re: How did Pratt leave the city of Baton Rouge with any doubt

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If Pratt is getting a shot at RB then make the most of it. Don't bitch and moan and leave.

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To be honest, I would be turned off too if I was Pratt and this was the case. Before one practice he is being approached about a position change. He was coming to LSU to play tailback.

The difference in this situation is that since Pratt is an early enrolee, he is not stuck on campus due to signing a LOI so he may be weighing his options.

Transfers as a result of requested position change would probably happen more often if kids were not locked in.

The sad thing is that some coaches intentionally do this.

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What's to be pissed about?

"we'd like you on defense but you're getting your shot at RB 1st and foremost."

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I agree with this. And like another poster said, it makes no sense that LSU would lie to him throughout the whole process yet tell him the truth on the day that he's enrolling in school.

If the kid wants to come to LSU, come on down. If he doesn't, best of luck to you. We want you, but we'll be fine without you. LSU is much bigger than Dexter Pratt.


This is what another poster put in another thread, and this sounds like the most logical of all the theories presented ...

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Here is what I have heard from some TAF people.

Pratt obviously didn't get the okay from the NCAA and found this out when he came to BR to enroll early. When the problem arose, his HS coach (or one of his HS coaches) came to BR to try to help him get it all straight. When it didn't get done and they had to go back to Texas, the coach and Pratt got upset that LSU wouldn't pick up the tab for the hotel room (which the school CANNOT do for a potential athlete or anyone associated with that player) and left BR all pissed off and saying that he was going somewhere else.

I won't say that this is gospel truth, just another story I heard from someone. Take it FWIW.

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If this is true:

1. Kudos to LSU for following the rules

2. Shame on Pratt and his HS coach getting upset about something silly.

3. Shame on LSU for not finding a way to get that hotel room paid for under the table.

(I realize 1 and 3 are contradictory, yet I believe both)

For those that said Miles is at Pratt's home tonight, that is not true. Miles has already made his in-home visit with Pratt, and cannot make any more.

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Why would LSU basically only recruit one other running back that has been committed to Bama since the beginning of the year if we really wanted Pratt at linebacker?

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I don't think it has anything to do with LB/RB. I think he wasn't cleared by the clearinghouse, it was an akward situation where one of his coaches had to come get him in Baton Rouge, LSU wouldn't pay for the hotel, Pratt and/or the coach were probably upset about that and the whole situation and there were probably words, and they left and had hours in the car to fume about the whole situation. I would have been mad too if I had to drive an extra 10 hours or whatever it is when someone could have easily called beforehand and told him to hold off before ever coming to Baton Rouge. LSU knows when these kids are cleared or not, or else we would never have any players. LSU should have called him before coming to BR.

And now we're here ... LSU will try to rectify the situation, I'm sure, and if they can't fix it, we should move on as should Pratt. Of course it adds a little extra spice to the situation when everyone in "Pratt's ears" are pushing him to Oklahoma State (Fedora) ... not to mention it is odd timing that paperwork gets screwed up or whatever, Pratt's looking at Oklahoma State, and our Director of Football Operations is now leaving to go to Oklahoma State.

It's a combination of all of these things, probably.

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You lost me here.

I think the kids, kids parents or kids coaches should know before they leave for a 10 hour drive if the kid can enroll or not.

Making a phone call works both ways.

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Yeah, but LSU has a lot more experience getting a kid cleared and enrolled in college than the Pratts do. LSU knows how the process works. It's very likely that the Pratts do not. It's up to LSU to make it an easy transition for a kid if we truly want them here at LSU. There's no way around it, LSU dropped the ball on this one. The kid was ready to come to LSU, was here, and now he's not. That said, the kid and/or his high school coach is probably making a bigger deal out of this than it actually is, but nonetheless they do have reason to be upset.

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Can LSU even pay for a hotel room without it being a violation?

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No, LSU cannot pay for a hotel in this situation. It would most definitely be a rules violation. That's why it would be a bit overdramatic if Pratt and/or his HS coach were pissed solely about that ... they were probably just pissed about the whole situation. Most likely, they were mostly pissed that they weren't informed BEFOREHAND that he wouldn't be able to enroll when he got to LSU, and then got mad when they got here, he couldn't enroll, and possibly LSU wasn't "overly-hospitable" once they arrived in Baton Rouge (in the sense that, "you guys screwed up, at least fix it and make us comfortable). If LSU just said "sorry, we're trying to do something, but there's nothing we can do at the moment, so you're going to have to make due" that would probably piss me off too.

Everyone who says LSU has nothing to do with the Clearinghouse is missing the point. LSU knows when players are cleared and knows when players are not cleared. Simple as that. LSU could have prevented the whole situation with a phone call before he came, but it doesn't matter. We stand where we stand. We will now try to fix it, and if we can't, then we should make things right with Pratt and his HS coach, learn from our mistake and not let it happen again in the future. No sense crying over spilled milk ... it is what it is.

If you ain't a Tiger...