re: Zach Edwards decommits

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This class already has the #6 ranked OLB Marcel Brooks, the #6 MLB Donte Starks, and the #25 MLB Kendall McCallum. The are the 247 composite rankings and I believe like most out there that Kendall is going to make a jump up the board across all the services during the upcoming season and he is also a guy that was a target that Dave Aranda himself was very high on and was the lead recruiter for the kid.

Meanwhile Edwards has been seen as a filler type guy at the spot and was going to be told he had to wait to sign because that spot was being held for another higher ranked prospect and this sort of thing could end up really hurting Edwards in the end if LSU does end up getting a better player by the February NSD, which I think everyone out there believes is the case here.

Nakobe Dean is the big name target here and there is more than just a good shot at him landing in this class. The staff is also actively recruiting more than a few other big name kids from across the entire country and won't let up at all until they end up landing another big time prospect.

The actual season itself in terms of game play is going to end up being the major factor for whomever ends up filling this spot. Besides the fact the program has a first team All American in Devin White who most likely ends up being in the top 2-3 for the SEC defensive POY if not the outright winner of the award anyway...it's going to be Jacob Phillips that really ends up making the case from a visual viewpoint to get another big fish in the class. Phillips is the guy that will end up being the second leading tackler on the team and is the guy who takes over after White heads to the NFL after the season.

Last year we were really missing that other big time tackler among the linebackers. We went from Debo Jones to Duke Reily to Donnie Alexander and unlike the two previous names, Alexander did not make near the impact that we needed at that Mike LB spot. But Phillips changes all of that. Throw in the fact that Tyler Taylor is going to be the primary backup for both of them as well as the kid who takes over one of the two spots in 2019 and you'll have one of the more complete Linebacker corps in the country. This will end up swaying a kid to come to LSU and it will be a very highly ranked guy.

White is going to be a first rounder and take home every award possible in my mind and that sort thing just makes kids gush over a program. For those big time recruits it's all about getting to the NFL. LSU has had Beckwith, Debo, Duke all become high round picks and White will be even higher than them all. I also think it will be evident that both Phillips and Taylor will become NFL players and both will be gone by 2020, at least one I can say for sure. That leaves this class of linebackers being the next ones up for big time playing time and that's what gets you to the next level. By NSD we will see another top 5-10 rated LB join this class.

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