Neither one were ever considered high priorities for LSU, so neither are really losses, but two players Tiger fans might be familiar with chose other schools in the last couple of days.


Gawkers at Russell Shepard last fall might well have noticed a decent-sized receiver on the other end of his passes at Cypress Ridge High School. That pass-catcher was Kevin Johnson, who according to ESPN has pledged to sign with Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Johnson was also holding scholarship offers from programs such as Arizona, Baylor, Kansas and Minnesota.

In 2008, Johnson caught 45 of Shep's passes for 691 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 149 yards and one more score.
Meanwhile, Auburn took a commitment from 6-foot-3, 190-pound Springville, AL product Jeremy Richardson, ESPN affiliate Web site AuburnUndercover.com reports today. Alabama, Tennessee and LSU had also offered Richardson.

"They talk about family all the time, and they said I could come in and play as a true freshman," Richardson said. "That's the main reason I went ahead and made the decision. Plus, I've always been an Auburn fan."

"It's a great offense," he said of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's new system. "Auburn in the past has had more of a run-oriented offense, but it's good to see them want to put the ball in the air more. They have a lot of plays that look like will work."

Richardson earned a Class 5A All-State selection as a junior after catching 61 passes for 1,228 yards (20.1 average) and 18 touchdowns.