Lache Seastrunk Set To Announce on Wednesday

During Big Cat Weekend, Lache Seastrunk, with Marcus Lattimore by his side, was heard to say, Hey Saban, just wait until we come to Auburn, or something to that affect. I was told the video showed up on YouTube and there was also news that Seastrunk's mother made him call Saban and apologize. I never saw the video but if it did occur, it most certainly stirred Auburn fans all over the world to believe that a dynamic duo of running backs would grace the background of Pat Field for the next few years to come. Well my friends, a dynamic duo of running backs will most certainly grace the backfield of Pat Dye field in the next few years, but Lache Seastrunk may not be one of them.

In my opinion, the name Lache Seastrunk was mentioned less and less in Auburn's recruiting circles shortly after the commitment of heralded Arkansas running back, Michael Dyer. Whether or not communication between Auburn coaches and Seastrunk lessened after Dyer's commitment is something known only to the coaches. Many people do speculate that Auburn coaches have placed more attention to recruitment of Marcus Lattimore. His name certainly has been tossed around in the recruiting circles of Auburn football more than any other name in the past few months. So, unless there is a drastic change, it appears that Lache Seastrunk will announce his school of choice on Wednesday, January, 27, 2010 and it is believed that his choice will Oregon.

Briefly, let's discuss whether or not Seastrunk's decision to go to Oregon will benefit him in the long run. The Ducks finished 6th overall in rushing offense, ahead of Auburn by 7 spots. On the downside, Oregon has almost as many running backs as coaches. Hit'em in the mouth runner, (no pun intended) LaGarrette Blount is off to the NFL, but due his indefinite suspension, he wasn't much of a presence in 2009 anyway. LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner will be sophomores in 2010 and because they carried most of the load in 2009, I expect to see them do the same for at least two more years. Already for 2010, Oregon has a commitment from Texas 4 star running back, Dontae Williams. If Lache Seastrunk does indeed commit to Oregon, it will be the best running back combination Oregon has acquired since they landed LaGarrette Blount as a JUCO prospect and LaMichael James out of high school in 2008. If the Seastrunk commitment to Oregon does happen, the Ducks may end up with a stable of backs equally as potent as rival Southern California. 

Should he choose Oregon, Lache Seastrunk will be one of the highest rated running backs Oregon has ever acquired, outside of Johnathan Stewart. Rated a five star on Rivals and Scout, Seastrunk is rated a four star by ESPN. I believe Lache Seastrunk will make an immediate impact at Oregon. I am not saying that I believe he will play right away, but I do believe that he will be successful when he does carry the ball for the Ducks. With no guarantee from Lattimore, I would have loved to see Seastrunk come to Auburn. If chooses not to become an Auburn Tiger, we need not worry. A dynamic duo of running backs will most certainly thrive on Pat Dye Field for years to come. Who will they be? That remains to be seen at the present time but even if the dynamic duo consists of Michael Dyer and Dontae Aycock, we can all look for a very successful rushing offense. If this is good-bye to Lache Seastrunk, maybe it is hello to Marcus Lattimore. We'll know soon enough.