Making the Case: Four-star DT Ishmael Sopsher
National Signing Day is bearing down on the recruiting world, with just a few more days until the remaining unsigned top prospects sign their official letters-of-intent. With that in mind, several elite players have announced their final lists and are prepared for commitment announcements. One of those players is Rivals100 Louisiana defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher, who will announce his decision on Wednesday.
Today, experts from the Rivals.com network examine where he will end up. The candidates are Alabama, Texas A&M, Oregon and LSU.
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THE SITUATION
Sopsher has had an interesting recruitment, with Alabama and LSU battling since the early going. Each team has taken its turn at the top of his list, with the Aggies and Ducks also spicing things up with strong pushes late in the fall. Since electing not to sign early, Sopsher has officially visited Alabama and LSU in back-to-back weekends, with his trip to Baton Rouge wrapping up on Sunday. Will this be another Tide-Tigers battle that isn’t decided until the last minute? Or can the Aggies or Ducks pull a surprise upset?
We asked our team of experts to state the case for their respective programs and let National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney to issue a verdict.
ALABAMA
“It has been tough the last few months to figure out which direction Sopsher will go. He had previously said he will not go to a school who does not also take his brother (Rodney). Things recently changed as Rodney Sopsher re-classifield to the 2020 recruiting class. Sopsher was considered a lean to Alabama months ago, but with other programs like LSU and Oregon extending an offer to his brother it looked more like he would focus on those schools.
"It doesn’t seem to matter at this time as programs like Alabama can figure out what to do with his brother down the road. There are still a lot of mixed feelings regarding what Ish will do next Wednesday.
"He took an official visit to Alabama this past weekend. Most believe Alabama has the edge heading into the final weekend. However, he is heading back to Baton Rouge. He has stated the best relationship he has with any coach is Ed Orgeron. LSU definitely has a chance to win him over this weekend while Alabama is currently in the driver’s seat. Defensive line is a big position of need for both schools.” -- Andrew Bone, BamaInsider.com
LSU
“LSU sunk its heels in and did everything in its power to keep Sopsher in his home state. Orgeron has been recruiting Sopsher since his freshman season and Tiger Stadium is only 50 minutes from his home. Even Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, and Amite native, knows who Ishmael Sopsher is. LSU only has two defensive linemen in its 2019 class, as opposed to Alabama's five.” -- Jimmy Smith, TigerDetails.com
OREGON
“The Ducks only have one or two slots left in their class of 2019 and they would like to sign at least one more defensive tackle. Sopsher is their top target. Oregon has a serious shot here. He had an excellent official visit in December which certainly checked an important box for him.
"The Ducks have also put themselves in contention by offering his brother Rodney who played defensive end for Southwest Mississippi community college last season. Ishmael has said that there was “zero chance” he would play somewhere that did not offer his brother. Oregon has recruited the south very well under coach Mario Cristobal and they are certainly a team to watch for this Louisiana star.” A.J. Jacobson, DucksSportsAuthority.com
TEXAS A&M
“Texas A&M’s defense was one of the most improved in the nation last year, especially against the run. Jayden Peevy is set to replace Daylon Mack, but A&M needs to fill out their two-deep at tackle. Sophser could step in there and probably get snaps quickly. And after Terry Price and Elijah Robinson took Kingsley Keke, Landis Durham and Mack from borderline picks to making it really likely they play on Sunday in just a year, what could they do for Sophser in three?” -- Mark Passwaters, AggieYell.com
THE VERDICT
“Sopsher was an obvious choice to LSU early in his recruitment, but things got a little more tricky as things carried on in the last few months. He made it clear he wanted to play with his brother in college and some schools seemed willing to deal with that while others just didn’t have the room.
"In the end, Sopsher had found a home at LSU, a school that has had a history of developing defensive lineman and a place that would also take and develop his brother. After a long back and forth between LSU, Alabama and a little Oregon and possibly some other schools, Sopsher ends up at the place that was the favorite all along and that’s LSU.” - Adam Gorney, Rivals.com national analyst
