Signed, sealed, delivered
Miles says he got the right fits
Rain and wind lashed at the windows of the LSU athletic administration building Wednesday afternoon as Les Miles met with the media to review the Tigers’ 2012 football signing class.
“What a miserable day,” Miles said as he listened to the pounding storm outside.
For some LSU followers, Miles’ weather report might have been a metaphor for the Tigers’ recruiting effort.
It was, according to at least one recruiting service, a top-10 class and one that definitely filled key LSU needs, including a big signing day addition.
But it was also marked by a key signing day defection and the ache of knowing that some top prospects — for whatever reason — got away.
“Did we meet all our needs?” Miles asked. “I think we met all our needs.
“You never get all the guys you recruit. I think there are guys who would have made great fits here.”
The biggest guy who figured he didn’t fit was Dutchtown High safety Landon Collins.
Collins (6-foot, 210 pounds) committed to Alabama back on Jan. 5 during the Under Armour All-American Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., his disapproving mother at his side proclaiming her preference for LSU.
Wednesday, April Justin was by her son’s side in Dutchtown’s gymnasium as he signed with Alabama in a low key midday ceremony, tears and hugs part of the scene.
LSU had nearly a month to compensate for Collins’ decision, however, filling his spot with Missouri City (Texas) Elkins safety Corey Thompson (6-2, 205).
Thompson switched Monday to LSU from Texas A&M, where his father Tony played wide receiver.
“A lot of people expected me to follow in my dad’s footsteps,” Thompson said Wednesday in a local radio interview. “But it was about what was best for me.
“I felt I made a good decision.”
“Corey Thompson was a key,” Miles said. “Frankly, we had to have him. He made a last-minute decision to come to the Tigers, and he’s exactly what we needed.”
If Thompson’s choice was last minute, Torshiro Davis’ decision was split second.
Committed to LSU since last February, the Shreveport Woodlawn defensive end appeared to be in the LSU camp as late as Tuesday night. But Wednesday he signed with Texas, flashing a “Hook ’em Horns” hand sign and pointing an accusing finger of dissension at the LSU program.
Asked by a Shreveport TV station reporter if anything happened to cause him to spurn LSU, Davis replied: “Yeah. Some of the players don’t seem that happy down there.”
Davis (6-3, 220), an end projected to play outside linebacker, was recruited by former LSU defensive lineman and assistant strength coach Bo Davis, a first-year defensive tackles coach with the Longhorns.
Davis, ranked as high as No. 74 nationally on the 24/7 Sports Top 247, was widely considered Lousiana’s No. 2 prospect behind Collins.
“We went through a painstaking process of communicating with all our guys,” Miles said. “It became a serious issue in one instance.
“We did not know it would affect us late. We had no idea.”
Miles also made what sounded like an oblique reference to Collins and Davis by criticizing what he referred to as third-party influences.
“Recruiting this year was a little unusual, I have to say,” Miles said. “We ran into some third-party influential pieces. There are some lessons learned that we will have to deal with as we move forward.”
LSU ended up signing 22 players, three short of the Southeastern Conference mandated limit. The Tigers have one more commitment — Bossier City Airline tight end John Thomas (6-5, 225) — but he apparently won’t sign unless he becomes academically eliglble.
Miles said the coaching staff already moved on Wednesday to its 2013 and 2014 recruiting classes.
With or without Thomas, this LSU recruiting class is not going to threaten the top of the subjective national rankings.
The Tigers rank anywhere from No. 7 (Scout) to No. 16 (Rivals). They were No. 12 according to ESPN and 24/7 Sports and No. 13 on the CBS Sports/Maxpreps list.
The day started with a huge pickup for LSU, as the Tigers grabbed arguably their top recruit — Oxford, Ala., linebacker Kwon Alexander — away from Alabama and Auburn.
Alexander (6-2, 220) announced his decision by peeling off a black jacket that revealed a purple-and-gold bowtie and suspenders.
“I woke up this morning with a smile on my face,” Alexander said, “knowing what team I was going to go to.”
Alexander is ranked No. 29 on the ESPNU 150, a consensus four-star prospect even after his ranking took a hit when he missed most of his senior season with a knee injury.
Alexander’s signature gave LSU five fresh linebackers, adding to what was already an unusually large crop of linebackers in state. LSU’s other linebacker signees were West St. John’s Ronnie Feist (6-2, 225), Thibodaux’s Trey Granier (6-1, 225), Jesuit’s Deion Jones (6-2, 200) and Patterson’s Lorenzo Phillips (6-2, 200).
The Tigers lose two senior starters at linebacker: Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois.
“We’ve got to replenish that linebacker corps,” Miles said. “Looking at it year in and year out, this is the best linebacker class (in Louisiana) I have seen.”
A day of dramatic ups and downs also included what was, eventually, a moment of comic relief for LSU’s coaches.
Wide receiver Avery Johnson (6-2, 180), younger brother of former LSU All-American cornerback Patrick Peterson and a long-time Tigers commitment, called quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe on Wednesday to stay he “had a change of heart.”
“I’m going to a team that wears red and red helmets,” Miles quoted Johnson as saying, though Miles was unable to bring himself to say “Alabama.”
“Steve said, ‘I can’t handle this,’” and handed the phone to recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson.
“Frank was like, ‘He never even visited there, how in the hell …’”
It was about that moment when Johnson’s letter of intent slid out of the LSU fax machine.
“He is indeed a Tiger,” Miles said. “And we will punish him severely when he arrives.”