be true. He shared his excitement about his new players at his national signing day press conference:

National signing day turned out to be magnificent for Miles. LSU's 2015 crop ranks fifth, which is good for third in the SEC.

After the abrupt departure of defensive coordinator John Chavis in January, it looked as if the Tigers would not make the top 10. Credit must be given to Miles for hiring ace recruiters Kevin Steele and Ed Orgeron as the new defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, respectively.

Miles raved about his new hires on Wednesday, per Tiger Rag's James Moran:

One fantastic recruiting class does not win championships. It takes consecutive years of bringing in top talent, which the Tigers have accomplished. LSU's 2015 class marks the third straight year during which the Tigers have finished in the top six.

Here is a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of this class:

Offensive Firepower

LSU arguably had the best young collection of receivers and running backs in the SEC before this recruiting cycle, led by Leonard Fournette, Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural.

It is now tough to miss the Tigers' loaded arsenal after the talent reeled in by Miles.

The highest-rated offensive prospect in LSU's 2015 class is 5-star receiver Tyron Johnson. He has an amazing array of moves and can make tough catches in tight spaces. His game should immediately translate to the SEC level of competition.

LSU also received signing-day additions from receivers Derrick Dillon and Brandon Martin.

Dillon was a Florida commitment all the way up to signing day, but the Franklinton, Louisiana native decided to stay close to home. Martin was a Missouri pledge, but the 3-star pass-catcher from Houston chose to be a Bayou Bengal.

Unfortunately for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Martin is expected to attend a junior college next fall, per Shea Dixon of Geaux247.

Fournette will be the workhorse back next year, but he will have help on the way from Baton Rouge prep stars Derrius Guice and Nick Brossette. Guice and Brossette do different things well and will add plenty of versatility to the backfield.

The Tigers also have early enrollee David Ducre on campus. At 5'11" and 238 pounds, Ducre is a load coming through the hole, which is one of many reasons why he was rated the No. 1 fullback prospect in the country.

Second-year offensive line coach Jeff Grimes also had a major day on Wednesday. Grimes helped bring in five new offensive linemen to add to his already-gifted group.

Grimes shared his excitement through social media:

Maea Teuhema, Chidi Valentine-Okeke and Toby Weathersby are all ranked in the top six at their respective positions. George Brown Jr. and Adrian Magee are massive 3-star tackles with tremendous upside.

The only disappointment on the offensive side of the ball was at quarterback. The Tigers do have 3-star early enrollee Justin McMillan who will compete with returnees Brandon Harris and Anthony Jennings. According to Moran, Miles believes McMillan has a chance to make an instant impact:

But McMillan is a player not likely to be ready as a true freshman to play in the SEC. Another year of Harris and Jennings does not sound promising for Tiger fans.

Hopefully, their new weapons will help them progress as passers this offseason.

"DBU" Tradition Continues

LSU's most exhilarating position group in the 2015 class is in the secondary, which means enrollment at "Defensive Back University" is still in good standing.

The No. 1 prospect the Tigers brought in is Kevin Toliver II. The Tigers did not have to sweat over Toliver II's signature yesterday, as he is an early enrollee ready to shake up the secondary this spring. His speed, ball skills and willingness to jam receivers in press coverage will be an instant hit.

The Tigers received a pair of signatures from 4-star cornerbacks Xavier Lewis and Donte Jackson. Lewis and Jackson might have to wait their turn in a loaded secondary, but both could play right away if called upon.

Lewis is more of a traditional cornerback with smooth ball skills and body control. Jackson is an electrifying playmaker who is a dynamo with the ball in his hands. Miles said he might play him in all three phases of the game.

"If you look at Donte, Donte will have an ability to catch balls out of the backfield, carry balls out of the backfield, return punts, return kickoffs and be a lockdown corner with great speed,” said Miles, per Dixon.

Defensive back coach Corey Raymond already has some elite talent coming back. He now has enough playmakers to create two, maybe even three, starting secondaries.

Run-Stopping Nightmare

Recruiting powers like LSU rarely come up empty at critical positions. Unfortunately for Miles, the Tigers not only blanked once, but twice, on national signing day.

LSU brought in no defensive tackles or linebackers. Stopping the run is critical in the SEC, where nearly every team has an NFL-caliber back carrying the ball. Depth is critical when dealing with the wear and tear in the trenches.

The Tigers were in the running for 4-star Leo Lewis, but narrowly missed out to Mississippi State. Moran reports that Miles was shocked:

LSU will be able to survive at both positions with the players it has returning, but Miles knows this is an issue that needs to be fixed in the 2016 class.

LSU might also have some issues stopping the run at defensive end. The Tigers are thin at that position after losing starters Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco. Though 4-star signee Arden Key is a promising pass-rusher, he will need to add weight (currently 6'5", 230 lbs) to face the massive tackles in the conference next season.

The Full 2015 Class  

Name	Position	Height/Weight	High School (Hometown)
Kevin Toliver II	5-star CB	6'2''/185 lbs.	Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Florida)
Tyron Johnson	5-star WR	6'1''/191 lbs.	Warren Easton (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Maea Teuhema	4-star OG	6'4''/340 lbs.	Keller (Keller, Texas)
Derrius Guice	4-star RB	5'10''/213 lbs.	Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Donte Jackson	4-star ATH	5'11''/164 lbs.	Riverdale (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Arden Key	4-star DE	6'5''/230 lbs.	Hapeville Charter (Lithonia, Georgia)
Chidi Valentine-Okeke	4-star OT	6'6''/305 lbs.	Faith Baptist Christian (Ludowici, Georgia)
Toby Weathersby	4-star OT	6'4''/295 lbs.	Westfield (Houston, Texas)
Derrick Dillon	4-star WR	5'11''/173 lbs.	Pine (Franklinton, Lousiana)
Xavier Lewis	4-star CB	5'11'', 188 lbs.	East St. John (Reserve, Louisiana)
Nick Brossette	4-star RB	6'0'', 207 lbs.	University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
David Ducre	4-star FB	5'11'', 238 lbs.	Lakeshore (Mandeville, Louisiana)
Jazz Ferguson	4-star WR	6'5'', 205 lbs.	West Feliciana (Saint Francisville, LA)
Brandon Martin	3-star WR	6'4'', 200 lbs.	Prime Prep Academy (Dallas, TX)
Jeremy Cutrer (JUCO)	3-star SS	6'2'', 170 lbs.	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston, Mississippi)
Adrian Magee	3-star OT	6'5'', 315 lbs.	Franklinton (Franklinton, LA)
George Brown Jr.	3-star OT	6'6'', 253 lbs.	Winton Woods (Cincinnati, OH)
Isaiah Washington	3-star DE	6'4'', 240 lbs.	Edna Karr (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Bry'Keithon Mouton	3-star TE	6'1'', 230 lbs.	Acadiana (Lafayette, Louisiana)
Lanard Fournette	3-star ATH	5'9'', 170 lbs.	St. Augustine (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Hanner Shipley	3-star TE	6'5'', 283 lbs.	Marble Falls (Marble Falls, Texas)
Justin McMillan	3-star QB	6'1'', 170 lbs.	Cedar Hill (Cedar Hills, Texas)
Foster Moreau	3-star TE	6'5'', 225 lbs.	Jesuit (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Josh Growden	2-star Punter	6'2'', 190 lbs.	Australia
Blake Ferguson	2-star Snapper	6'1'', 235 lbs.	Buford (Buford, Georgia

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.