LSU signees to begin strength program before arriving to campus
By Andrew Olson
Published:
If any LSU recruits expect to take it easy between National Signing Day and arriving to Baton Rouge, they’re in for a surprise.
“The moment we get their fax, we’re going to slip a letter, workout manual and DVD into the packet,” LSU strength coach Tommy Moffitt recently told ESPN Radio Baton Rouge. “We FedEx that packet to those young men. It’s our basic program. It’s a three-day program with a simple set and rep scheme. The goal is to try to develop exercise technique and a base of fitness. Once they receive that DVD, they have a week to read the program, to go over the exercises, practice anything they need to work on, and then they start the workout.”
While Moffitt and LSU staffers aren’t able to enforce participation in the program, the depth chart will reflect which prospects took it seriously and arrived ready to compete for playing time.
“If they expect to contribute to our team, they have to do that program, because if they do not, when they show up, they’re going to be behind,” he said. “It’s hot, and they’re going to worry about surviving every day, instead of getting better. It’s for their health, it’s for their well-being.”
He knows that at least one of LSU’s 15 commits expected to arrive in June (six others are already on campus as early enrollees) will start their career off the wrong way because they believed they were above Moffitt’s request.
“Every summer, we sign some guy that doesn’t do what he’s supposed to do, and he shows up here in June and it’s downhill from that point. Our tempo and the work we have to do is so important that we can’t wait for those guys. It’s something they’re obligated to do. It’s their responsibility as an LSU Tiger.”
While early enrollees still have the advantage of actual practice with the team and a spring game, it will be interesting to see if Moffitt’s summer workout will lead to more teams working to prepare their signees for summer workouts and fall camp. The Tigers’ class is currently ranked No. 3 in the SEC and No. 6 nationally on the 247Sports Composite.
[H/T: CoachingSearch.com]
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
