BATON ROUGE — Highlighted by a pair of first team USA Today All-Americas, LSU coach Nick Saban put together the largest recruiting class he’s ever signed on Wednesday as 29 players pledged to play for the Tigers next season.
Among the list of signees for the 2003 national champions were 16 players from Louisiana, four from Texas, three from Florida, two from Arkansas and one each from Mississippi, Alabama, California and Tennessee. The list also included three junior college players in defensive back Mario Stevenson, defensive tackle Claude Wroten and linebacker E.J. Kuale.
“I am very pleased with the class,” Saban said. “We got a lot of the players that we wanted and we are especially pleased with the job we were able to do in state, getting some of the best players in Louisiana. Not only are these pretty good football players, we feel really good about their character and their quality. We only have a few guys that have a few academic problems to deal with, so we feel good about the caliber of students we were able to attract.
“I really feel that our staff did an outstanding job in this recruiting class, considering the fact that we had 14 football games last year. The season extended all the way into December so we didn’t have many guys visit in December. We did a good job of early evaluation, identifying the players that we really wanted and then went out and got those players.”
Headlining the list of signees were USA Today All-Americas in wide receiver Xavier Carter of Palm Bay, Fla., and defensive tackle Marlon Favorite of West Jefferson High School in Harvey, La. The Tigers also picked up a pair of second team USA Today All-Americas in wide receiver Early Doucet of St. Martinville, La., and offensive lineman Ryan Miller from Barbe High School in Lake Charles, La.
Carter, who has been clocked at 4.35 in the 40-yard dash, caught 33 passes for 618 yard and nine touchdowns in 2003, while Doucet racked up 7,104 all-purpose yards, including 3,592 on the ground, during his prep career. Favorite registered 115 tackles and nine sacks in 2003.
Offensively, the Tigers were able to attract three of the top wide receivers in the nation in Carter, Doucet and Lavelle Hawkins, along with two of the nation’s top offensive line prospects in Herman Johnson of Denton, Texas and Miller. Johnson may be the largest player to ever sign with the Tigers, checking in at 6-foot-7 and 380 pounds.
“We feel like the three receivers that we got are impact guys and explosive guys,” Saban said. “Xavier Carter has tremendous speed and vertical ability in the class of a Devery Henderson-style of play and Early Doucet is really an all-around good physical football player more in the style of Michael Clayton. (Lavelle) Hawkins is a quick-bodied slot-type more in the style of Skyler Green.
“Herman is a big man. He probably played more in the 340 (pound) to 360 range this year. That may be the best weight for him. We determine that after guys get here. He is a pretty athletic guy and was a really good football player. We thought Ryan was the best offensive line prospect in the state. He’s an outstanding player and a great young man who will provide great leadership.”
Defensively, the Tigers signed five defensive backs and three linebackers to go with seven defensive linemen, including defensive Tim Washington, who signed with the Tigers for the second straight year.
” We felt that linebacker on defense has been an area where we have always struggled to get quality players,” Saban said. “We feel especially good about the five linebackers that we were able to get this year.”
Saban said three of LSU’s 29 signees are already enrolled in school as Wroten, Stevenson and linebacker Ali Highsmith are on campus and will participate in spring drills.