What would the last couple of seasons have looked like for LSU had it not been for the mass exodus of underclassmen to the NFL? Of course we’ll never know, but no one could argue that those players – if healthy – would have made a huge difference. A total of 17 players over the last two seasons declared early for the NFL draft.
So, it’s a breath of fresh air that only one player, LT Jerald Hawkins, will be leaving early after the 2015 season. Granted, Hawkins leaves a huge void in one of the most critical areas of the Tigers’ game plan, but it’s still just one player. That hasn’t happen since 2010. In fact, between 2005-2010 the Tigers lost just three players early to the NFL draft and never more than one in any of those seasons.
It wasn’t until the following year that the trend began to build where larger and larger numbers of players left early.
Just in 2013 alone the Tigers waved good-bye to 10 underclassmen, and that doesn’t even count “The Honey Badger” Tyrann Mathieu, who was dismissed from the team. That’s nearly half of an entire starting lineup full of NFL-caliber talent that didn’t come back. And then there were seven more last season. More LSU players have left early than any other college football program.
It’s why Les Miles was forced to start two true freshmen and two more newcomers on the offensive line this season. It’s why players like LBs Kendell Beckwith and Deion Jones never leave the field, or at least very rarely. It’s why that even as well as Miles has recruited at LSU, the team still lacks depth. And it’s why the Tigers were worn down in the second half of games this season, especially on defense.
So it was quite refreshing to see only Hawkins’ name on the most current list of those bolting for the NFL. Several LSU players were draft eligible but have decided to play their senior years in purple and gold.
Beckwith was a projected second-round pick and CB Tre’Davious White a first-rounder. But both recently declared that they would come back to Baton Rouge for one more year.
Beckwith was second on the team in tackles this season with 73 (45 solo). He recorded 10 tackles for loss, including 3.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. White piled up 38 tackles (25 solo) and was a leader in a young and talented secondary.
Tigers WR Travin Dural is also considered a second- to third-round pick. An injury late in the season that required surgery on a torn hamstring may have set him back, but the Tigers’ second-leading receiver this season is also returning to play one more year at LSU. He caught 28 passes for 533 yards and three touchdowns in 2015, ranking third in the SEC averaging 19.0 yards per reception. He was second in the SEC last year with an average of 20.5 yards per catch.
Five others were draft eligible but will remain at LSU. That group includes C Ethan Pocic, DLs Lewis Neal and Christian LaCouture, and secondary standouts Dwayne Thomas and Rickey Jefferson.
It’s a Catch-22 really. Coaches use the three-and-done stats to attract top talent in recruiting but then must deal with the consequences when they do leave early. It is nice to see, however, from a fans’ perspective when they don’t leave early and play out their eligibility with the schools they’ve chosen to spend four years with.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
