LSU’s Bayou Picnic to welcome top football recruits

Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG -- LSU football coach Les Miles

Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert won’t be the only headliners on the LSU campus this weekend. For LSU football fans, the Bayou Country Superfest at Tiger Stadium will merely be the sound track for the Bayou Picnic recruiting event Saturday on the LSU campus. The Bayou Picnic will allow LSU coaches to entertain some of … Continue reading →

Rabalais: No need to worry about D'haquille Williams

Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG -- LSU defensive end Chancey Aghayere (87) is escorted to his mother during Senior Day ceremonies by defensive end Sam Montgomery (99), defensive tackle Bennie Logan (18) and defensive end Barkevious Mingo (49) on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, in Baton Rouge.

D’haquille Williams decommitted from the LSU football team Tuesday. If you belong to the increasingly small demographic that doesn’t follow — and by follow I mean live and die — football recruiting with missionary-like zeal, this is not going to register as much of a blip on your radar. If you are recruitnik, more specifically an … Continue reading →

Miles, Jones talk about LSU future

NEW ORLEANS — On his way to the Riverside Hilton on Tuesday on the Tiger Tour, Les Miles undoubtedly was tempted to detour by 2600 A.P. Tureaud or 3332 Huntlee Drive in Algiers. Those are the locations of St. Augustine and Karr high schools, both with multiple players the Tigers are recruiting, including five-star running … Continue reading →

Tulane basketball adds junior college point guard Malcolm Canada

Advocate staff photo by DERICK HINGLE -- Tulane Green Wave head coach Ed Conroy during the second half of a game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Fogelman Arena. Tulane defeated Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 65-55. Photo shot on Tuesday Nov. 13, 2012, in New Orleans, La..MAGS OUT / INTERNET OUT / ONLINE OUT / NO SALES / TV OUT / FOREIGN OUT / LOUISIANA BUSINESS INC. OUT / GREATER BATON ROUGE BUSINESS REPORT OUT / 225 OUT / 10/12 OUT / IN REGISTER OUT / LBI CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS OUT / MANDATORY CREDIT : THE ADVOCATE/DERICK HINGLE /

NEW ORLEANS — The Tulane men’s basketball team may have found its replacement for departing point guard Ricky Tarrant, signing junior college prospect Malcolm Canada. Canada, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, committed to the Green Wave two weeks ago, took his official visit last weekend and faxed … Continue reading →

LSU football lands WR D’haquille Williams, top-ranked junior-college player

LSU football coach Les Miles (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

LSU’s promising 2014 football recruiting class picked up a tangible new asset Friday night as D’haquille Williams of East St. John, the nation’s top-ranked junior college prospect, committed to the Tigers, according to multiple recruiting services. Williams (6-foot-3 and 190 pounds) is rated a five-star prospect by 24/7 Sports and the nation’s No. 1 junior college player. Continue reading →

California center Ryan Smith commits to Tulane 

Tulane coach Ed Conroy shouts to his team in the first half against Memphis in the Conference USA quarterfinals in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday, March 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

NEW ORLEANS - Tulane's mens basketball team received its second commitment of the spring when Ryan Smith pledged his future to the Green Wave on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-11 center from Escondito, Calif. adds significant size to the Tulane roster, which lost three post players to transfer in the offseason, including first-team All-Conference USA forward Josh Davis. Smith said he chose Tulane … Continue reading →

University guard Brumfield commits to play for LSU

Garrett Brumfield has played his entire high school career on the LSU campus. Saturday, he apparently decided to stay for college, too. The highly sought-after
University High offensive guard became LSU’s ninth commitment for the Class of 2014 when he gave his pledge to LSU, according to 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com. One of … Continue reading →

Scotlandville’s Brian Bridgewater going to LSU

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU. Scotlandville's Brian Bridgewater, center, screams as he is named player of the game after Scotlandville's 80-71 win over Ouchita in the Boys' Class 5A championship game at ULM on March 9. Bridgewater signed with LSU on Wednesday morning.

Brian Bridgewater had a
secret. The Scotlandville High School basketball standout said he committed to LSU a few weeks ago and opted to keep things quiet until Wednesday. That’s when the 6-foot-5 Bridgewater signed with the Tigers, trumpeting what turned out to be a good recruiting day for Baton Rouge and its teams. Two of … Continue reading →

Southern signs four players from Baton Rouge area

Advocate staff photo by JOHN OUBRE.Glen Oaks' Chris Thomas, right, maintains control of the ball as Baker's Gary Black fouls him on an attempted steal during a Feb. 1 game in Baton Rouge. Thomas will play college basketball close to home when he attends Southern University next season. He signed a national letter of intent with the Jaguars on Wednesday.

The last year of the Rob Spivery era at Southern, the men’s basketball team had more players from New Jersey (four) than Louisiana (three). Spivery’s successor took more big steps Wednesday toward enhancing the program’s local flavor. On the first day of college basketball’s spring signing period, Southern coach Roman Banks welcomed aboard four players who … Continue reading →

Star Australian center Malone to sign with LSU

LSU head coach Johnny Jones, left speaks with Florida head coach Billy Donovan after the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Southeastern Conference tournament, Friday, March 15, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Florida won 80-58. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Fifteen time zones, a hemisphere and 8,975 miles separate Baton Rouge from the Australian city of Canberra. Stated another way, it’s helpful to have fax machines cover the distance when LSU accepts its sole letter of intent from center Darcy Malone on an otherwise quiet signing day for coach Johnny Jones and the Tigers. In early February, the wispy … Continue reading →

Key games on Tuesday preps schedule

First-round softball playoff games and pivotal district baseball games help highlight Tuesday’s high school sports schedule in the Baton Rouge area. Top-seeded Brusly (28-2) hosts Avoyelles at 5 p.m. in Class 3A action, while No. 2-seeded St. Amant (24-2) hosts Lafayette High also at 5 p.m. to lead a large list of Class 5A teams competing on … Continue reading →

Video: LSU recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson says LSU's pro day means a lot to recruiting 

The main pitch of the LSU football team to high school football players it is recruiting is the fact that the Tigers send a lot of players into the National Football League. LSU had 28 former players at its recent pro day. What kind of impact will that have on recruiting? In this video, Advocate Online Sports Editor Pierce W. Huff talks with LSU recruiting coordinator/running backs coach Frank Wilson. Continue reading →

DE Sharieff Rhaheed commits to LSU

St. Lucie West Centennial quarterback Kevin Lowe (center) loses his grip to fumble while being chased by Fort Pierce Central's Sharieff Rhaheed (left) late in the second quarter at the South County Stadium in Port St. Lucie on Saturday. Central defeted Centennial 38-9

Florida Gulf Coast is trending big time right now, so the LSU football team decided to get in on the act by dipping into FGCU’s part of the Sunshine State for its newest commitment. Sharieff Rhaheed, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound defensive end from Fort Pierce (Fla.) Central announced that he has become the Tigers’ eighth commitment for the … Continue reading →

The education of Dylan Moses

Dylan Moses isn’t old enough to have a learner’s permit or take his first high school class, but twice in the past year he has become the biggest school-age sensation in Louisiana this side of 9-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis. Moses made national headlines last summer — the summer before he began his eighth-grade year at … Continue reading →

Standout Texas recruit Ed Paris commits to LSU

Photo provided by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by Gregg EllmanTImberview's Edward Paris leads the team on the field against DeSoto in October in Mansfield, Texas.

Forget Paris? Perhaps that would be LSU coach Les Miles’ advice to other schools after his Tigers received their biggest commitment to date for the Class of 2014. Ed Paris, a five-star cornerback from Mansfield (Texas) Timberview, near Arlington, announced his commitment to LSU on Monday evening, cutting short a plan to wait until his birthday (March … Continue reading →

Karr linebacker Donnie Alexander commits to LSU

00027917a Advocate Photo by April Buffington St. Thomas More's Jonathan Juneau gets tackled by Enda Karr's Noel Ellis, left and Donnie Alexander during the 4A quarterfinals playoff at St. Thomas More on Friday night.

When it comes to the talent-laden team at Edna Karr, all eyes on the LSU Tigers’ 2014 recruiting effort have been on players like wide receiver Speedy Noil and defensive end Gerald Willis. Noil and Willis may become stars of LSU’s class one day, but on Sunday teammate Donnie Alexander beat them both to the punch by … Continue reading →

Denham Springs DL Tevin Lawson to sign with TCU

Denham Springs High defensive lineman Tevin Lawson is scheduled to sign with TCU at 1 p.m. Friday at the school, according to DSHS coach Dru Nettles. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Lawson committed to LSU last spring and then wound up looking at other options after the Tigers asked him to take grayshirt offer instead of signing earlier this … Continue reading →

LSU’s 2014 recruiting hits higher gear this weekend

Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLINGLSU tailback Alfred Blue breaks free on a run during the first half of the Washington game earlier this month. Tigers coach Les Miles said Wednesday he is 'not overly optimistic' about Blue's chances at returning from an injury soon.

The fax machine at the LSU football office still hasn’t cooled off from receiving letters of intent on National Signing Day last Wednesday, but the Tigers staff is hard at work laying the foundation for the highly anticipated Class of 2014. To that end, LSU is expected to welcome more than 80 prospects to campus Saturday for … Continue reading →

Recruiting class of 2014 could be ‘best’

Advocate staff photo by BRYAN TUCK -- St. Augustine's Leonard Fournette moves the ball against St. Thomas More

The football factory that is Louisiana rarely if ever slows production, though there are some years that stand out more than others. The Class of 2001 has long been the standard by which other Louisiana recruiting classes are judged. Seven members of The Advocate’s Super Dozen that year went on to play in the NFL, among them … Continue reading →

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Maquedius Bain (6-5, 286, DT) Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) University Has great size and projects to play on the inside of the defensive line. … A participant in the 2013 Under Armour All-American Game with the Black Team. … A four-star prospect by ESPN and 24/7 Sports. … … Continue reading →

Louisiana football recruiting watch list for 2014

Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA --  Barbe's Trey Quinn escapes the grasp of Archbishop Rummel High School's Stanley Franklin during the Class 5A championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012.

Player HOMETOWN/SCHOOL POS HT. WT. CONSIDERING Donnie Alexander New Orleans/Karr LB 6-0 196 LSU, Ariz St Terrence Alexander River Ridge/John Curtis CB 5-9 167 Miss, Ark, Stan, Cinn, KSU Kendall Ardoin Ville Platte/Ville Platte TE 6-5 215 LSU, ULL, Tulane, Miss St Garrett Brumfield (ESPN, Rivals, 64) Baton Rouge/University OG 6-3 264 LSU, Ala, Fla, A&M, FSU Continue reading →

‘Miracle class’ going to Tulane

Advocate staff photo by JOHN McCUSKER -- Football players at John Curtis sign college letters of intent to attend Tulane at a ceremony at the River Ridge school Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Brandon Godfrey, center, and Sherman Badie, right, sign. Godfrey's father, Jerry, is at left, and Badie's mother, Shandrica, is second from left.

NEW ORLEANS — The bottom of the news release announcing Tulane’s 2013 football recruiting class included information for purchasing season tickets. If just the friends and families of the bulk of those who signed with the Green Wave on Wednesday choose to do so, then the phones should be ringing off the hook. Continue reading →

Southern stays at home for Odums’ first class

Advocate staff photo by APRIL BUFFINGTON -- Southern coach Dawson Odums talks about his 2013 signing class in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Smith-Brown Student Union on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013.

The day in December when he was introduced as Southern’s new football coach, Dawson Odums promised to make anybody “within a tank of gas” the focus of the program’s recruiting efforts. Odums made good on the commitment in putting together his first recruiting class. Seventeen of the 26 newcomers whom Southern celebrated Wednesday are prospects who … Continue reading →

SLU lands 37 new Lions

Associated Press photo by L.G. PATTERSON -- Southeastern Louisiana coach Ron Roberts stands on the sideline during a game against Missouri last season in Columbia, Mo.

HAMMOND — Southeastern Louisiana football coach Ron Roberts is about to find out if the old adage “bigger is better” really holds true. The Lions unveiled a 37-man recruiting class on Wednesday, with an emphasis on bulking up the offensive and defensive lines and adding experience in several areas. SLU’s class includes three … Continue reading →

SEC-bound trio leads Baton Rouge area’s out-of-state signees

Advocate staff photo by ADAM LAU -- Loranger's Jeryl Brazil (2), right, is tackled by University High's (56) Tim Williams, right, during a nondistrict football game at University High School's Boss-Gill Field in Baton Rouge on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012. 9/7/12 MAGS OUT / INTERNET OUT/ONLINE OUT/NO SALES/TV OUT/FOREIGN OUT/ LOUISIANA BUSINESS INC./GREATER BATON ROUGE BUSINESS REPORT/225/10/12/IN REGISTER/LBI CUSTOM PUBLICATIONS OUT/

Tim Williams’ signing day story was a tale of two tables. Darian Claiborne got an early-morning haircut to make sure it looked just right, while Shelby Christy made sure his new colors were in full view. The three Baton Rouge area standouts played for different high schools, but shared a special bond by signing football scholarships with … Continue reading →

N.O. players from state championship teams top signees

To the victors go many of the National Signing Day spoils. On Wednesday, the New Orleans area’s three high school football state championship schools celebrated the college decisions of some of their best playmakers. Karr’s Titus Charles drew laughs as he struggled to put his Southeastern University cap over his full head of hair. Charles … Continue reading →

Nicholls State signs 13 state prospects

THIBODAUX — Nicholls State stuck with its plan to recruit Louisiana athletes by signing 13 state prospects, including four from the Baton Rouge area on Wednesday. “We are very excited about this signing class,” Nicholls State Charlie Stubbs said in a university news release. “We have some versatile players in many of the positions that … Continue reading →

Easton LB Williams waiting to make decision

NEW ORLEANS — Edward Williams felt overwhelmed Tuesday night, the eve of National Signing Day. Unsure which of his favorite college choices — Oregon State, Texas Tech and Tulane — he wanted to sign a letter of intent with Wednesday morning. Then Williams, a 6-foot-3 linebacker at Warren Easton, received a call that night … Continue reading →

State college football signees

Grambling (19) *Aaron Breed, LB, 5-10, 215, Trinity Valley C.C./Kirbyville, Texas Arkez Cooper, DE, 6-2, 220, Mansfield Myles Davis, OL, 6-6, 355, Acadiana High/Scott Tristan Durden, OL, 6-2, 300, Tatum/Beckville, Texas Jerod Fisher, LB, 6-1, 230, Stevenson … Continue reading →

Mississippi poised to land big recruiting class

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2013, file photo, Mississippi head coach Hugh Freeze signals touchdown following a score against Pittsburgh during the second half of the BBVA Compass Bowl NCAA college football game at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. The second-year Mississippi coach is poised to haul in a mammoth recruiting class on Wednesday's National Signing Day. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Second-year Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze is poised to haul in a big recruiting class on Wednesday's national signing day. The list of potential names is stunning for a program the caliber of Ole Miss, which isn't known for its ability to attract big-time prospects. A perfect storm of family ties, momentum and Freeze's recruiting experience has brought … Continue reading →

Podcast: LSU recruiting is in final stretch run

Duke Riley<br />6-1 * 205* Linebacker<br />River Ridge, La. <br />John Curtis High School<br /><br />A speedy linebacker that has the ability to put pressure on the quarterback and cover receivers down field …  Honored as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 2A All-State Team by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association … Named to the 2012 Class 2A All-State Team by LSWA … Led John Curtis to a Class 2A State Championship in his junior and senior seasons … Racked up 10 total tackles and scored a touchdown on a 80-yard fumble recovery in the 2012 Class-2A State Championship Game … Earned MVP honors in the 2010 Class-2A Title Game where he recorded 21 tackles … A four-star recruit according to ESPN.com … Given three stars by Rivals.com, 247Sports and Scout.com … Listed as the No. 17 prospect in Louisiana by ESPN.com … Ranked as the No. 23 prospect in Louisiana by 247sports.com … Rated as the No. 26 linebacker in the nation by ESPN.com … Recorded 124 tackles in his senior season … Coached by J.T. Curtis.<br /><br />Advocate staff photo by DERICK HINGLE -- John Curtis linebacker Duke Riley holds up the ball after recovering a fumble against Springfieldin November in New Orleans.

LSU recruiting is in its stretch run before Signing Day but, thanks to commitments from players like Curtis linebacker Duke Riley, the Tigers should be fine. In this "Final Score" podcast, Advocate Online Sports Editor Pierce W. Huff and Advocate sportswriter Scott Rabalais talk about LSU's current recruiting class and the Tigers preparations for Signing Day. Continue reading →

Nkemdiche tweets positive messages about LSU visit

LSU clearly made a strong impression on the nation’s
No. 1 prospect during his official visit this weekend. The question remains is it strong enough to convince Robert Nkemdiche to sign with the Tigers on Wednesday? Nkemdiche (6-foot-5, 265 pounds), the highly lauded and highly sought defensive end from Logansville (Ga.) Grayson, tweeted several positive messages … Continue reading →

LSU trying to hang on to 27 commitments

Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG -- Les Miles speaks at a Nov. 28 news conference about a coaching job at the University of Arkansas. The LSU Board of Supervisors on Friday approved a salary increase for the football coach.

The LSU Tigers went into the last weekend of the 2013 recruiting season with some concerns about a repeat of last year’s 11th-hour flip by long-time commitment Torshiro Davis to Texas. But LSU appeared to weather the potential storm with its recruiting class intact as the Tigers try to hold onto the 27 pledges (plus one early … Continue reading →

Out-of-state efforts help LSU recruiting class

Despite the fact that 2013 has been an above-average year for football talent in Louisiana, and that LSU has kept most of the top talent it wanted in state, LSU’s coaches have nonetheless wracked up plenty of frequent-flyer miles to assemble this year’s class. Of LSU’s current haul — 27 commitments and one early junior college signee … Continue reading →