Recruiting News from Dandy Don

Recruiting is the red hot topic of discussion with all Tiger fans at this time. Coach Les Miles and his staff are shooting for the stars and if two or three of the stars fall LSU's way it will be a great recruiting class. Coach Miles could have wrapped up this year's class several weeks ago had he wanted to take the easy road out. In my opinion, the only way to continue the great success LSU has had in eight of the last 10 years is to recruit the very best players available, as Coach Miles is doing. In eight of the last 10 seasons, LSU has won 79 games and has lost 22. Only in 1998 and 1999 did LSU not have a winning season and play in a bowl game. In recruiting news, Joe McKnight decided late Tuesday night that he will not visit any school this weekend, according to Will Weather of the Advocate, and that is great news for LSU. In my opinion, McKnight's decision not to take an official visit to Alabama or FSU increases LSU chances at signing the Parade Magazine high school All-American. Jones, Francois and Tolliver are also finished with their visits. Corley will likely visit LSU this weekend, according to a couple of reports. At this time, LSU has 22 commitments and will likely take commitments from four to five more players. I spoke to Rayville high school coach Bo Barton Tuesday morning before conducting interviews with two of his players, and he told me that offensive lineman Dí Montell Wilson would not have the grades to enter LSU at this time and would be placed in a junior college for one or two years. I will be removing Wilson and Gabriel Bryant's names from my commitment list later today. One week from today is National Letter Signing Day and I will be very happy when the day comes and goes. By it's nature, recruiting is a very hard thing to report on accurately. I have made a few blunders in recruiting this year as have all the other web sites who cover recruiting and the LSU coaching staff. I would like for all of you who follow recruiting to understand that there will always be some thrills and heartbreaks in recruiting. LSU will have a great recruiting class this year, even if we lose two or three of the remaining players on the board. If I were a betting man, I would bet that LSU signs at least three of the remaining five players on the board.