Bayous best highlight final Junior Day
BATON ROUGE, La. - It looks like the last was the best. The final Rivals100.com Junior Day for the Class of 2004 was held this past Saturday at LSU and many of the top players in the state of Louisiana and Mississippi showed up and learned more about the recruiting process.
This included the Bayou State’s top overall prospect, Early Doucet of St. Martinville. Doucet, a future five-star prospect, definitely looked the part at the event, measuring in at 6-foot-1 ½ and 207 pounds.
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Doucet said he really enjoyed the event and will be able to utilize the information to make a solid college decision – when the time comes.
“This was a great event,” Doucet said. “Even for guys with a lot of scholarship offers, this helps you understand how to get the best out of the recruiting process.”
But Doucet wasn’t the only star that made it to LSU.
Baton Rouge (La.) Southern Lab defensive lineman Glen Davis measured in at 6-foot-7 and 337 pounds. Davis even got involved in the program asking Rivals100.com keynote speaker Joe Hornback about filling out questionnaires from the colleges during the question and answer session.
Davis, for those that haven’t followed his recruitment closely, is one of the most highly touted football and basketball products in the nation. He has continued to grow and might be at the 6-8 mark by the time he graduates next year.
LSU fans will also be pleased to know that Gonzalez (La.) East Ascension defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey measured in at a very solid 6-foot-2 ½ and 293 pounds. He also had one of the biggest set of biceps that Rivals100.com has seen on the Junior Day tour.
Rivals100.com got a chance to see Baton Rouge (La.) Redemptorist running back Chris Lucas last December in the Louisiana State Championships at the Super Dome in New Orleans, but seeing him again in person was well worth it.
Lucas has definitely added a lot of bulk and size to his frame. He measured in at 5-foot-11 ½ and 224 pounds. This is up almost 15 pounds from what he was listed last year on the team’s official roster.
Lucas said LSU is lone big-time official offer, but Texas, Florida State (close to officially offering after visiting last week), Auburn and Colorado are also in hot pursuit. Lucas was named first team all-state after rushing for 1,982 yards on 236 carries (8.39 per carry) and 30 touchdowns as a junior.
Plaquemine, La., all-purpose back Ja’Kouri Williams already had one impressive offer sitting on the table heading into the May evaluation period, but he said he’s also recently picked up new offers from Auburn and Florida State this past week.
The 5-foot-11 ½, 179-pound Williams finished his junior season with 1,464 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also averaged 11.6 yards per rush.
“I really learned a lot today,” Williams said. “I learned what to expect and how to handle the recruiting process better.”
What we can also expect from some of the players at the event this past weekend was that Florida State is going to hit the state of Louisiana again.
Along with an offer for Lucas coming soon, one already made to Williams, the Noles recently extended scholarship offers to Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas Moore offensive lineman Geoff Bernaird.
Bernaird measured in at a very impressive 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds. Bernaird also listed LSU, Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn and Virginia Tech as his top teams.
The Noles, along with LSU, also has extended a scholarship offer to Beaux Bridge, La., defensive end Charles Alexander.
Alexander, who gave up an afternoon at the world famous Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, measured in at 6-foot-3 ½ and 266 pounds. Alexander said he’s also high on two teams from Texas, listing the Longhorns and Aggies, as his top two teams ahead of LSU, Florida and Florida State.
Craig Steltz of Metairie (La.) Rummel, who has offers from LSU, UCLA, Colorado and Michigan State, looked solid, coming in at 6-foot-2 ½ and 200 pounds.
“It was a great event,” Steltz said. “I learned that you need to take your time with your decision and don’t rush into something that you’ll regret.”
Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian is always home to some of the state of Louisiana’s best players and one of its top offensive linemen has kind of flown in under the recruiting radar – despite having a scholarship offer on the table.
Tim Henderson, an offensive guard that measured in at 6-foot-4 ½ and 321 pounds, already has an offer from Texas Tech. He listed the Red Raiders and Ole Miss as his top teams, followed by LSU, Nebraska, Auburn and Virginia.
“I think the most important thing that I learned was that you have to be comfortable were you choose to go,” Henderson, who brought both of his parents with him, said.
One of the nation’s better quarterbacks represented the state of Mississippi on Saturday.
Baldwyn, Miss., quarterback Blake Barnes made the trip down and measured in at a very respectable 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds. His height actually was an inch taller than what was previously listed.
Mississippi State has already offered the gun-slinger a scholarship, but Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn and Arkansas are also high on his list.
Others that had scholarship offers that made it to the event included Brandon Garrett, a 6-foot-1, 209-pound, outside linebacker from Baton Rouge (La.) Istrouma (Southern Miss and West Virginia), and Baton Rouge (La.) Parkview Baptist offensive lineman Max Holmes (Michigan State). Holmes measured in at 6-foot-4 ½ and 286-pounds.