BATON ROUGE -- Behind the strength of four Parade All-Americans, LSU put together one of the nation’s top football signing classes as the Tigers inked a total of 26 prospects for the 2007 season here Wednesday.
Click here to view video highlights, coach Miles' comments on each recruit and more information about each of these new Tigers.
LSU 2007 signing class has been rated as high as No. 2 in the nation by Scout.com. LSU was also ranked No. 4 by Rivals.com and No. 7 by ESPN.com.
“It’s a great day for LSU football,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We were able to add to our team 26 quality men with character and guys that have athletic ability. And those people, in my opinion, are looking forward to a lifetime of opportunities that LSU can afford.
“Any time that you have a recruiting effort like this you represent a lot of people when you’re the head coach. First of all, I represent a great school, and it’s easy to show the opportunities a school like LSU affords academically and athletically.
“I’m awfully fortunate to have people who give up their days to help us. From the University administration, to the staff at the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes, and professors in virtually every department that come down and represent their school. Our coaching staff did a great job. They recruited long and hard. They competed. A recruiting calendar is very much a competitive run, and when the pace gets faster there’s so much to do and our coaching staff did that.”
The signing class comes on the heels of an 11-2 mark and No. 3 final national ranking for the Tigers in 2006. LSU closed the 2006 season with a 41-14 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl capping one of the best two years periods of football in LSU history.
Heading the list of signees for the Tigers are four Parade All-Americas in wide receiver Terrance Tolliver, defensive tackle Joseph Barksdale, wide receiver DeAngelo Benton, and safety Chad Jones.
In all, the Tigers signed 11 players from the state of Louisiana, five from Texas, four from Florida, two from Alabama and one each from the states of Mississippi, North Carolina, Michigan and Tennessee.
The class included one junior college product in wide receiver Demetrius Byrd as well as one signee who has already graduated from high school and is currently enrolled at LSU in defensive tackle Joseph Barksdale.
The class included a nation’s best 18 4-star recruits, as graded by Rivals.com as well as a pair of 5-star signees in Tolliver and Chad Jones. In addition, the Tigers added 10 members of the ESPN Top 150 as well as seven members of the Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen and nine of the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s Top 16 Blue Chip list.
“It’s nice to have four Parade All-Americans in this class, which is ties for the most in a single signing class in school history,” Miles said. “With a couple 5-star athletes and 18-4-star signees, it tells you that we’ve really compiled a great class. This class has size, speed, athletic ability, strength and great balance.”
2007 LSU Football Official Signing Class
| # | Time | Name |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown (High School/JC) |
| 1. | Enrolled | Joseph Barksdale | DL | Fr. | 6-6 | 315 | Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech HS) |
| 2. | 8:28 a.m. | Andrew Crutchfield | K/P | Fr. | 6-1 | 190 | Concord, N.C. (NW Cabarrus HS) |
| 3. | 8:47 a.m. | Sidell Corley | DE | Fr. | 6-4 | 270 | Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen HS) |
| 4. | 8.57 a.m. | Phelon Jones | DB | Fr. | 5-11 | 195 | Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen HS) |
| 5. | 9:09 a.m. | T-Bob Hebert | C/OL | Fr. | 6-3 | 260 | Alpharetta, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian HS) |
| 6. | 9:17 a.m. | Ron Brooks | ATH | Fr. | 5-11 | 180 | Irving, Texas (MacArthur HS) |
| 7. | 9:28 a.m. | Stevan Ridley | LB | Fr. | 5-11 | 209 | Natchez, Miss. (Trinity Episcopal HS) |
| 8. | 9:40 a.m. | Stefoin Francois | DB | Fr. | 6-1 | 200 | Reserve, La. (East St. John HS) |
| 9. | 9:49 a.m. | Drake Nevis | DL | Fr. | 6-1 | 285 | Marrero, La. (John Ehret HS) |
| 10. | 9:59 a.m. | John Williams | CB | Fr. | 5-11 | 175 | Breaux Bridge, La. (Breaux Bridge HS) |
| 11. | 10:07 a.m. | Ernest McCoy | OL | Fr. | 6-5 | 333 | Belle Glade, Fla. (Glades Central HS) |
| 12. | 10:17 a.m. | Shomari Clemons | LB/DB | Fr. | 6-2 | 220 | West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS) |
| 13. | 10:24 a.m. | Will Blackwell | DE | Fr. | 6-4 | 293 | West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS) |
| 14. | 10:50 a.m. | Alex Russian | TE | Fr. | 6-4 | 230 | Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock HS) |
| 15. | 10:58 a.m. | Jarvis Jones | OL | Fr. | 6-6 | 265 | Needville, Texas (Lamar Consolidated HS) |
| 16. | 11:18 a.m. | Kentravis Aubrey | DL | Fr. | 6-3 | 285 | Bastrop, La. (Bastrop HS) |
| 17. | 11:24 a.m. | Jarrett Lee | QB | Fr. | 6-2 | 190 | Brenham, Texas (Brenham HS) |
| 18. | 11:31 a.m. | DeAngelo Benton | WR | Fr. | 6-3 | 190 | Bastrop, La. (Bastrop HS) |
| 19. | 11:41 a.m. | Jordon Corbin | TE | Fr. | 6-4 | 240 | Lakeland, Fla. (Lakeland HS) |
| 20. | 11:49 a.m. | Delvin Breaux | CB | Fr. | 6-1 | 175 | New Orleans, La. (McDonogh 35 HS) |
| 21. | 11:59 a.m. | Josh Dworaczyk | OL | Fr. | 6-6 | 275 | New Iberia, La. (Catholic-New Iberia HS) |
| 22. | 12:05 p.m. | Mitch Joseph | TE | Fr. | 6-5 | 243 | New Iberia, La. (Catholic-New Iberia HS) |
| 23. | 12:23 p.m. | Terrance Toliver | WR | Fr. | 6-5 | 180 | Hempstead, Texas (Hempstead HS) |
| 24. | 12:32 p.m. | Josh Jasper | K/P | Fr. | 6-0 | 165 | Memphis, Tenn. (Ridgeway HS) |
| 25. | 12:38 p.m. | Demetrius Byrd | WR | Jr. | 6-2 | 195 | Miami, Fla. (Miami Central HS/Pearl River CC) |
| 26. | 2:45 p.m. | Chad Jones | S | Fr. | 6-3 | 222 | New Orleans, La. (Southern Lab HS) |
