Bias toward New Orleans recruits?

They've produced. It's a little bias based on talent level. Easier to guage recruits in tougher competition.

I would like to add the 9-0 McDonogh #35 football team to that list as well.

Under Wilson as recruiting coordinator there was a definite emphasis on Nola and South La in general.
There have been some pretty significant misses by the LSU staff most notably passing on Donovan Wilson for Russell Gage out of BR. Also passing on the West Monroe defensive linemen who went on to star at TCU, Hunter, Lathan.
It feel like those last few schollies go to Nola guys. Some have worked out well though including Duke Riley this year.

It's true, we were down to Wilson and Gage for the last late offer

A couple things: N.O. coaches do a lot better job promoting their kids. West La. and even N La coaches still have control of their kid's recruitments and won't relinquish it. Sad but true.

Also, college coaches are in and out and go where they can recruit a multitude of kids. Going out west isn't worth their time in a lot of cases.

Let me dive in a little further. I sent 5 schools to a N La power to look at kids and the coach turned them all away. One kid hit the camp circuit hard and the coach kicked him off the team because he was "setting a bad example" for the other kids by thinking of himself and not the team. Kid decommitted from a school the coach was trying to force on him and all hell broke loose.

A coach in W La had a hissy fit when one of his kids attended a 7v7 without his approval. You read that right. The guy believes kids should clear it with him before attending an event in the offseason. He went to the LHSAA to make 7v7 illegal in Louisiana. That's it in a nutshell.

I absolutely hate coaches like this. I fight battles on a monthly basis against these power hungry control freaks, but I can only do so much. This type of behavior in a state like Florida would get a coach fired in a heartbeat.

He would probably be our 5th or 6th DB and be playing ahead of Dwayne Thomas

I see it as efficiency, not bias. And this is coming from a N La guy.

LSU doesn't take 'the top guys in the state'. LSU tries to take the top 25 guys in the state (yearly).

The efficiency comes in where the biggest concentration of your targets at? NOLA. So common sense says not start but prioritize that area. That doesn't mean they don't work on N La and C La, but spots get filled and offers get offered from there first.

Two other things to consider too:
1) LSU prefers to limit offers to in-state kids as to not have to pull any if a spot gets filled. Has it's pros and cons, but the pros have a proven track record.
2) At least under Miles, and I'm guessing it will continue, LSU preferred to both see recruits in camps and not accept commitments without talking to the parents/guardians first. N La kids tend to attend less than S La kids naturally; but there's also something else there that has the attendance rate down (whole other discussion).

I'd add N La recruiting is just now recovering from being the geographical territory (primarily) of Studrawa. Many of us, JJ27 being at the top of the list, were painfully aware of how little attention N La schools/kids got then, especially compared to the competition (UT, Bama, Arky, TCU, Baylor, MSST, OM). It seems relationships were damaged and coaches like Charlie Brown (Neville) and Shows (W Monroe) are gone, in some cases new relationships with new coaches weren't built, or built as strong as they once were. And I'm talking over a long period of time here. I'm also talking on a consistent basis so pointing out that we have gotten some Neville, W Monroe, and Evangel players doesn't make my point moot.

quote:

---

the more spaced out schools don't get visits as regularly, because well they don't have as much of a population to make great recruits, and their recruits have to be really, really good to catch the eye of the recruiters, because again, those 2 hour drives from HS to HS wastes the recruiters precious time....

---

Case in point, both CEO and Bielema were at John Curtis this weekend. I think, not sure, they both paid a visit to Brother Martin and Shaw afterwards.