Ad Disclosure
With less than a week left before National Signing Day, LSU has surged ahead with the top-ranked recruiting class for 2016.
That status was bolstered at the end of last week with the verbal commitment to the Tigers from Louisiana high school standout Rashard Lawrence. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive tackle is ranked No. 5 nationally at his position and No. 23 overall according to the 247Sports composite.
A five-star recruit from Neville High School in Monroe, La., Lawrence is an imposing figure with size, speed and strength to make an immediate impact on the Tigers’ defense. He’ll have company. LSU coach Les Miles is bringing in 18 athletes in the 2016 class that are at least four stars, which should keep the Tigers competitive in the coming years.
Considered by many as one of the top two prospects in the state, Lawrence joins two of the state’s top three defensive tackles already committed to LSU. Miles and the Tigers will be its usual salty self defensively for years to come. And that’s good news for DL coach Ed Orgeron and new DC Dave Aranda, who Lawrence said quite possibly could have been the difference-maker in his decision.
Tough decision
It was more difficult a decision than most might think. Lawrence decided on Friday for LSU over Ohio State.
“It was tough,” Lawrence told The Times-Picayune. “Ohio State came (after) me hard, and when I say it was 50-50, it was 50-50, but I think it came down to just trusting coach Aranda, and him showing me film of what they can do when they get the defensive lineman, so I said, ‘I’m gonna go there and follow my first heart.'”
https://twitter.com/Rashard_99/status/690598057696571392
Friends with current Tigers
Lawrence said his relationship with current LSU players were a key factor in his decision.
“I’m close with all (the defensive tackles),” Lawrence told The Times-Picayune. “Christian (LaCouture), (Davon) Godchaux, Greg (Gilmore), Frank (Herron), all of ’em. All the four defensive tackles they have, I’m close to ’em.”
He said he also spoke with LSU LB Kendell Beckwith the night before his final decision. A leader on the LSU defense, Beckwith told Lawrence of his own personal recruiting process and how staying at home was the right choice for him.
Lawrence also said that Beckwith didn’t pressure him on his decision but told him that the Tigers needed a talent like him. He said the talk with Beckwith meant a lot.
Record-setting class
Lawrence is part of LSU’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class but he’s also the eighth top-10 player from the state to commit to LSU. In 11 years with the school, Miles had never had more than seven of the state’s top-10 players commit.
He was the 22nd commitment in the class of 2016, which could reach as high as 29 recruits by the Feb. 3 signing day.
It was a bumper crop of talent in the state this year. In all, 21 players from Louisiana were ranked as four- or five-star recruits. That’s the most per capita than any other state. Overall, that number ranks fifth in the nation behind the usual suspects; Texas, Florida, California and Georgia.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
