re: I'm not understanding this recruiting strategy at all

I have a cousin already committed to lsu

I'm sure O & crew are losing sleep over your concern.

If that happened, they wouldn't be three stars for very long, and likely for good reason.

Well it's not going to happen because Nick Saban isn't going to sign a class like that. That's just the cold hard truth. We weren't supposed to miss a beat in recruiting with O at the helm and maybe we won't but if this class isn't at least a top ten class then I would say we took a step back.

Which players aren't going to work out?

Say a 5* and 3* recruit per the recruiting sites attends a camp and the 3* outshines the 5* convincingly. Who do you want the coaches to take?

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You know what I'm trying to say. It's a fact that more 4 and 5 stars make it to the NFL than the 3s and below. There is no denying that. Sure there are some exceptions but it's not the rule.

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Which is irrelevant when your coaching staff is better than the recruiting services. They are ok at predictions, but just ok. The good coaches are better at it. Their boards will be different than recruiting site rankings.

Think the Patriots organization and their ability to evaluate and acquire players versus conventional wisdom, or Mel Kiper. They are way ahead of the curve. That's why they keep winning. Othera get tons of top five draft picks over the years, so they should have all the best players, except they don't.

While this is not a complete explanation you do have to consider 1 change that is affecting the pace and stars of this years recruiting.

It wasn't a hard and fast rule or policy under Miles, but under him LSU resisted giving offers to many in-state recruits unless they knew for certain they were a take AND the numbers worked. Obviously this doesn't apply to the LF7's (because they are without a doubt a take).

The reasoning was sound: that way you do not end up processing or pulling offers from LA recruits because someone better came along. It was to protect perception and reputation of LSU within LA borders and not alienate high school programs.

To a large degree that has changed under CEO. Not in all cases, but they are not holding back near as much as in the past.

The downside, or flip side of that coin, is pretty obvious. To do that, you have to introduce a little bit more ruthlessness, including in-state kids IF some better players (presumably 4* and 5*) come along later.

We haven't seen that happen... yet. So the question is when that situation arises, what does LSU do. Adopt the position that best player gets scholly or first come first serve (sending an obvious message).

I have no problem with the ruthlessness. When you have coaches like Fester and some of the crap that goes on in Amite added to programs like Bama or TCU do have some success in LA (including in Baton Rouge) with schools/coaches that play it straight there is no reason to play the "good guy". It's not gaining you anything. Note I did NOT say schools like Bama have "pipelines"; I do not believe that is the case. Assuming some will intentionally misconstrue my statement to say that.

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TheDrunkenTigah

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smash williams

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I personally appreciate these honest and sincere responses.

I have been wondering what has changed in the recruiting approach as well, other than the obvious.

Well I would hope our coaching staff does know more than the recruiting services but people trying to justify signing a bunch of 3 stars vs 4s and 5s is comical. Sure some of these 3s will turn out to be great players but your odds are much better with the 4s and 5s. That's how's it been for years, this just didn't change overnight.