B/R Recruiting Notebook: LSU Commits, Targets React to Firing of Les Miles
The biggest news of the 2016 college football season broke Sunday afternoon, when LSU announced the firing of head coach Les Miles and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
For those who know college football and recruiting, Miles and Cameron are two huge names in the game. Both are influential and well-liked in the eyes of athletes currently at LSU and prospects considering playing football in Death Valley.
It wasn't the news several LSU commits wanted to hear on a Sunday.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
"It's very unfortunate," 4-star cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. said, "and it hurt my heart because of the relationship I had with Coach Miles."
"Heartbreaking," described 3-star defensive end Aaron Moffitt. "I love both coaches and am extremely close with their families. [There's] nothing I can do about it but just focus on what I need to do and what's best for me."
The current and future LSU athletes will now pay attention to defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who is taking over as the Tigers' interim head coach, to see what he does on and off the field.
Orgeron's sudden promotion may wind up being a blessing in disguise. He is one of the most respected assistant coaches in college football, and he is capable of not only winning football games but also earning the respect of commits and potential targets in keeping the 2017 and 2018 recruiting classes intact.
"Me and Coach O, we have built a nice relationship," 3-star offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles said. "From the visits I have taken, he and I have vibed. I love Coach O."
Charles, however, did admit that losing Miles was a blow to the Tigers as a unit. Miles had been the LSU head coach since 2005, compiling a 114-34 record. LSU lost to Auburn 18-13 on Saturday afternoon after Danny Etling's last-second touchdown pass to D.J. Chark was overturned due to the Tigers not getting the snap off in time.
The loss moved LSU to 2-2 on the year, with the team's other loss coming in the season opener to Wisconsin (16-14) at Lambeau Field.
"I know that he might have not had the best year here so far," Charles said, "but the years of accomplishments and milestones he's reached through his years at LSU, the great moments he's had at LSU, coming from a kid that [grew up] wanting to play for him, it does hurt a bit."
Vincent and Charles both said they were honoring their commitments despite the coaching changes. Vincent said he has a close relationship with Orgeron and all of the staff, and he added that the fanbase won't have anything to worry about regarding him wavering on his commitment.
Additional good news for the Tigers came via social media, when 3-star quarterback Myles Brennan took to Twitter to announce he's still committed. Brennan recently became the all-time career passing leader in Mississippi high school football.
As for Moffitt, he said he is unsure of his future and is planning on mulling things over. He said making a decision right now would be premature.
Another big-time commit, 4-star offensive tackle Austin Deculus, used social media to address the coaching moves. Deculus left his followers with a short statement and a buzzing question.
And then there are the uncommitted targets. What's in their heads now that Miles is gone? Is LSU still considered a leader?
Todd Harris, a 4-star in-state safety, is considered by many to be a LSU lean. Harris was a big fan of Miles and said he was caught off-guard with the termination. He added he'll continue to take his time with his recruiting process and will keep monitoring the Tigers.
"I have the utmost respect for Coach Miles. He was the first to offer me a scholarship to play football at the next level," Harris said. "It's heartbreaking, honestly. With all this, I'm just going to see how all this plays out."
Dylan Moses: What's next for the 5-star LB?
Perhaps the biggest question of LSU's current situation involves the team's biggest recruiting target. How will Miles' firing affect 5-star linebacker Dylan Moses? The one-time LSU commit—who was believed to still have the Tigers as a front-runner in his process—will be a player to watch as LSU continues its season under Orgeron.
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— King Ⓜ️oses (@Dylan1Moses_) September 25, 2016"
"— King Ⓜ️oses (@Dylan1Moses_) September 25, 2016"
Last month, Moses told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani that in addition to building a strong relationship with Miles, he also had strong relationships with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Texas head coach Charlie Strong and Southern California head coach Clay Helton. Moses has a reported official visit Oct. 1 to Alabama and also has an Oct. 15 official set for Texas.
"Bama fans showing major love
— King Ⓜ️oses (@Dylan1Moses_) September 26, 2016"
Look for Moses to continue doing research on his schools of interest as he prepares to make a decision Dec. 15. He is expected to be an early enrollee wherever he ends up.
"It will come down to how comfortable I feel," Moses told Kirpalani. "I want to make the right decision for me and my family and everyone involved that has supported me and helped me get to this point."
Auburn pledge Wooten hoping to add key LB to class
Kennesaw, Georgia, 3-star linebacker Chandler Wooten has been an Auburn commit since May. He and 4-star Tadarian Moultry out of Birmingham, Alabama, make up Auburn's current linebacker class.
Wooten is hoping to add one more name to the group.
"All of us have been saying we want K.J. Britt," Wooten said of the 4-star talent from Oxford, Alabama. "We definitely want to play with him, and we think we have a good shot at getting him."
Moultry, at 6'2" and 225 pounds, and Britt, at 6'0" and 232 pounds, both are ranked as top-15 inside linebackers nationally in the 2017 class. They would be key pieces to Auburn's multiple-packaged defense. Wooten, at 6'2" and 227 pounds, will be called upon to play outside linebacker.
Adding Britt, Wooten said, would be huge on and off the field for Auburn.
"He's just a cool guy," Wooten said of Britt. "If you've been around him, you know he's a goofball at times. He's a lot of fun to be around, but of course, he's also a great player. Those two things make you want to be on the same team with him."
Wooten said he is solid with his pledge to Auburn and has yet to set any official visits to other schools. He is planning his official visit to Auburn in mid-December, right before he attends school as an early enrollee.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
