TigerDroppings 2011 Top 30--Revised February 16, 2010; Updated March 19 with Watch List

The 2011 recruiting class is already being labeled as one of the premier classes ever in the state of Louisiana. With LSU already filling the majority of their 2010 class and moving their attention towards the 2011 class, those of us on the TigerDroppings Recruiting Board have done our best to compile a Top 20 for the state of Louisiana for 2011. I will begin by posting the rankings in installments beginning with the Top 5. We will be updating the rankings throughout the year, as well as, writing in-depth recruit evaluations.

1 La'el Collins


Offensive tackle
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Redemptorist High School

Ht:6'5"
Wt:285 lbs
40:5.5 secs

Committed to LSU--September 28, 2009.

La'el is truly an elite prospect. He has the perfect frame and exhibits impressive athleticism for a kid his size. Collins has everything you want in an Offensive Tackle prospect--Great size, excellent feet, long arms, strength, agility, and a "mean streak;" expect to see him ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Collins' Highlight Video

2 Anthony "The Freak" Johnson


Defensive tackle
New Orleans, Louisiana
O. Perry Walker

Ht:6'4"
Wt:298 lbs
40:5.27 secs
Bench Reps:28
Shuttle:4.3
Vertical:22 inches

Committed to LSU--December 18, 2009

The nickname "The Freak" explains why Johnson is ranked as the top defensive player in Louisiana for 2011. Maturing at a young age, Johnson has controlled his opponents at the point of attack. He has great quickness off the ball, blue chip strength, and excellent technique for someone his age. He is physically mature and ready to step in day 1 to contribute to any team in the country. Expect Johnson to be a top 10 player nationally.



3 Jemauria Rasco


Strongside defensive end
Shreveport, Louisiana
Evangel Christian

Ht:6'3"
Wt:227 lb

Recruitment: Rasco is expected to choose between Texas and LSU.

Rasco is another elite defensive lineman out of Louisiana for 2011. He offers a quick burst off the edge, but maintains the ability to stop the run. Physically, he is ready to play as a freshman and will contribute to any team lucky enough to gain his services. Expect Rasco to be a top 20 national prospect.


4 Jarvis Landry

Wide Receiver
Lutcher, Louisiana
Lutcher

Ht:5'11"
Wt:178 lbs

Committed to LSU--January 9, 2010

One word perfectly describes Landry: Physical. Whether he is making a huge block on offense, a devastating hit on special teams, or as a defender, Landry is never one to avoid contact. He gets off press coverage extremely well (a rarity for high school wide receivers), has great catching ability, and is able to make something happen after the catch. To say that Landry plays bigger than his size would be a vast understatement. He does not possess elite speed (4.4), but his other attributes easily make up for it. He really made a name for himself this past year at multiple camps. He came away as the top receiver at the camp, regardless of year, each time. Expect for Jarvis to be ranked in at least the top 50 nationally, potentially pushing for a top 25 spot.

Jarvis Landry at LSU's prospect camp.







[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT9x9-Kf93s&feature=related[/youtube]

5 Greg Robinson

Offensive tackle
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux

Ht:6'6"
Wt:290 lbs
Bench Max:365
Squat Max:525

Recruitment: Holds LSU offer along with an offer from Arkansas, Auburn, SMU, and Tulsa. He has early interest (no offer yet) from Alabama, Cal, Florida, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas Tech, UCLA, and USC. Most consider him to be a strong LSU lean.

Robinson is a great looking offensive tackle prospect. He possesses a massive body for only a junior in high school. He plays guard for Thibodaux, but is flexible and athletic enough to play either guard or tackle at the next level. He is one of the better pulling high school guards I have watched. He displays great speed, strength, and flexibility as he pulls on running plays. Gregory has everything a major college offensive line prospect needs to have in order to be successful at the next level. Expect for Robinson to be ranked in the top 250 nationally; potentially pushing towards the 100s.

There is no free video available at this time.

6 Kenny Hilliard


Running Back
Patterson, Louisiana
Patterson

Ht:6'0"
Wt:218 lbs

Committed to LSU--December 18, 2009

When LSU fans hear the name Hilliard, it quickly brings back memories of former great tiger, Dalton Hilliard. Kenny is Dalton's nephew and cousin of Ike Hilliard. He hopes to continue the great RB tradition at LSU with his early commitment to play for the Tigers. He is a bruiser of a tailback weighing in around 220 lbs as a junior in highschool. He runs with a similar style to another recent Tiger, Charles Scott, while also being a dangerous receiving threat out of the backfield. He makes clean cuts, displays great agility and punishes defenders with carry of the ball. A smaller version of Brandon Jacobs is another common comparison. Expect to see Hilliard ranked in the top 50 nationally and potentially challenge for the top 25 in the country.



7 Bradly Sylve

Wide Receiver
Port Sulphur, Louisiana
South Plaquemines

Ht:5'11"
Wt:175 lbs
40:4.43 secs
Shuttle:4.35
Vertical:30 inches

Recruitment: Holds a LSU offer. Considered a LSU heavy lean; will be a national recruit with many offers. Alabama, California, Stanford, and Tennessee have also already offered. Expect Sylve to be a LSU commit in the next few weeks.

Slyve's game is defined by one major attribute: Speed, and lots of it. He is electricity in a bottle and the dream deep threat WR at the college level. He is an elite track athlete running a personal best 10.47 100 meters, a 21.33 200 meter, and the nation's fourth fastest time in the 60 meters at 6.34 seconds. He may participate in track in college (which only helps LSU's position).

Nonetheless, Bradley is a football player first. He has a solid body frame and will make a great slot receiver at the next level. As mentioned above, his speed puts him in an elite category of players coming out of the high school ranks. Think Desean Jackson with a little less wiggle. Expect to see Sylve ranked in the top 100 nationally; potentially around the top 75.

There is no free video available at this time.




8 Jeremy Hill

Running Back
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Redemptorist

Ht:6'1"
Wt:220 lbs
40:4.63 secs

Committed to LSU--September 28, 2009

Jeremy Hill is the second part of the Redemptorist (BR) duo with his fellow teammate La'el Collins. Both are committed to the Tigers and will be key pieces to LSU's offensive success in the coming years. Hill offers a big bodied back with good speed for his size. He makes excellent cuts, gets in and out of breaks smoothly, and runs with a low center of gravity making him a bit of a "human pinball." Jeremy is a fairly patient runner with above average vision who makes up for his lack of top end speed with his quickness through his cuts. His lateral agility and strength are probably his two biggest traits. Expect to see Jeremy ranked in the top 100 nationally; potentially near the top 50.







9 Quentin Thomas

Defensive tackle
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Breaux Bridge

Ht:6'3"
Wt:265 lbs

Recruitment: Strong LSU lean. Expect him to be a commitment in the coming weeks.

Thomas is a very athletic looking defensive lineman off the cuff. He appears almost more in a defensive end's body mold right now, but his frame screams athleticism. He reminds me of Marquise Hill's frame, but only for a junior in high school. Thomas will need to continue to develop his technique, but he has all the physical tools to be a great college lineman. He shows above average speed and is quick off the snap. He is still able to "man handle" the undersized offensive lineman he faces at the high school level. Quentin has not had as much publicity as the other LA prospects ranked ahead of him so it will be interesting to see where he will fall in the national rankings. I would expect him to be ranked in the top 250 at minimum, but the top 150 seems very reasonable as well.

There is no free video available at this time.

10 Odell Beckham Jr.

Athlete (Wide Receiver or Cornerback)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Isidore Newman School

Ht:5'11"
Wt:175 lbs

Recruitment: Holds LSU offer. Also has interest (no offer yet) from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Tennessee. He is considered an LSU lean.

Many of you will recognize the name Odell Beckham from 20 years ago when Beckham Jr.'s dad played for the LSU Tigers. His dad was originally from Texas, but after his time at LSU settled down in the New Orleans area eventually sending his son to Newman for his education. The backstory to one of the best athlete prospects in Louisiana for 2011 leads everyone to believe that Beckham Jr. will be a future LSU Tiger.

Odell offers the prototypical skill set you expect from an elite "athlete" prospect. He has loose hips and good speed that are an absolute must for the cornerback position, while possessing good hands, vision, and excellent agility on the offensive side of the ball. If he plays WR at the next level then he will play in the slot and potentially return kicks and punts. As a defender, Odell offers decent size (slightly on the short side...with a year more to grow) and solid tackling skills. He may need to work on his backpedal and will need to refine his technical skills in coverage. I would lean towards Beckham Jr. playing CB at the next level, but he truly is the definition of an athlete with the ability to play at the next level on offense as well. I expect for different schools to offer him at different positions. Expect for him to be a top 250 caliber player.


There are a bunch of short clips such as these, but not one highlight reel:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwYgvxsc0Q8&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIk63Z9S2fc&feature=related[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmLZSm5kd_w&feature=related[/youtube]

11 Alonzo Lewis

Wide Receiver
St. James, Louisiana
St. James

Ht:6'3"
Wt:195 lbs
40:4.4 secs

Committed to LSU-- February 20, 2010

In all honesty, there is not much to go by with Lewis. There are only a couple clips of Lewis anywhere on the internet, but Lewis does have one major thing showing his level of skill: An early LSU offer. He has good size and speed, but plays in a very run oriented system. (For his 2009 season he had 16 catches for ~200 yards and 2 touchdowns; He was hurt for part of the year). Therefore, I will have to go a bit out on a limb with this ranking. He has an LSU offer (one of the first 2011 prospects to receive an offer) at a major position of need for the Tigers and he is one of "the" names always listed in the conversation of LA's 2011 talent. I would expect for Lewis to be ranked as a 4 star by the end of the year, but due to the lack of video, he will probably be ranked as a high 3 star.

Short Highlights:
ESPN Highlights
MaxPreps



12 Terrance Magee

Athlete (LSU offered as a RB)
Franklinton, Louisiana
Franklinton

Ht:5'9"
Wt:190 lbs
Bench Reps:13
Vertical:34 inches

Committed to LSU--January 14, 2009

Recruitment: Holds an LSU offer (Heavy LSU lean). He also has interest (no offer yet) from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, and Tennessee.

Terrance is another mid-sized player with the "Athlete" title to accompany him. He has the potential to play Cornerback, Running Back, or Wide Receiver at the next level. He was recently offered by LSU as a Running Back prospect, so that is a decent indicator of how he projects at the next level. He offers good speed, great strength for someone his size, and above average balance. He has a quick first cut through the hole, but does not possess overly impressive moves in the open field. It will be interesting to see how he transitions from playing QB in highschool to RB in college. He will need to continue to add muscle to be successful at the next level.

There are no available free highlights for this player

13 Chucky Hunter

Defensive tackle
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe

Ht:6'1"
Wt:294 lbs

Recruitment: Louisiana Tech is the only school so far to express interest, but they have yet to offer. LSU should be offering in the near future. Miami will also be on Hunter's radar if they offer.

Hunter is your prototypical defensive tackle prospect. He is a run stuffer that still has some speed to be able to get after the quarterback. Hunter shows strength and the ability to get off blocks. He was part of one of the state's best defensive line tandems this year with 2010 LSU commit, Jordan Allen. The one knock against Hunter is that he may not have as high of a ceiling at the next level due to his training at West Monroe. He is similar to 2009 LSU signee Josh Downs, but is more of a run stuffer and a little slower off the snap.

West Monroe Game Footage (in full)

14 Mickey Johnson

Defensive tackle
Covington, Louisiana
St. Paul's

Ht:6'1"
Wt:305 lbs
40:5 secs
Bench Max:405
Squat Max:600
Vertical:27 inches

Recruitment: Holds a Mississippi State and LSU offer. Interest (no offer yet) from Oklahoma State, and UCLA. Considered an LSU lean.

Mickey has a great set of skills at the defensive tackle position. He has a very impressive highlight reel and you could definitely argue that he should be ranked a couple spots higher in Chucky Hunter's #10 spot. He is very quick off the snap and has the ability to get after the quarterback. His explosion at the point of contact is definitely his strength. He may not have the highest ceiling, but he appears to have the ability to step in early to a program and contribute. He will need to work on technique (just like almost all prospects) rather than being able to bull rush undersized lineman. Nonetheless, Mickey is a top notch prospect that could potentially see his stock rise with a great senior year. He has flown under the radar a bit up until this point.



15 Zack Oliver

Pro-style quarterback
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Catholic High (BR)

Ht:6'3"
Wt:214 lbs
40: 5.0

Recruitment: Northwestern is Zack's first offer. He has also been in touch with coaches from Houston, LSU, Alabama, Virginia, Stanford, and others about attending their junior days. Expect to see more offers roll in for him over the summer.

Oliver has the potential to be a big time college quarterback. He has a great frame and is still growing. He has developed tremendously with each year as a starter for Catholic High. He has a big arm and puts nice touch on the ball. Physically, Zack will resemble current LSU Tiger, Chris Garrett, when he graduates in 2011 (He is already close to the same size). Oliver's biggest drawback is his mobility, or lack thereof. He is a pure pocket passer that does not possess much threat to run. He will run if it is absolutely necessary, but he will always look to pass first. Oliver can sometimes trust his arm strength a little too much, as many high profile high school quarterbacks tend to do. Overall, he has all the tools to be a top flight QB at the next level. Expect to see him as a 4 star, potentially in the top 250.

Sophomore Footage:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r8RaDzHmUo&feature=fvw[/youtube]

This is Brad Nelson's, a CHS WR, highlight reel:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRGDRMStnRs&feature=related[/youtube]