re: An interesting topic

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Dating back to 2000 who do you think is the most valuable player any LSU team has had?

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Thinking primarily football, I'd think you'd have to say someone off of the 2001 recruiting class. Michael Clayton, for instance. Not only was Clayton a hometown guy that in previous years would almost definitely gone to greener pastures but decided to stay home and turn LSU around, but he played big from his first season. His deciding to stay (along with Marcus Spears and Marquise Hill) was the catalyst for how we ened up landing such a huge and important class that year...the class that would become the backbone of the 2003 NC.

I think you could also make an argument for Josh Reed. In 2001, the team was dead in the water after the Ole Miss loss. People were really begining to question whether Saban was going to get it done at LSU. Then Jimbo turned Ro and Reed lose, and presto. Without Reed, there would have been no magical run at the end of the 2001 season...no SECCG...no win over Illinois in a BCS Bowl. Where would the "program" have gone without that run at the end of the season? What would have been the result of an 8-4 or 7-5 season that year?