LSU Signs Big Recruiting Class

LSU head coach Les Miles said he's proud of the Tigers' recruiting class in his opening remarks to the media during a late afternoon news conference.
“It’s always fun to envision a new class, and look at the young men you had a chance to meet, recruit and invite to this campus. I can tell you we’re really proud of this class. Our coaching staff did a great job working to secure these commitments.”
Miles commented on the recruits in the order of what he considered were LSU's top needs. Chief among that list were cornerbacks, and LSU landed Patrick Johnson.
“The loss of Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon at corner would be the most acute issue,” Miles said. “We set out to get a great corner class. Patrick Johnson is the No. 1 rated corner in the country. He’s a big, physical, athletic corner. And frankly, we think, he certainly fits that bill.”
LSU signed 15 players from Louisiana, and Miles said in-state players always will have an integral place in the program.
“In this state, it’s important that we take the guys and recruit those men we feel like give us the opportunity to win a championship. And really we will always look to the in-state players first."
Miles said he thinks this class can help LSU win a championship down the road. He added that he wasn't too concerned about how the Tigers sized up in the national recruiting race, though he mentioned that LSU's recruiting class was ranked No. 5 by Scout.com and No. 11 by Rivals and ESPN.


"I really could not give a hoot," Miles said.
Posted at 12:45 p.m., Feb. 6, 2007
In case you're wondering, Rivals has rated LSU's recruiting class at No. 10, as of mid-day. Notre Dame is No. 1, followed by Alabama and Florida (which is ESPN's No. 1). Oklahoma is fourth in the Rivals rankings, with Georgia rounding out the top 5. Miami is No. 6, followed by Florida State, Ohio State and Michigan.
Other SEC schools in the Rivals Top 25 are Auburn (No. 18) and South Carolina (No. 19), giving the league six teams among the top Rivals schools.
Kellen Theriot, a 6-1, 225-pound linebacker from Episcopal High in Houston, has been added to LSU's list. Theriot enrolled in January.
Defensive end Chase Clement (6-6, 245, E.D. White of Thibodaux) is the 25th member of the Tigers signing class. Meanwhile, defensive back Brandon Harris of Miami will stay home to attend the University of Miami. And Hialeah (Fla.) High defensive lineman Corey Liuget stuck with his commitment and signed with Illinois.
LSU has added Rayville High wide receiver Chris Tolliver (6-1, 189) as its 24th signee.
Deangelo Peterson, a 6-3, 190-pound receiver from New Orleans who played at Desire Street Academy, gives LSU its 23rd signee, one minute before noon. I missed that one after leaving The Advocate building for a false fire alarm around 11:45 a.m.
Meanwhile, Alabama signed highly touted wide receiver Julio Jones, a 6-4, 215-pound receiver from Foley, Ala. Jones was rated as the No. 1 wide receiver by ESPN.
LSU landed its fourth signee from the state of Florida and 22nd overall with the addition of defensive back Karnell Hatcher (6-2, 190) of Atlantic Community High in Delray Beach, Fla.
Lavar Edwards, a 6-4, 280-pound defensive end from Gretna who played at Desire Street Academy, is LSU's 21st signee.
Well, scratch the earlier report on cornerback Patrick Johnson, who has officially signed with LSU. The Miami Herald reported today that Johnson delayed a morning news conference, leading to speculation he may change his mind about signing with the Tigers.
Johnson (6-1, 175, Ely High, Pompano Beach, Fla.) is LSU's 20th signee and a nationally lauded player. Johnson's bio on LSUsports.net lists his many honors, including a selection of USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson is rated No. 5 nationally by Rivals and No. 8 by ESPN. Johnson committed to LSU in January.
Defensive back Ryan St. Julien (6-1, 170) is now a Tiger, as of 11:05 a.m. St. Julien hails from Catholic-New Iberia High School and St. Martinville.
Linebacker Kyle Prater (6-1, 210, Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas) bumps LSU's signee total to 18 at 10:55 a.m. Prater's signing ends a streak of seven consecutive signings from Louisiana.
Two Destrehan High players bring the Tigers' numbers to 17. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson (6-4, 210, St. Rose) and wide receiver Tim Molton (6-3, 190, Montz) have signed with LSU.
LSU has a Baton Rouge signee. Parkview Baptist offensive lineman Clay Spencer (6-6, 285) brings the Tigers' count to 15 at 10:34 a.m.
Tight end Tyler Edwards is in the LSU fold. Edwards is a 6-3, 240-pounder from Ouachita Parish High School. The Tigers have 14 signees, seven of those coming from Louisiana, including the last four.
LSU's has landed the two Taylors from Franklinton. Wide receiver Jhyryn Taylor, a 6-1, 180-pounder, was posted at 10:19, four minutes after defensive back Brandon Taylor (6-0, 178). The Taylor duo gives the Tigers 13 signees.
Belle Chasse defensive back Rockey Duplessis (6-1, 185) is LSU's 11th signee.
The Tigers are in double digits as of 9:50 a.m. Garland (Texas) High defensive lineman Chancey Aghayere (6-4, 243) gives LSU 10 signees.
LSU has its first signee from Texas, offensive lineman Thomas Parsons (6-5, 272, Smithson Valley High in Canyon Lake, Texas).
Tight end Matt Branch (6-5, 240, Sterlington of Monroe) gives the Tigers eight signees at 9:30 a.m.
DeAngelo Benton, a 6-5, 200-pound wide receiver from Bastrop via Hargrave Military Academy, is in the LSU fold, as of 9:23 a.m. Hargrave is the Chatham, Va., prep school that current LSU running back Keiland Williams attended his senior season.
Linebacker Ryan Baker is LSU's sixth signee. Baker (Bountstown High, Grand Rigde, Fla.) is the Tigers' second player from Florida and fifth from out of state.
The Tigers now have three offensive linemen in the fold with the addition of Greg Shaw (6-5, 285, Edward Pace, Hialeah, Fla.) at 9:12 a.m. Shaw is the No. 16 offensive tackle in the country by ESPN.com and is a four-star member of the Rivals 250, according to his LSUsports.net bio.
LSU landed its first in-state signee just a couple of minutes after 9 a.m. Rummel offensive lineman P.J. Lonergan (6-4, 290) is on board.
Offensive lineman Alex Hurst (6-5, 290) of Arlington High School in Bartlett, Tenn., is LSU's third signee. Hurst was a Class 5A first-teamer in Tennessee, according to his LSUsports.net bio.
LSU's first two signees are from Georgia. Defensive lineman Cordian Hagans of Northview High School in Snellville, Ga., is aboard. Hagans is 6-5, 290 pounds.
Derrick Bryant, a 6-0, 185-pound defensive back, from Peachtree High School in Lawrencville, Ga., is the first official LSU signee, as of 8:23 a.m. According to his bio on LSUsports.net, Bryant has the following ratings by Rivals.com: No. 25 cornerback in nation and No. 28 among all Georgia prospects.

2008 Football Signees
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Player
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
School
Hometown
Chancey Agyahere
DE
6-4
250
Garland
Garland, Texas
Ryan Baker
LB
6-0
210
Blountstown
Blountstown, Fla.
DeAngelo Benton
WR
6-5
200
Hargrave Military Academy
Bastrop
Matt Branch
TE
6-5
240
Sterlington
Monroe
Derrick Bryant
DB
6-0
185
Peachtree Ridge
Lawrenceville, Ga.
Chase Clement
DE
6-5
250
E.D. White
Thibodaux
Rockey Duplessis
S
6-2
180
Belle Chasse
Belle Chasse
Lavar Edwards
DE
6-4
280
Desire Street
Gretna
Tyler Edwards
TE
6-3
240
Ouachita High
Monroe
Coridan Hagans
DT
6-5
290
Northview
Snellville, Ga.
Karnall Hatcher
DB
6-2
190
Atlantic Community
Delray Beach, Fla.
Alex Hurst
OL
6-5
290
Arlington
Bartlett, Tenn.
Jordan Jefferson
QB
6-4
210
Destrehan
St. Rose
Patrick Johnson
DB
6-1
175
Blanche Ely
Pompano Beach, Fla.
P.J. Lonergan
OL
6-4
290
Archbishop Rummel
Metairie
Tim Molton
WR
6-3
190
Destrehan
Montz
Thomas Parsons
OL
6-5
272
Smithson Valley
Canyon Lake, Texas
DeAngelo Peterson
WR
6-3
190
Desire Street Academy
New Orleans
Kyle Prater
LB
6-2
210
Tivy
Kerrville, Texas
Greg Shaw
OL
6-5
285
Edward Pace
Rummel
Ryan St. Julien
DB
6-1
170
Catholic-New Iberia
St. Martinville
Clay Spencer
OL
6-6
285
Parkview Baptist
Baton Rouge
Brandon Taylor
CB
6-0
178
Franklinton
Franklinton
Jhyryn Taylor
WR
6-1
180
Franklinton
Franklinton
* Kellen Theriot
LB
6-1
225
Episcopal
Houston
Chris Tolliver
WR
6-1
189
Rayville
Rayvill