Blue-Chippers To Converge On LSU Camp Next Week

**GeauxTo** · 06-03-2009, 09:34 PM

The LSU football camp next week, which is set to get started on Monday, isn't the main camp the Tigers will use to attempt to pull commitments from - the July camp is the one which typically reels in the pledges. But next week's camp is definitely an important one, particularly for several recruits the Tigers have asked to come and ply their wares and potentially earn a scholarship offer.The camp isn't a "play-in" for everybody, though. There will be a good number of campers who already have committable offers from LSU and will be camping in Baton Rouge to get some of the local flavor, and at least one current Tiger commitment will be coming in.
A quick look at a partial list of the attendees at next week's camp....
Jordan Allen, DE, West Monroe, LA HS (6-6/250, 4.8)
Other schools involved: Georgia, Nebraska, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss
- Allen, an ESPN 150 Watch List member, has long been considered a likely LSU commitment - that's to be expected out of a highly-rated player from West Monroe given the affinity for LSU within that program and the success Rebels have had in Baton Rouge through the years. He's saying he wants to look around before making a decision, but it's difficult to see anything other than an LSU lean with him. And that's a good thing, as Allen is far and away the state's top defensive line prospect. As a junior last year Allen racked up 70 tackles, nine of them for loss, and nine sacks, forcing seven fumbles, recovering seven others. He earned Class 5A All-State recognition for his efforts, and immediately shot to all the blue-chip lists. Strong as a freight train, Allen squats 450 pounds and boasts a 28-inch vertical leap. He was one of LSU's first crop of offers for the 2010 class and the idea of committing next week will in all likelihood be mentioned to him.

Houston Bates, LB/DE, Covington, LA/St. Paul's HS (6-2/225, 4.8)
Other schools involved: SMU, Tulane, UConn, Florida International, UL-Lafayette
- Bates was named the Defensive MVP of Scout.com's New Orleans combine back in April, but it hasn't led to a lot of big offers coming through for him yet. Part of the problem is he's a bit of a tweener - he doesn't quite have the size to be a defensive end, though at St. Paul's he racked up 70 tackles and 14 sacks his junior year playing that position (earning District MVP honors along the way), and with a 4.8 40 he's likely going to struggle in coverage as a linebacker. Still, the guy is a good football player and he's going o get an opportunity to play somewhere. This weekend will be a chance for him to upgrade his stock; right now it looks like SMU could be the team to beat for him.

Terrance Broadway, QB, Baton Rouge, LA/Capitol HS (6-1/205, 4.55)
Other schools involved: Colorado, UConn, Nebraska, Oregon, Louisiana Tech, Utah, Southern Miss, Mississippi State
- LSU hasn't yet warmed up to Broadway, but this camp will be the Tigers' chance to do so and his chance to earn a scholarship offer. Two years ago Broadway was thought to be potentially the state's top player but last season he missed four games with injuries and though he still had a nice season (97-of-142 for 1,257 yards, 12 TD's, five interceptions) he didn't exactly put himself over the top. Still, with 11 offers Broadway is a credible prospect. He's also got the size and speed to play positions other than quarterback. But with Munchie Legaux, Louisiana's other big-name quarterback, reportedly pulling out of next week's camp this has the chance to be a real Broadway show. Two years ago a strong camp performance put Jordan Jefferson on LSU's map. Maybe next week will do that for Broadway.

Demont Buice, RB, Gadsden, AL/Gaston HS (6-2/205, 4.6)
Other schools involved: Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisville, Ole Miss, UAB
- Buice is one of several players LSU is looking at as a fail-safe candidate for a running back spot should the Tigers not be able to complete their plan of signing Lache Seastrunk and Storm Johnson. Like Johnson he projects as a big back, though he doesn't have the explosion or size Johnson has. What Buice, who camped at Tennessee earlier in the week and received an offer, does have is a resume of huge productivity, albeit at a small-school level. Last year he carried 177 times for 1,650 yards (a 9.3 average) and 25 touchdowns, earning Class 1A Back of the Year recognition.

Glenn Coleman, WR, Harvey, LA/West Jefferson HS (6-1/200, 4.55)
Other schools involved: Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, TCU, Arkansas, Oklahoma State
- With Justin Hunter and Mike Davis already committed and Martavious Lee a potential addition depending on academics, Coleman is a guy who despite having proven he can be a good wide receiver (last year he was a 5A All-State pick after catching 44 passes for 644 yards and 10 touchdowns) will have a tough uphill battle getting attention from the Tigers at the camp. He's going to end up somewhere, though - Tulsa and Louisiana Tech are hot after him, and Tennessee has been looking at him as well as Southern Miss, TCU, Arkansas and Oklahoma State.

Cameron Fordham, TE, Duluth, GA/Northview HS (6-4/230, 4.7)
Other schools involved: UAB, Syracuse, Central Florida, East Carolina
- Fordham is the son of former LSU offensive lineman Jeff Fordham, who played in the early 1980's. He's a good-looking athlete with strong measurables, but his junior year was largely ruined by a bout of mononucleosis which kept him from showing off his potential. Still, as a defensive end in the eight games he played Fordham did manage to rack up 76 tackles and eight sacks, and that has put him on the radar for a number of CUSA and Big East schools. He was at Tennessee's camp this week and he has NC State and Auburn looking at him as well, so Fordham is a guy who could well be a rising player.
James Haynes, WR/CB, West Orange, TX/West Orange Stark HS (6-1/185, 4.45)
Other schools involved: Florida, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas Tech, Texas A&M
- Haynes declared LSU his leader all the way back in February, but so far the Tigers haven't offered him though he's an ESPN 150 Watch List member and he's picked up some impressive offers from big-name schools. He's an impressive prospect - he has a 3.9 GPA, he long jumps 22'7", he's got a 40-inch vertical leap and he runs a 21.50 in the 200-meter. What he doesn't have is a big football resume, though. Last year Haynes caught 14 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, rushing 16 more times for 186 yards and three scores. He's got a lot of family in Louisiana, though, and he's always been interested in LSU. Haynes has that tall-cornerback look that coaches love; Florida and Oklahoma are after him for just that reason. He'll be an interesting guy to follow with this camp.

Tony Hurd, CB, Missouri City, TX/Thurgood Marshall HS (5-9/185, 4.5)
Other schools involved: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Tennessee
- An ESPN 150 Watch List member, Hurd is the guy at this camp most likely to end up an LSU commitment according to some observers. He's a straight-up playmaker, having racked up 87 tackles, five interceptions, 16 pass breakups and one fumble recovery as a junior last year, and for his size he's as physical a corner as you'll see. Hurd was the MVP of the Nike camp in Houston last year and he was one of the big standouts at LSU's camp last year as well, but the offer from LSU he's wanted all along hasn't materialized just yet due to the defensive staff turnover and secondary coach Ron Cooper not having had a chance to look at him in person. Even though Hurd's height isn't ideal, the consensus seems to be that he's going to more than make up for it by showing off his 35-inch vertical leap and his physicality at the camp. And LSU is in the lead for Hurd at this point even without the offer.

Damien Jacobs, DT, Gray, LA/H.L. Bourgeois HS (6-2/295, 5.2)
Other schools involved: Ole Miss, Tulane, Florida International, Tulsa, Tulane, Florida State
- Jacobs is something of an enigma, in that he probably should be rated higher than he is. Last year he was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the state, racking up 81 tackles and 10 sacks and forcing seven fumbles. Not bad for a junior season playing 5A ball, but he didn't sniff a major-college offer until April. That changed, as a trickle of mid-major attention is now becoming a flood - Florida State offered, then Ole Miss and now everybody is interested. Jacobs made a trip to Auburn's Big Cat Weekend last weekend along with his friend Trovon Reed, and while he's still being evaluated there he's got a chance along with fellow Louisiana defensive tackles Elliott Porter and Harold Legania to score an offer from LSU. He has said that while Florida State currently leads and he doubts he'd commit right away an LSU offer would definitely impact his equation.

Harold Legania, OL/DT, New Orleans, LA/Karr HS (6-3/290, 5.5)
Other schools involved: Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Mississippi State, Florida International
- Legania, who has been a little bit forgotten due to all the recent attention given to Karr QB Munchie Legaux, had a solid junior year of his own last year - 60 tackles, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles and All-District recognition. He's made no secret of the fact that LSU is where he wants to go, but that 40 time has so far scared off Tiger running backs coach Larry Porter, who is recruiting him and telling him he might be better suited to the offensive line at the next level. As a result, so far while LSU is Legania's dream school the reality might be he's not going to end up a Tiger. But next week that could change; if Legania can show off better mobility than he showed at the Nike camp in Mobile earlier this spring and if he can outshine Porter and Jacobs, the Tiger coaches might well rethink their strategy. The guess here is one of those three guys will eventually find a spot in LSU's class given the need for two defensive tackles and the current uncertainty as to who the top guys LSU is in on at DT might be.

Shaun Lewis, LB, Sugar Land, TX/Hightower HS (6-1/205, 4.5)
Other schools involved: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, UCLA, Baylor, Alabama
- Lewis, who like Taylor is a textbook John Chavis outside linebacker, shares the high productivity Taylor does - 134 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a junior last year. He's also a premium athlete, bench pressing 350 pound and boasting a 35-inch vertical leap. The Tigers have already offered him and will no doubt push for a commitment this week, though the word to date is he's nowhere near making a decision. Lewis is very good friends with Tony Hurd, though, so an offer to Hurd and the possibility of a commitment by Hurd could change the equation for the ESPN 150 Watch List member.

Tyrann Mathieu, CB, New Orleans, LA/St. Augustine HS (5-10/160, 4.6)
Other schools involved: Southern Miss, South Alabama, Louisiana Tech, UL-Lafayette
- Mathieu doesn't have any major-college offers just yet, but he's coming off a nice performance at Tennessee's camp earlier this week and he's known as a very quick cover corner who plays a lot faster than his 40 time. Mathieu is also a very strong punt returner; something LSU is looking for. He's a guy likely due to be evaluated in this camp rather than offered, though.

Jonathon Mincy, CB, Decatur, GA/Southwest DeKalb HS (5-10/170, 4.4)
Other schools involved: Georgia Tech, Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
- When we talked to Mincy a couple weeks ago, he said LSU was looking good as a potential destination but that he was going to see what other offers came his way. This camp, where he's matched up with Haynes and Hurd, will probably help determine how hard Tiger defensive backs coach Ron Cooper, who made Mincy the offer three weeks ago, pushes him to commit to LSU. Mincy is a playmaker with ridiculous speed, having posted 58 tackles and five interceptions and scoring four touchdowns as a junior last year - two of which came on punt returns, one from an interception and one off a fumble recovery.

Elliot Porter, DT, Marrero, LA/Shaw HS (6-4/280, 5.4)
Other schools involved: Florida State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Tulsa
- Porter's stock is on the rise of late, as he's up to about 14 offers and the quality has increased with each one. This camp will be his opportunity to add one from LSU, as the Tigers are looking for defensive tackles and right now don't appear to have too many national blue-chippers on the hook. Florida State and Nebraska have probably been the two schools in front for Porter, but his comments to other recruiting sites indicate that should LSU get involved the Tigers would immediately become a major part of the mix - Porter's cousin was former Tiger offensive lineman and NFL star Ralph Norwood. Porter is something of a project as a college player; he's not possessed with great natural speed and his conditioning could stand some improvement, but he does have good feet and his upper body is frighteningly strong (375-pound bench press for a player with long arms). We'll see if his stock continues to rise after the camp next week.

Wes Rea, OL, Gulfport, MS/Harrison Central HS (6-5/285, 5.19)
Other schools involved: Auburn, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee
- We reported Monday that Rea was coming in for this week's camp, and we also reported that he's a huge LSU fan. A star pitcher and first baseman on the diamond who hit .520 last year, the two-sport regimen he's been pursuing in high school has probably interfered with his stock a little as an offensive lineman. Rea can't really do both in college, so in all likelihood he's headed for full-time duty on the line at the next level unless he gets drafted in major-league baseball. Last year Rea was named All-South Mississippi by the Biloxi Sun-Herald, and he's been one of the Tigers' top targets among offensive linemen so far. But this camp will be LSU offensive line coach Greg Studrawa's first opportunity to evaluate Rea, and if all goes well that offer he's been looking for will be forthcoming. When it does, it's entirely likely he'll commit - though maybe not right away.

Tharold Simon, WR/DB, Eunice, LA HS (6-4/185, 4.5)
LSU Commitment
- Simon is at this camp largely as a control group, one might imagine. He's already committed to LSU, so unlike a lot of other players on hand he's not going to be in Baton Rouge to earn a scholarship offer. But based on how some of the other wide receivers and defensive backs do against him Simon might well help determine who some of the other offers will go to. Simon's work against Tony Hurd, for example, will be of interest - Hurd will give up six or seven inches to Simon when they go up against each other, and the Tiger coaches will want to see whether he can compensate for that differential with strength, quickness and jumping ability.

Michael Taylor, LB, Atlanta, GA/Westlake HS (6-0/200, 4.5)
Other schools involved: Miami, Georgia, Stanford, Ole Miss, Tennessee
- Taylor, who told ESPN affiliate InsideTheU.com that Miami, Georgia and LSU were his top three earlier in the week, is a classic example of what Tiger defensive coordinator John Chavis is looking for in his outside linebackers. He's a little undersized right now, but with 25 pounds in Tommy Moffitt's weight room he's a 225-pound lightning-quick linebacker who can go sideline to sideline, blitz and also cover in the short zones. Taylor's productivity is also right up Chavis' alley - 128 tackles, 6 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries as a junior. He's trying to wrap up his recruiting process sometime in August, so this camp will have a big part to play in his decision.

Chase Williams, LB/TE, Leesburg, VA/Loudon County HS (6-3/235, 4.8)
Other schools involved: West Virginia, Marshall, SMU, Rice, Tulane
- Williams, the son of new New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, is a monster on the football field if maybe not your classic combine superstar. As a junior last year he racked up 163 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, 11 pass breakups, six forced fumbles and one fumble recovery playing middle linebacker - the spot he was more or less born to play - and he also had 36 catches for 481 yards and three more scores playing tight end. As a fullback in goal line situations he rushed for two more touchdowns. But the offers haven't been overwhelming so far, largely because of questions about his measurables. LSU likes him a lot, though, both as a Mike linebacker and also as a tight end, and Tiger tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Don Yanowsky is working him. He's a December high school graduate.

Excerpted from Eye on the Tigers - Your Inside source to Tigers Athletics