With Some States Delaying Start of High School Sports, How Will It Affect LSU Football on Recruiting Trail?
One of the big decisions to come out of the high school sports world on Monday was California and Virginia's decision to delay the start of fall sports into January or the spring of 2021. That was followed by Texas electing to delay the start of its high school football season by a month for its largest schools, leaving many 2021 prospects wondering if they'll get to play out their senior seasons.
It's a tough question to answer, especially for the "late bloomers" hoping to catch college scouts and recruiters attention in their last season. In California, those prospects won't get that opportunity before at least the Early Signing Period in December.
Most of the top programs around the country will want to have their classes signed, sealed and delivered by the time February's National Signing Day approaches, particularly this year with so many question marks in the air.
It's not only unknown recruits this will affect; even the high profile ones will feel the impact. California's announcement to push the season back immediately received strong reactions from high profile commits.
Texas A&M commit Victory Vaka initially went to Twitter and said he’d be foregoing his senior season and enrolling with the Aggies in January.
However, after “careful consideration,” Vaka announced that he would be sticking it out another year at Westlake High School and enroll at Texas A&M in May.
Take the No. 1 defensive player in the country as another example. Defensive end Korey Foreman, who lives out in Corona, Calif., posted this on Twitter after the decision was handed down.
The talented defensive end will not wind up playing his final season at Centennial High School as his plan all along was to enroll with the program he chooses in January.
Foreman, has yet to commit but is considering LSU along with USC, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Oregon and Howard University. It's been reported he wants to visit schools one last time before making a commitment but that won't happen until at least Aug. 31 and likely longer under the current extended dead period.
Not only will the delay in the season affect the prospects themselves but it will affect the way Orgeron and LSU recruit the state as well. California has been a hot spot for LSU on the recruiting trail in recent years, most recently signing cornerback Elias Ricks—who started his high school career in California—and former teammate Raesjon Davis, who committed to the Tigers back in January.
Davis, who is one of LSU's top commits in the 2021 class, reportedly will be staying at Mater Dei for his senior season. Between Davis and Foreman out in California and then Naquan Brown and offensive tackle target Tristan Leigh in Virginia, there are some real questions as to how the decisions by those prospect’s states will affect their decisions on when to commit and sign.
Orgeron said the team will have to use junior tape evaluations on those players and that finding those breakout seniors in the 2021 class from states like California, Virginia and potentially Texas will not be possible because of the delayed season.
"The guys we've already evaluated and offered scholarships, that's off their junior year, obviously we won't have senior film," Orgeron said on "Off the Bench" Tuesday. "As far as late bloomers from California or Virginia, that won't happen and it probably won't happen in the state of Louisiana either because it's tough to evaluate if they don't play football."
Orgeron went on to say that he does think Louisiana will play football in the fall but there are plenty of obstacles to overcome. The LHSAA has ruled that high school football cannot return in the fall until Louisiana has moved past "Phase Three” of its reopening plan.
Currently the state is in "Phase Two” of its reopening plan, one that's been pushed back numerous times already by governor John Bel Edwards, including this week. On Tuesday, Bel Edwards extended “Phase Two” by another two weeks after it was initially set to end this week.
One of the options afforded to the high school prospects if their seasons are ultimately taken away is to enroll early.
Some elect to graduate in the fall and enroll with the programs they sign with for the spring semester. Derek Stingley did it in 2018 and a number of members in the 2020 signing class enrolled early including BJ Ojulari, Max Johnson, TJ Finley, Arik Gilbert and Elias Ricks.
"There is a possibility, I have one additional scholarship left that if a big-time player out there won't play his senior year and is able to graduate and if the NCAA would clear him, I'd be able to take him right now," Orgeron said. "We're doing our research and then obviously mid-year graduates, there will probably be a lot more mid-year graduates than ever before."
Now most seniors in high school don’t walk into the start of their final high school year with enough credits to graduate. What usually happens with those early enrollees is they stock up on classes in the fall in order to graduate in December and join their college teams.
It’ll be interesting to follow in Louisiana, as a number of high profile prospects have yet to commit to a college program.
Orgeron and the recruiting staff feel confident in their scouting of the players in Louisiana and are in play for a number of big recruits, including defensive tackle Maason Smith, safety Sage Ryan and receiver Brian Thomas. Orgeron said the team is still looking for another running back, wide receiver, and tight end, as well as an offensive lineman, cornerback and safety.
"We feel good in the state of Louisiana, there are some guys that we're on in the 2021 class that we've done a good job evaluating," Orgeron said. "I do believe we're in the lead for most of these guys and we're always going to start in Louisiana."
