re: Detailed explanation for why Simon is #2 CB and not TM.

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1.) Spencer Ware - I was arguing about how we wouldn't miss a step if Ridley was ineligible and people crucified me. Then Ware gets nearly the same yardage with less than half the carries and it happens to be one of Ridley's best games.

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It is not normally shocking for a RB to come in and impress early - indeed this is THE position to expect contribution early, both at the NCAA and NFL levels. Having said that, I was still impressed with Ware because he was so clearly a more complete back than any we had in 2010. I'm excited about him being on the team 2 or 3 more years.

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2.) Simon - anyone who saw him cover Julio Jones in man-to-man during the LSU Bama game last year and realized that Julio had just made some big plays on pp7 with the slant route yet Simon, a true freshman, punked him... had to have been shocked. Im not arguing that Simon is better than pp7, but in two years... its very possible... and he'll be in the NFL regardless.

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Peterson and Claiborne were so impressive in 2010, with Peterson being the flashy one and Claiborne, (the closest LSU has to a prototypical CB) taking a more "Johnny Solid" role, like Mayes versus Mantle, it was easy to miss Simon in 2010 - other than briefly during the Bama game and in the Cotton Bowl. Mathieu was impossible to ignore because his impact was more immediate.

Mathieu probably does not have the top end speed to run with the taller, faster WRs in the SEC. However, I think he has the hips for the position. I have not watched him backpedal much, so that's difficult for me to assess. However, he makes nearly instantaneous direction changes and has excellent instincts and ball awareness. In the short zone, he may have the strongest skill set of any of LSU's DBs. He is the best blitzing DB LSU has. He is too small to play safety. His best position is nickel, as you suggest, but I think he would be a very serviceable corner. His biggest deficit is height, which cannot be taught or improved.