Feb 2, 20215 min read

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY PICKS

CAN LSU SOLIDIFY THEIR #4 OVERALL CLASS WITH A STRONG FINALE?

IT'S CRUNCH TIME...

BIG NAMES...

BIGGER SCHOOLS...

PRICELESS PERSONALITIES...

UNFORGETTABLE SHOWMANSHIP...

RELENTLESS RECRUITERS...

RAVENOUS MEDIA MEMBERS...

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY IS HERE...

I LOVE THE SMELL OF NAPALM IN THE MORNING...

& I CAN HEAR SABAN'S REPTILIAN HOWL AT NIGHT...

by Lonn Phillips Sullivan

@LonnPhillips

J.T TUIMOLOAU (DE)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 5 Star, #3 DE

Services Composite Rating: #1 Overall player

Our info is telling us the 6'6 pass-rushing monster is Buckeye-bound, a big win over Alabama for Coach Ryan Day if he can pull it off. Alabama are doing whatever possible to pursue Tuimoloau at the last second, hoping to grab yet another Saban steal (ala Jo Jo Earle, Kheanu Koht, Landon Collins among many others).

I'm hearing he's issued a verbal commitment to Ohio State...we'll see how that goes.

PICK: Ohio State

LJ JOHNSON (RB)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 4 Star, #6 RB

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #3 RB

Most of the picks are in for Jimbo Fisher's A&M to grab the big time running back, however I'm getting lots of messages about Steve Sarkisian's Texas pulling out a win here.

It appears LJ's father was also excited about the prospects of his son's evolution within the Sarkisian offense.

I feel like LJ could feasibly pick the Longhorns, going against the grain on this one.

If Jimbo pulls LJ off, it'll be a big win for an A&M side losing tons of talent to the NFL or graduation.

PICK: TEXAS A&M's SEC allure wins out

TYWONE MALONE (DT)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 4 Star, #9 Overall DT

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #61 Overall

I'm hearing the dual-sport DT and home-run hitter will be picking Ole Miss due to their baseball program.

PICK: Ole Miss

TERRION ARNOLD (S)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 4 Star, #5 Safety

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #2 Safety

Terrion was once well within reach for the Tigers during early 2020, then things accelerated for his signature and he became a target for every top school, burying LSU out of his pursuit (Corey Raymond focusing instead on securing Sage Ryan, Matthew Langlois and Derrick Davis Jr).

While Georgia is well in the mix, there's been some changes among their staff which should see him find his way to Saban's Alabama.

The temptation to join the Tide could be too much, although never underestimate the comfort of staying home during a global pandemic...remember that key element in whether Arnold decides to head to Tuscaloosa or stay home...

PICK: Alabama

DESTYN HILL (WR)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 4 Star, #21 WR

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #19 WR

Staying home in the Sunshine State, Destyn Hill looks to be a Seminoles' lock. A very underrated receiver, Florida State gets a Justin Jefferson-esque profile who will no doubt destroy ACC defenses...on the other hand, how he fares against stiffer competition will be up to how hard he wants it.

PICK: Florida State

TREVIN WALLACE (ILB)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 5 Star, #2 ILB

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #2 ILB

A young man LSU wish they'd pursued more thoroughly beforehand, Trevin Wallace was a solid Auburn commit. Then, Auburn's LBs Coach Travis Williams announced his departure from the program & now he's been hired at Miami, I believe due to this shakeup, Auburn will lose yet another big recruit, with Wallace headed to Brad White's rising Kentucky defense.

PICK: Kentucky

DONTAE BALFOUR (CB)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 4 Star, #16 CB

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #33 CB

Underrated by many, CB Dontae Balfour moves into the picture for Corey Raymond's DBU factory, the 6'2 length machine becoming a firm target for the Tigers. The offer came in late, however the push from LSU has been intense and one Balfour shouldn't be able to refuse. Not only playing under legends like Raymond and Orgeron at LSU, Balfour has a very close friend who already signed with the purple and gold, fellow Florida CB Damarius McGhee.

PICK: LSU

BRIAN THOMAS (WR)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 5 Star, #1 WR

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #9 WR

It all comes down to this...

LSU were lost in the Thomas shuffle for months, littered with WR talent like Jo Jo Earle, Chris Hilton, Deion Smith, Jack Bech, all top 15 WRs according to us...

These four were a mountain of riches for the 2021 unit....and still, the Tigers didn't release their foot off the Thomas pedal...why?

Brian Thomas' signature was always going to be Mickey Joseph's biggest goal of the class...

Once Percy Harvin-esque weapon Jo Jo Earle defected to Bama a week before Early Signing Day, local Louisiana magician Malik Nabers flipped from Miss State to LSU, immediately filling the hole left by Earle's playmaking.

So....you'd think the Tigers were done at WR, right???

Wrong...

WRs Coach Mickey Joseph ramped up his nonstop efforts to earn Thomas Jr's highly coveted signing, now aided by the assistance from new Offensive Coordinator Jake Peetz & Passing Game Coordinator D.J Mangas.

After losing such a dominating potential G.O.A.T like WR/TE Arik Gilbert in the transfer portal, Orgeron's new hires & longtime WRs guru realize in order to continue LSU's high octane offensive fury they must get Brian Thomas Jr.

This freshman WR class already adds championship-level depth alongside superstars Kayshon Boutte, Koy Moore, Jaray Jenkins and Trey Palmer, yet to really defeat Alabama, Orgeron & Joseph understood the Tigers couldn't afford to lose top tier local talents to outside schools...

If LSU allow Thomas Jr to head west for Saban Country, it will be a major missed opportunity to send a defiant signal:

Let's say Thomas signs on as a Tiger....if he does, Orgeron's staff will have secured the Top 6 players in the state of Louisiana...already holding 5 of 6, an outstanding record.

I don't think the Tigers fumble this on the 1 yard line...I think they hand this one to Beast Mode and he takes it in....

PICK: LSU

RAESJON DAVIS (LB)

LSU Odyssey Rating: 5 Star, #1 LB

Services Composite Rating: 4 Star, #4 LB

The hardest to pick...

Raesjon isn't an enigma...but he has kept his decision an out in the open secret...a puzzling question you feel you know the answer to...while preparing for anything to come popping out around the corner.

It's now time for the reveal and as he said earlier this week, he's now down to 3 schools:

In the order Raesjon listed them off: Oregon, Ohio State and USC...no LSU or Vanderbilt included.

So....the main questions are:

Is Oregon even in this hunt?

Could Midwestern cold win out over Southern California (i.e Columbus, Ohio)??

It's between USC & Ohio State...as much as I feel OSU is right there for a shocker, I think it's only right I cast my final, back and forth lot in favor of Helton's USC.

Raesjon stays home. It just makes sense.

He'll be great wherever he geauxs...but in this recruiting game, anything can happen.

Ohio State's current crop of young men on roster made a definite impact on Raesjon's final recruiting visit, although was it the one??

PICK: USC (watch out for a surreal OSU shocker)

TELL US YOUR PICKS!!!

BLACK LIVES MATTER