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Welcome to The Crootletter. I'm Bud Elliott, SB Nation's National Recruiting Analyst, and in this space I'll be sharing news, rumors and musings on the world of college football recruiting.
The run that the LSU Tigers are on right now on the recruiting trail is incredible. They grabbed two more elite linemen late last week in Willie Allen and Rashard Lawrence, beating out TCU and Ohio State, respectively.
LSU has the No. 1 class in the country, featuring 18 four- and five-star prospects. That would be an awesome haul for any team, but the Tigers could add even move come National Signing Day. They have a legitimate shot at stopping Alabama's streak of No. 1 classes, which sits at six.
LSU has done this by absolutely cleaning up in state. There are 21 four- and five-star players in the Pelican State, and LSU currently holds commitments from 12, including the best eight. The Tigers are also projected to land the top player in the state, five-star corner Kristian Fulton, and could sign 15 blue chippers from their home state alone. Oh, and four-star receiver commit Drake Davis, who is finishing his high school career in Florida, is also from Louisiana.
"I don't know if we can fit FIVE 4/5-star defensive tackles in our recruiting class" is like the best problem ever for college coaches.
— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) January 22, 2016I've never typed a sentence like that before. And to think, LSU almost fired Les Miles.
It's easy to see why many college coaches think LSU is such a great job. Elite money and facilities, sure, but the biggest factor is the complete lack of competition from in-state schools for top players. No state as talented as Louisiana has just a single Power 5 school. The Tigers do face competition from Alabama, which seems to be able to go into any state and compete for prospects, but everyone else is clearly second fiddle when they set foot in state, including Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
Quickly
- A bit of an odd weekend results in not a single four- or five-star player making a commitment. It seems most of the elite uncommitted recruits are going to wait for Signing Day.
- That's not to say progress was not made during official visits. Arkansas made a big impression on its targets and USC managed to keep a four-star receiver in the fold after it appeared that he was flipping to Oklahoma. Georgia grabbed a commitment from an offensive lineman who is nicknamed "Moving Train" and could become a nice player if he gets his weight down.
- As predicted by our Michigan outlet, Penn State lost a commitment from a defensive lineman who happens to be friends with the No. 1 player in the country, Rashan Gary. I have both landing at Michigan.
- Wow, Alabama really does recruit nationally, internationally and apparently, galactically, as the new Planet Nine has committed to the Tide.
- Bob Stoops is doing a good job reloading his defense via the JUCO circuit. Baker Mayfield is only around for one more season. I also expect Oklahoma to land four-star defensive back Jared Mayden, a recent Oregon decommitment from Sachse (Texas) High School.
