Cool feature from recruiting service 2/47 and some LSU recruiting updates.
If you've followed recruiting long enough, you've undoubtedly gotten wrapped up in the class rankings game, trying to guesstimate just where LSU will land after the final tallies. Can LSU be no. 1? Can they jump Georgia or Texas or whoever if they landed one more 4-star?
Well, these formulas are propriety to each site. Rivals, for instance, incorporates the value of being no. 1 ranked at a respective position, which adds additional value. While we still don't have the specifics of 24/7's formula, they are offering a fun, free new feature that will no doubt consume the rest of your work day if you so choose to enter it.
The 24/7 Class Calculator allows users to add recruits to a class to see what type of "score" it would give the final class. It's functionality is simple and straight forward. Simply type a recruit's name into the search box at the top and the form auto-completes with options, hit enter/return, click "Calculate New Projected Score," and voila, you can see what LSU would score if they landed Leonard Fournette, Speedy Noil, Gerald Willis and company.
Off to the right, you can also see the current Top 10 Team Rankings and Top 10 Recruit Rankings, with links to the full lists. If there is a drawback, it's that to tabulate where LSU might stand in relation to other finished classes, you will have to manually tabulate each class and keep your own spreadsheet.
Overall, this is a fun little tool for recruiting hounds to play around with. In case you were wondering, if LSU were to come through Sunday with commitments from Leonard Fournette, Speedy Noil, Gerald Willis, Clifton Garrett AND Tony Brown this weekend, they would STILL be three points behind Alabama for no. 1 overall class.
Big Time Recruiting Weekend
Well look-e here. Please delay any of your prognostications about the demise of LSU football, because the coffers aren't empty just yet. And if you aren't down with that, I got two words for ya!
Here's a list of visitors for you for this weekend. I'm not entirely sure how many of these are confirmed, but there's a good chance 90% will make an appearance:
2014
Hootie Jones - Hootie's coming to town with his mama, and this will be his official visit to LSU. He's set to decide on December 2nd and he's picking between us and Bama. The LSU side feels quietly confident, but there's no telling. If you are going this weekend, I may or may not approve of a "WE WANT HOOTIE" chant.
D'Haquille Williams - Louisiana native Quille was once an LSU commit, but switched things to Auburn for what many believe were extenuating personal circumstances. He claims his heart is at Auburn, but he's curiously swooping back in to Baton Rouge for one more visit. He seems to have finally gotten his grades in order and the product on the field has been as good as advertised. I'm not sure where LSU stands on this one, but I do know that this is the type of player that can make transitioning in a new, young QB much easier.
Ed Paris - Paris is signed, sealed, delivered. Okay, not officially official, but the kid isn't going anywhere. He's one of the biggest recruiters in this class and is actively working on our top remaining targets. Having him in town this weekend is a huge coup.
Frank Iheanacho - With a name like that, I'm not sure he belongs anywhere BUT LSU. Iheanacho is a 6'7", 220-pound WR from Houston that's considered a Texas A&M lean. What better way to lure him to Baton Rouge than to have him in person to watch us beat Aggie ass with several of his future teammates. This is his official visit and could go a long way to making this interesting.
Arrion Springs - Springs is a San Antonio native that's been committed to Oregon since July. He's already taken visits to Oklahoma, Florida State and Oregon. LSU isn't considered to be a major front runner for him, but LSU being the closest to home, may help our cause.
Clifton Garrett - The writing is kinda on the wall with this one, but Garrett's been enamored with LSU since early on and there's a great chance he's faxing papers coming February. Baton Rouge is a long ways from Plainfield, IL, however. There's an outside chance he could pull the trigger after his visit, but even if he doesn't, LSU's in outstanding position for this one.
Leonard Fournette - Lightly recruited, low-ranked RB from St. Augustine. He's probably a guy that we'll put on the backburner. ;-p
Speedy Noil - Just another backburner skill position guy. You know, in case we can't pull in some higher ranked guys.
Gerald Willis - Landon Collins' little, much cooler, bro. Oh yeah, also a 5-star.
Brandon Harris - See what I said about Ed Paris above.
Malachi Dupre - Just another 5 star on campus. NBD.
Trey Quinn, D.J. Chark, Garrett Brumfield, Will Clapp, Jacory Washington, Sione Palelei, Donnie Alexaner, Davon Godchaux - Did I mention we are just gonna go ahead and bring in the rest of our commits too?
2015
You didn't think we'd stop at 2014, did you?
Nicholas Brossett - commit
Blake Ferguson - commit
Xavier Lewis - commit
Derrick Dillon
Lanard Fournette - Leonard's younger bro
Garrett Thomas
Derrius Guice
And a whole bunch more.
2016-2017
Yeah, we went there.
Devin White ('16)
Edwin Alexander ('16)
Dylan Moses ('17) - commit
And others.
Now THAT is what I call a recruiting weekend.
Johnny Doin' Work
Jones pulled superstar JUCO PG Josh Gray earlier this week. His recruiting's been absolutely sensational, but the ball's just rolling on. Not only are a host of superstar football recruits on campus, 2015 no. 1 player in the country, Malik Newman will be in town for a visit.
Newman hails from Mississippi, so there's regional ties there, but to think LSU would even be in sniffing territory of a no. 1 overall player in basketball would be unfathomable just 24 months ago. In a short time, we've come a long way. Newman is being recruited hard by Kentucky and Kansas and others, and those aren't battles you expect LSU to win, but who knows, the commitment of no. 5 overall Ben Simmons may help persuade him to do his own thing in Baton Rouge.
The Pistol Is the Man
This is neither here nor there, but should be shared: