Top five CBs from Louisiana in Rivals.com era
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
With Derek Stingley our No. 1 prospect in the country for 2019, the recent LSU commitment becomes the highest ranked cornerback in Rivals.com history. Obviously that makes him No. 1 historically in the state of Louisiana as well, but who else makes the list? Here are the top five.
MORE: Stingley calls this commitment to LSU 'different' | Analysis
The skinny: Stingley initially committed to LSU, but then re-opened his process to take a closer look at a few other schools. He accomplished that by recently taking official visits to Texas and Florida, which puts the Longhorns and Gators in his final three along with LSU. Stingley is set to make his final decision amongst the three on June 20th and will be an early enrollee at the school he chooses.
Farrell’s take: Stingley is a freak and it’s very likely he will remain the highest ranked cornerback in Louisiana state history even if he doesn’t stay at No. 1 in the country. He has it all – size, athleticism, agility, leaping ability, football sense, instincts, you name it – and is exactly what you want these days in a cornerback. He could be an absolute star at the next level and beyond.
The skinny: Jackson committed to LSU almost a year before his Signing Day, but always kept his options open. That resulted in official visits to Tennessee and Alabama in January, which eventually led to his flip to the Vols the day after Signing Day.
Jackson showed a great deal of potential as a true freshman and then took his game to the next level in 2010 with 69 tackles and five interceptions. However, Jackson was then dismissed from the university during the summer of 2011 for unspecified reasons. He found a new home at McNeese State, but went undrafted in 2012. Short stints followed with the New York Giants, and then in the UFL and CFL before his playing career ended in 2013.
Farrell’s take: Jackson was a special prospect coming out, a corner with adequate size but excellent speed and quick twitch ability. He had terrific instincts, could turn and run with anyone and his ball skills were exceptional. The only person who could get in his way was – Jackson himself and he did, de-railing what looked like a superstar career.
The skinny: White left no doubt about his recruitment by making a commitment to LSU at a Junior Day almost a year before his own Signing Day. Following a long line of successful LSU defensive backs, White quickly made his presence known in Baton Rouge. After earning All-SEC and All-American honors after the 2016 season, White was selected with the 27th overall pick by Buffalo. With the Bills, he has already become one of the more productive cornerbacks in the league, with 31 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a very impressive 12 pass break-ups.
Farrell’s take: We saw White as an athletic lockdown corner who could also impact on special teams as well coming out of high school. He played quarterback as a prep, which helped him read offenses but made him a tougher evaluation. In the end we got it right, and he’s off to a great start in the NFL.
The skinny: Child trimmed his list of schools down to LSU and Florida before committing to the Tigers in August. He took visits to both schools before making his final decision. Child saw minimal playing time during his first two seasons in Baton Rouge before he was dismissed from the university during the spring of 2006. He never resurfaced on the playing field after being dismissed by the Tigers.
Farrell’s take: Remember Child recruitniks? A tall, rangy cornerback who could cover bigger receivers but also has the ability to take on slot receivers as well. He was also an excellent special teams prospect. Like Jackson, he de-railed his own career although he didn’t show nearly the same promise in college and wasn’t as talented coming out of high school.
The skinny: Even with upwards of 20 offers, Bush has remained relatively quiet during his recruiting process. Leaders at this time are thought to be LSU, Clemson and Tennessee, with the in-state Tigers being seen as the heavy favorite. He has taken unofficial visits to Tennessee and Florida State, but it looks to be an uphill battle for anyone to try and knock LSU off the top spot. There is currently no set decision date.
Farrell’s take: The second 2019 cornerback from the state to make the list? That surprised me as well but Bush is certainly a talent. He has size, he’s filled out and he’s long. He’s a smooth cover corner who gets overshadowed by Stingley, but could be a star in his own right.