Tinker:
I think that we can't see the forest for the trees because of college graduation and juniors leaving for the NFL draft. Losing very good football players can't help but impact college football teams in the wrong way. So be that as it may. I think the SEC has become more wide open then it has ever been in a long time. Georgia took Bama right on up until the final minute before that SEC championship was decided. But for the lack of making a timely first down Alabama would have lost to LSU and been left out of the final BCS dance, Oregon vs Notre Dame would have more likely received the nod.
South Carolina is improving and they could be further advancing then we now believe. Florida is closer then ever before, after Tebow.
Ole Miss is improving, and Texas A&M has another scrambler type QB, like Fran Tarkenton in Johnny Football, perhaps even better. LSU is talented but as of yet not proven. So all in all no one really know what awaits us? http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Look at them talking to us tiger fans, with out saying so. With their every move running quickly from one exercise to the other, building up the repetition of their football skills. The determination, willingness to learn. Look at them talk to us LSU fans how can we not support and believe in their desires. Because it is very obvious that they are LSU fighting tiger football players, through and through?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
-------------------------
http://www.athlonsports.com/
LSU Tigers 2013 Spring Football Preview
Jeremy Hill should be one of the SEC's top running backs in 2013.
By: Steven Lassan | 3/14/13, 12:20 PM EDT
Reloading
or rebuilding? That's the big question in Baton Rouge this spring. With
a 34-6 record from 2010-12, LSU has been one of college football’s
top programs in recent years. However, the Tigers will be hard pressed
to win 10 or more games in 2013, as the team returns only 10 starters
from last season. Coach Les Miles has recruited plenty of talent to
Baton Rouge, but LSU will be young on defense and needs quarterback Zach
Mettenberger to take a big step in his development. With road games
against Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama in 2013, getting to 9-3 with a
revamped starting lineup should be considered a good season for LSU.LSU Tigers 2013 Spring Preview
2012 Record: 10-3 (6-2)
Spring practice dates: March 14-April 20
Returning Starters: Offense – 7, Defense – 3
Returning Leaders:
Passing: Zach Mettenberger, 207 of 352, 2,609 yards, 12 TDs, 7 INTs Rushing: Jeremy Hill, 142 car., 755 yards, 12 TDs Receiving: Jarvis Landry, 56 rec., 573 yards, 5 TDs Tackles: Lamin Barrow, 104 Sacks: Micah Eugene, 3.5 Interceptions: Craig Loston, 3
Redshirts to Watch: OL Derek Edinburgh, OL Jerald Hawkins, LB Lorenzo Phillips
Early Enrollees to Watch: WR John Diarse, OL Fehoko Fanaika, QB Anthony Jennings, WR Avery Johnson, DT Christian LaCouture, OL Ethan Pocic, QB Hayden Rettig
JUCO Transfers to Watch: OL Fehoko Fanaika, WR Quantavius Leslie, TE Logan Stokes
2013 Schedule
Aug. 31 TCU (Arlington)
Sept. 7 UAB
Sept. 14 Kent State
Sept. 21 Auburn
Sept. 28 at Georgia
Oct. 5 at Mississippi State
Oct. 12 Florida
Oct. 19 at Ole Miss
Oct. 26 Furman
Nov. 2 Bye Week
Nov. 9 at Alabama
Nov. 16 Bye Week
Nov. 23 Texas A&M
Nov. 30 Arkansas
Offensive Strength: Even though Michael Ford and Spencer Ware left Baton Rouge for the NFL, the Tigers are set in the backfield. Jeremy Hill should be one of the SEC’s top running backs in 2013, while Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard return after combining for 734 yards in 2012.
Offensive Weakness: With the departure of Josh Dworaczyk, Chris Faulk and center P.J. Lonergan, LSU’s offensive line is a concern going into spring practice. There are options returning to fill the voids, but the Tigers need to mix and match to find the right lineup.
Defensive Strength: Despite some losses, the back seven of LSU’s defense should be solid. Lamin Barrow will slide to middle linebacker to replace Kevin Minter, while Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins is a solid duo at cornerback.
Defensive Weakness: Churning out top defensive linemen isn’t an issue at LSU, but that notion will be put to the test this spring. The Tigers must replace six key players in last season’s rotation.
Spring Storylines Facing the Tigers
1. Can Zach Mettenberger take the next step? As
expected, Mettenberger’s first season as LSU’s starting quarterback had
its share of ups and downs. He threw for 298 yards and one touchdown
against Alabama on Nov. 3 but threw just five passing scores in SEC
play. With a strong rushing attack and one of the SEC’s top defenses,
Mettenberger wasn’t asked to carry the team. However, with LSU losing
significant contributors on both sides of the ball, the passing attack
has to step up in 2013. New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has a
wealth of experience and should help Mettenberger continue to refine his
game this spring, along with developing more consistency in SEC games.2. Finding the right mix on the offensive line. Although the line is a weakness going into spring practice, the coaching staff has to be optimistic about the returning talent. Guard La’el Collins was an honorable mention All-SEC selection last season and will slide to left tackle this spring. Josh Williford missed most of 2012 due to a concussion but is expected to replace Collins at left guard. Sophomores Elliott Porter, Trai Turner and Vadal Alexander will likely fill out the remaining spots on the line. Junior college recruit Fehoko Fanaika and redshirt freshmen Derek Edinburgh and Jerald Hawkins will have an opportunity to work their way into the mix if any of the projected starters struggle this spring.
3. Rebuilding the defensive line. Developing talent on the defensive line hasn’t been an issue for LSU, but line coach Brick Haley and coordinator John Chavis will have their hands full this spring. The Tigers must replace six key players from last season’s unit, including dynamic ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo. Tackles Bennie Logan and Josh Downs will also be missed. There’s very little in the way of proven experience at end returning, as junior Jermauria Rasco and sophomore Danielle Hunter are expected to start spring practice as the top options. Rasco and Hunter combined for 22 tackles last season. The situation at tackle is slightly better, as Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson are poised to have a breakout year. Incoming freshmen Tashawn Bower, Maquedius Bain, Greg Gilmore, Frank Herron, Christian LaCouture, Lewis Neal and Michael Patterson will provide depth and should see plenty of snaps with the way LSU likes to rotate its defensive linemen.
4. Filling the holes on the back seven. The defensive line wasn’t the only area of LSU’s defense that will need to be overhauled. The situation in the back seven is just as desperate, as the Tigers must replace first-team All-SEC linebacker Kevin Minter, cornerback Tharold Simon and safety Eric Reid. Lamin Barrow is expected to slide into middle linebacker to replace Minter, and the Tigers will look for Kwon Alexander, Lamar Louis, Deion Jones and Ronnie Feist to improve in their second year on campus. Tahj Jones is a player to watch after making just one appearance last season and recording four tackles and one sack in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Clemson. Losing Reid and Simon is a big loss in the secondary, but LSU has pieces to build around in cornerbacks Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins, while Craig Loston, Corey Thompson, Micah Eugene and Ronald Martin is a solid foundation at secondary. There’s plenty of talent in the back seven, but LSU needs to blend all of the new faces into the starting lineup this spring.
Related College Football Content
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SEC 2013 Spring Storylines to Watch
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Ranking All 125 College Football Coaching Jobs for 2013
Texas A&M Aggies 2013 Spring Preview
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http://www.tigerrag.com/?p=
LSU Spring Football Practice Report, Day Two (3/15)
March 15, 2013 - © 2013 Tiger Rag
Tidbits from the Ponderosa from Friday’s individual drills
OFFENSIVE REPORT
By CODY WORSHAM
Tiger Rag Editor
If the weather is any omen of the season to come, 2013 will be a beautiful one for LSU football.
Another gorgeous spring day awaited the LSU Tiger football squad on day two of spring practice, and the individual drills available to media appeared as crisp as the climate.
The offense split up into its usual groupings, but to start, on the line, Les Miles and Greg Studrawa took the centers and guards, while Steve Ensminger took the tackles and tight ends.
O-line/Tight Ends
Their focus to start was LSU’s zone schemes, a key part of the Tiger offense. Both groups worked on getting off an initial block and getting into the second level, with Miles doing much of the detail-oriented work with the guards and Studrawa working as the “loud man,” calling the cadences and cheering/chiding when necessary.
Miles spent a lot of time with Fehoko Faniaka, the junior college transfer from the College of San Mateo in California, working on technique. Hoko, as Miles calls him, is a physical specimen at 6′6 and at least 20 pounds over his listed weight of 340 pounds. But he needs some refinement, and Miles was glad to give it. He kept telling his big man to stay low, which I imagine is difficult for anyone that tall and heavy.
Josh Williford continued to handle the center duties — with ease, I might add — and freshman Ethan Pocic worked in at center behind him. Evan Washington took reps at left guard with Williford moved to center, something Jonah Austin did yesterday.
La’el Collins remained with the tackles. Dillon Gordon, at 280 pounds, is quite big for a tight end. He looks a little slower, but he’s definitely bigger. He’ll probably provide some blocking depth behind Logan Stokes, while Travis Dickson gets most of the passing work out of that group, for now.
Running backs
The coaches grouped with the fullbacks and quarterbacks early to work on QB/RB exchanges on zone plays. J.C. Copeland took a few handoffs as a lone ball carrier. Alfred Blue was still wearing a green no-contact uniform, but he looked smooth. He seemed to lead the backs, usually taking the first rep in each drill and running to the stations with the rest behind.
Jeremy Hill looks fit. He tried to sneak in one rep as a fullback, but the coaches didn’t let him. As trim as he looks, that’s probably a good call, even though we’re all aware of his powerful running.
Kenny Hilliard’s motor was definitely running. Of the three, he’s the least impressive to watch practice: he’s not the natural athlete Blue is nor the specimen Hill is. But he works hard, and you can bet he’s hungry after the sophomore slump of 2012.
Tight end Charles Mitchell worked with the running backs today, as well.
Magee-cat?
One interesting note in this period was that with all the backfield together, Cam Cameron worked on some zone read from the pistol. While nothing in-depth, the quarterbacks worked on their footwork, eye placement, and meshing in the zone read. The most interesting piece was that Terrance Magee took some Wildcat snaps.
It gets more interesting. As the pistol drills continued, Cameron introduced a “Cowboy” concept, where the quarterbacks read a corner blitz and throw a short hot route to the receivers. All the quarterbacks did so, and even Magee — a former high school quarterback — threw a couple of passes in the Cowboy read.
Keeping with the high-tempo style from Thursday, Cameron had the quarterbacks quickly pick up the Cowboy read, calling it “fast break basketball” — a nod to his days playing hoops for Bob Knight at Indiana.
Quarterbacks
After that, the QBs left the running backs — Magee included — for the receivers and did some throwing. Cameron maintained the high-pace work from yesterday.
Stephen Rivers looked a little off. It looks like he’s changed his arm slot and raised it some, and it led to a couple of high throws that sailed on him. His good throws are really good — his bad ones, however, are really bad.
Mettenberger looked as sharp as you’d expect. His knee was braced and still looked pretty stiff — he’s a step slow right now, which is saying something for him. But it didn’t bother his throwing. He was energetic too. He’s embracing some leadership, albeit on his own terms. He sprinted from station to station, was quite vocal, and was laughing and joking around in brief periods of rest from drill work.
Of the freshmen QB, Anthony Jennings looks the sharpest to me. His delivery is quick and compact. He throws a tight, accurate spiral on short balls. I didn’t see him stretch the field any.
Rettig looked good, too. He’s more vocal than Jennings and showed more noticeable body language. He makes a few mental mistakes here and there, though. He threw to the wrong receiver once, pegging Travis Dickson, who was watching another pass that was supposed to come his way.
Wide Receivers
I think this is where the most young players will get a chance to show their stuff.
James Wright and Armand Williams each had a couple of easy drops. I don’t see either of them factoring into the passing game much this season.
Kadron Boone has taken the forefront as the group leader. He and Mettenberger have a good chemistry.
John Diarse and Avery Peterson stood out. Peterson is a crisp route-runner with soft hands, but he’s got chicken legs that Tommy Moffit needs to do some magic on. Adam Henry and Frank Wilson stayed on him about his body language. Diarse, on the other hand, is built like a senior, but his technique needs work.
VIDEO FROM BBI (story continued below…) see...http://www.tigerrag.com/
DEFENSIVE REPORT
By LUKE JOHNSON
Tiger Rag Assistant Editor
Hidden behind a stacked group of linebackers, it appears sophomore Ronnie Feist is getting a shot to make the switch to defensive line this season.
Feist was working with the defensive linemen in individual drills. Sporting a 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame, he’d likely be used situationally as an edge rusher.
It’s worth noting Feist racked up 35 sacks in his final two seasons at West St. John High School, including 22 in his junior season.
Seniors Lamin Barrow and Tahj Jones, junior D.J. Welter and sophomores Kwon Alexander, Lamar Louis and Deion Jones were ahead of Feist on the depth chart at linebacker.
Feist was rated as a four-star linebacker coming out of high school. He had three tackles in five games as a true freshman last season.
LINING THEM UP
The defense did one team drill again, this time I was able to track down each player on each of the first two units. Feist worked in on the third team as a defensive end.
Again, this is only the second practice of the spring. There is a lot of time for this to change.
First team:
- Safeties: junior Ronald Martin and senior Craig Loston.
- Defensive backs: sophomores Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins
- Linebackers: seniors Lamin Barrow and Tahj Jones (outside) and junior D.J. Welter
- Defensive Ends: sophomore Danielle Hunter, junior Jermauria Rasco
- Defensive Tackles: juniors Ego Ferguson and Anthony Johnson
- Safeties: sophomores Jerqwinick Sandolph, and Micah Eugene
- Defensive backs: redshirt freshmen Dwayne Thomas and Derrick Raymond.
- Linebackers: sophomores Kwon Alexander, Deion Jones and Lamar Louis
- Defensive linemen: sophomore Mickey Johnson, junior Jordan Allen, sophomore Quentin Thomas, senior A’Trey-U Jones
The sheer number of top-flight defensive backs hailing from Baton Rouge in recent years has prompted members of the Tigers defensive backfield to use the catchy title “DBU” to describe their university.
High first-round draft picks Patrick Peterson and Morris Claiborne preceded this year’s current crop of soon-to-be pros in Eric Reid, Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon.
So who’s waiting in the wings? Sophomore Jalen Mills looked impressive in individual drills, and after a fine freshman season, could be next in the growing line of successful LSU defensive backs.
Mills showed off fluid athleticism in the defensive back drills Friday and also looks as though he’s added some size to his frame.
OVERHEARD
“You can’t lead from the back!” - special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, as players were moving from one drill to another.
NOTEWORTHY
Athletically, Louis and Barrow stood out among the linebacker corps during individual drills … Barrow, senior safety Craig Loston and junior defensive end Jordan Allen led each positional group during drills … sophomore defensive lineman Danielle Hunter (6-foot-5, 235 pounds) looks similar to former LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo - tall, lithe and athletic.
Les Miles post-practice quotes
-------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
-------------------------
http://lsufootball.net/
LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!
| Times Picayune | Video (2 min, 10 sec): D-Linemen working on tackle simulation drill |
| Times Picayune | Video (2 min, 55 sec): Les Miles with O-Linemen |
| Tiger Sports Digest | Video (59 sec): Cameron leads catching drill |
| Bayou Bengals Insider | Video (3 min, 38 sec): LSU spring practice - March 15 |
| Tiger Sports Digest | Video (66 sec): 11-man pursuit drills |
| Tiger Sports Digest | Video (62 sec): DBs shuffle, hit dummy |
http://bleacherreport.com/
bleacher report
Quarterback Chris Riddle: A Division 1 Prospect's Recruitment Journey
By (Pac-12 and Big 12 Lead Writer) on March 13, 2013
Chris Riddle, quarterback class of 2015. Photo credit: Jon Riddle
Chris Riddle is in his second year
of high school. Normally, that wouldn't raise any eyebrows except for
the fact that he's at his third different high school…in two years.
At 15-and-a-half years old, Riddle is in the class of 2015 and a veteran of acclimation. He's a veteran in college football recruiting, and he's also a veteran in learning how to adjust to new teammates. It's been a journey, and he hasn't even gotten to the meat of his recruitment—the next two years.
Two years ago, Riddle was living in Edina, Minnesota, but his father's job change landed him in Virginia. His freshman year was at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn and he was looking forward to continuing the success quarterback Ryan Burns' had—Burns would end up signing with Stanford's recruiting class of 2013. Riddle was at Stone Bridge for half a year before transferring to Tuscarora High School in Leesburg after their house was sold but the team's offense changed and it wasn't the best fit for the pocket passer.
Riddle transferred to Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, where he is now a sophomore and, according to him, this is where he will stay. Riddle missed his school's 2012 football season since he was still enrolled at Tuscarora—he's only been at Bishop O'Connell for a few weeks—but he's optimistic about the possibilities for him as a starter this fall.
Exciting life? Absolutely. Glamorous life? Far from it.
The life of a Division I prospect is filled with long days in a car and weekends full of practice, practice, practice. Riddle doesn't have time for a girlfriend and he doesn't have time for the fun activities that normally encompass a teenager's life.
"It's football and football and football," Riddle says, but he quickly adds,"I have…fun." While most kids his age count the days until they're eligible to get their driver's permit, Riddle wasn't even aware he was eligible until I pointed it out to him. He didn't seem bothered, but there was some surprise in his voice. He hadn't thought about it. Or maybe he's too focused on what's really important to him.
This is the path he took. This is the road he chose out of his own free will.
"I've always wanted to be quarterback [since seven years old]," Riddle recollects. Riddle says he was put on the line during his flag football days because he was over the weight limit but only because he was always taller than the rest of his peers. His doctors project him to be 6'3"—he's currently 6'2", 185 pounds.
Riddle recently returned from National Junior Day at LSU, despite him being just a sophomore. Riddle's own website noted that "according to SEC analyst, Gino Joubert, only a few hand-selected sophomores are ever invited to an LSU junior day.'
The public perception of prospects being wined—albeit not real wine—and dined while taking an official visit to a school is well documented, but for a prospect taking an unofficial visit, it's a different experience. Unofficial visits to schools are on the recruits' families' own dime.
"We had to pay for everything," he noted. "They gave us some basketball tickets for the game." Riddle wasn't complaining in as much as he was reiterating the sacrifices his family has made for him.
It's a conundrum for many families—they have to pay the cost to support their child's dream but there's also a high probability their sons may never attend the school they just visited. Riddle also has three coaches who have been his mentors: Todd Krueger, Mike Sims and Chris Baucia.
"They're working on my lower half," he said. "Not necessarily my footwork, but more of my pocket mobility and just agility." Video of Riddle's workouts shows him working with his coaches.
Last month Riddle's family traveled from Virginia to Louisiana, eschewing commercial air travel and electing to go via automobile. His father Jon, a cyber security specialist with the government, his mom Heidi, a nurse, his seven-year-old brother, his 17-year old cousin who lives with the family and his brother Matt—who plays left tackle at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida—all piled into the car for the 16-hour drive to Baton Rouge. There was no side trip to New Orleans—this was strictly business, not a fun-filled weekend of partying.
The family arrived in Baton Rouge, walked along the delta at sunset and Chris noticed the immediate influence of LSU in the community. "You go to a restaurant and the entire restaurant is all purple and gold," he laughed.
The family toured the athletic facilities, but it was a somewhat informal tour—there was no tour guide in a golf cart pointing out campus highlights. Riddle says "they let us walk around" while a school official told his family about the history of the school. "It was amazing," he reminisced. "It's extremely modern…the weight room was huge, everything was decked out in LSU and everything was LSU."
When Riddle walked through the uprights into the stadium, the sell was pretty easy. "It was huge," he said.
"You can imagine how loud it's going to be when you see all those seats…and they said they're adding another like 20,000 at the end of the stadium. You can just imagine Baton Rouge…on a late night with all the fans crowded in…and how loud it will be."
You could hear the excitement in his voice. A high school sophomore taking a visit to an elite school and imagining what it would be like to play in a stadium that has one of the most passionate fan bases in the country is difficult to top—just like SEC big boy football.
Riddle said the school visit was all about information and a chance to see how he would fit in—this wasn't like a combine where scouts are evaluating athletic ability.
"There were no drills, they were basically just trying to sell us," Riddle explained, adding that there were about 100 athletes at LSU's Junior Day. Riddle was at the stadium the day after Malcolm "Cam" Cameron was named offensive coordinator at LSU, and Riddle got to spend some time with him. "It was amazing to pick his brain," Riddle says.
Riddle's position as quarterback would certainly be of high interest to LSU since the Tigers have struggled to find that elite quarterback for several years. Did Riddle observe any pressing concern by Cameron over the quarterback position?
"I think Zach [Mettenberger] is doing pretty well with the offense," Riddle said. "They're not in a rush to get another quarterback."
Riddle spent about an hour total talking to the coaches on the field. A sixteen-hour drive for one hour of one-on-one time with elite coaches. The family toured the rest of the campus and after that headed home.
The trip back home is where Chris and his father discussed the visit. "I get feedback after every school I visit," he explained. "He'd be supportive of any school I went to."
Boston College, Notre Dame and Georgia have invited Riddle to visit their schools, and he's done just that. Arizona State just recently sent Riddle a letter indicating he was a target of interest, and Florida is his next destination at the end of this month.
Rarely do prospects have anything negative to say about their school visits and Riddle is no exception, but the tone of his voice when describing the schools he has visited so far is of enormous respect—he doesn't have the attitude of a kid who thinks a school is privileged to have his presence at the school. On the contrary, he feels honored to be invited to the school.
Boston College was Riddle's first unofficial visit, and he declared it "a very nice campus." Notre Dame's "campus lived up to expectations" and Georgia also impressed Riddle.
"It's awesome…cool tradition…between the hedges," he said in excitement.
I asked Chris how he would describe all four schools he has visited (so far) in one word and he thought long and hard about each school.
Notre Dame was "beautiful", Boston College was "prestigious", Georgia reminded him of "tradition" and LSU?
"Competitive," he answered in an unwavering voice.
Riddle, like most boys his age, also took notice of the schools' coeds roaming the campuses. After a little coaxing from me, Riddle finally gave me an answer to which school had the prettiest girls.
"LSU and Georgia are kind of tied," he said sheepishly. The SEC wins again.
Jon calls his son "driven and focused" and his schedule indicates little time for goofing around. By the time school lets out and he's done lifting weights, he's home around 6:30 in the evening. Riddle says "if there's light, I'll throw" but otherwise it's dinner, homework and sleep during the week.
When I asked him what his favorite dinner his mom cooked for him, Chris responded with shock and then a chuckle.
"Huh? Favorite food my mom cooks? My mom does not cook at all." Jon's the cook and unlike most teenage boys who can't get enough hamburgers, pasta or steak, Chris says he has "to go with salmon" as his favorite meal.
Weekends aren't quite as hectic for Riddle—unless he's going on a school visit—so he spends a lot of time throwing the football to his two receivers, George Hawkins and Marquis Rowe; The Washington Post named Rowe to its All-Met team (honorable mention) last season. After tossing the ball around, Riddle says it's time "to eat some wings."
Like all student-athletes, Riddle has favorite players. "I don’t follow NBA but I'll go with the Lakers," he said. "Baseball? Yankees." Ahh, youth. They just love to go with winners, don't they? Riddle lived in Southern California when he was little so we'll give him a hall pass on the Lakers. His favorite NFL team?
"Colts, no question," he replied. "I was a big Manning fan [but] once he left I couldn't justify switching over to the Broncos."
Like Manning, Riddle hopes to be playing on Sundays.
"[For] anyone who wants to be good at football, their dream is going to be the NFL," he said. "Of course I would consider the NFL as my ultimate goal, as most kids [would]."
For now, his aim is to be playing on fall Saturdays.
But unlike a lot of college football fans who tend to jump on a conference's bandwagon, Riddle says although he lives in ACC country and is close to SEC country, conference affiliation isn't tantamount to prospects picking their schools of interest—at least not the prospects he knows and what he's observed from them.
"I think most kids' dreams [are] to get to the best school that they can," he noted.
In two years, Chris Riddle will be in college and hopefully playing quarterback at his dream school.
Until then, he'll have coaches knocking on his front door and waxing poetic about how their school is the best choice for him. Riddle probably won't make his signing day announcement a circus act like so many recruits have done in the past—he appeared to be very unassuming when we chatted.
That may change when he approaches his parents to remind them about that important teenage milestone that passed by without fanfare or acknowledgement.
He wants his driver's permit.
At 15-and-a-half years old, Riddle is in the class of 2015 and a veteran of acclimation. He's a veteran in college football recruiting, and he's also a veteran in learning how to adjust to new teammates. It's been a journey, and he hasn't even gotten to the meat of his recruitment—the next two years.
Two years ago, Riddle was living in Edina, Minnesota, but his father's job change landed him in Virginia. His freshman year was at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn and he was looking forward to continuing the success quarterback Ryan Burns' had—Burns would end up signing with Stanford's recruiting class of 2013. Riddle was at Stone Bridge for half a year before transferring to Tuscarora High School in Leesburg after their house was sold but the team's offense changed and it wasn't the best fit for the pocket passer.
Riddle transferred to Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, where he is now a sophomore and, according to him, this is where he will stay. Riddle missed his school's 2012 football season since he was still enrolled at Tuscarora—he's only been at Bishop O'Connell for a few weeks—but he's optimistic about the possibilities for him as a starter this fall.
Exciting life? Absolutely. Glamorous life? Far from it.
The life of a Division I prospect is filled with long days in a car and weekends full of practice, practice, practice. Riddle doesn't have time for a girlfriend and he doesn't have time for the fun activities that normally encompass a teenager's life.
"It's football and football and football," Riddle says, but he quickly adds,"I have…fun." While most kids his age count the days until they're eligible to get their driver's permit, Riddle wasn't even aware he was eligible until I pointed it out to him. He didn't seem bothered, but there was some surprise in his voice. He hadn't thought about it. Or maybe he's too focused on what's really important to him.
This is the path he took. This is the road he chose out of his own free will.
"I've always wanted to be quarterback [since seven years old]," Riddle recollects. Riddle says he was put on the line during his flag football days because he was over the weight limit but only because he was always taller than the rest of his peers. His doctors project him to be 6'3"—he's currently 6'2", 185 pounds.
Riddle recently returned from National Junior Day at LSU, despite him being just a sophomore. Riddle's own website noted that "according to SEC analyst, Gino Joubert, only a few hand-selected sophomores are ever invited to an LSU junior day.'
The public perception of prospects being wined—albeit not real wine—and dined while taking an official visit to a school is well documented, but for a prospect taking an unofficial visit, it's a different experience. Unofficial visits to schools are on the recruits' families' own dime.
"We had to pay for everything," he noted. "They gave us some basketball tickets for the game." Riddle wasn't complaining in as much as he was reiterating the sacrifices his family has made for him.
It's a conundrum for many families—they have to pay the cost to support their child's dream but there's also a high probability their sons may never attend the school they just visited. Riddle also has three coaches who have been his mentors: Todd Krueger, Mike Sims and Chris Baucia.
"They're working on my lower half," he said. "Not necessarily my footwork, but more of my pocket mobility and just agility." Video of Riddle's workouts shows him working with his coaches.
Chris Riddle during workouts
It's a financial gamble
rife with incredible financial burden, all for an athletic scholarship
and a chance to make millions in the NFL.Last month Riddle's family traveled from Virginia to Louisiana, eschewing commercial air travel and electing to go via automobile. His father Jon, a cyber security specialist with the government, his mom Heidi, a nurse, his seven-year-old brother, his 17-year old cousin who lives with the family and his brother Matt—who plays left tackle at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida—all piled into the car for the 16-hour drive to Baton Rouge. There was no side trip to New Orleans—this was strictly business, not a fun-filled weekend of partying.
The family arrived in Baton Rouge, walked along the delta at sunset and Chris noticed the immediate influence of LSU in the community. "You go to a restaurant and the entire restaurant is all purple and gold," he laughed.
The family toured the athletic facilities, but it was a somewhat informal tour—there was no tour guide in a golf cart pointing out campus highlights. Riddle says "they let us walk around" while a school official told his family about the history of the school. "It was amazing," he reminisced. "It's extremely modern…the weight room was huge, everything was decked out in LSU and everything was LSU."
When Riddle walked through the uprights into the stadium, the sell was pretty easy. "It was huge," he said.
"You can imagine how loud it's going to be when you see all those seats…and they said they're adding another like 20,000 at the end of the stadium. You can just imagine Baton Rouge…on a late night with all the fans crowded in…and how loud it will be."
You could hear the excitement in his voice. A high school sophomore taking a visit to an elite school and imagining what it would be like to play in a stadium that has one of the most passionate fan bases in the country is difficult to top—just like SEC big boy football.
Riddle said the school visit was all about information and a chance to see how he would fit in—this wasn't like a combine where scouts are evaluating athletic ability.
"There were no drills, they were basically just trying to sell us," Riddle explained, adding that there were about 100 athletes at LSU's Junior Day. Riddle was at the stadium the day after Malcolm "Cam" Cameron was named offensive coordinator at LSU, and Riddle got to spend some time with him. "It was amazing to pick his brain," Riddle says.
Riddle's position as quarterback would certainly be of high interest to LSU since the Tigers have struggled to find that elite quarterback for several years. Did Riddle observe any pressing concern by Cameron over the quarterback position?
"I think Zach [Mettenberger] is doing pretty well with the offense," Riddle said. "They're not in a rush to get another quarterback."
Riddle spent about an hour total talking to the coaches on the field. A sixteen-hour drive for one hour of one-on-one time with elite coaches. The family toured the rest of the campus and after that headed home.
The trip back home is where Chris and his father discussed the visit. "I get feedback after every school I visit," he explained. "He'd be supportive of any school I went to."
Boston College, Notre Dame and Georgia have invited Riddle to visit their schools, and he's done just that. Arizona State just recently sent Riddle a letter indicating he was a target of interest, and Florida is his next destination at the end of this month.
Rarely do prospects have anything negative to say about their school visits and Riddle is no exception, but the tone of his voice when describing the schools he has visited so far is of enormous respect—he doesn't have the attitude of a kid who thinks a school is privileged to have his presence at the school. On the contrary, he feels honored to be invited to the school.
Boston College was Riddle's first unofficial visit, and he declared it "a very nice campus." Notre Dame's "campus lived up to expectations" and Georgia also impressed Riddle.
"It's awesome…cool tradition…between the hedges," he said in excitement.
I asked Chris how he would describe all four schools he has visited (so far) in one word and he thought long and hard about each school.
Notre Dame was "beautiful", Boston College was "prestigious", Georgia reminded him of "tradition" and LSU?
"Competitive," he answered in an unwavering voice.
Riddle, like most boys his age, also took notice of the schools' coeds roaming the campuses. After a little coaxing from me, Riddle finally gave me an answer to which school had the prettiest girls.
"LSU and Georgia are kind of tied," he said sheepishly. The SEC wins again.
Jon calls his son "driven and focused" and his schedule indicates little time for goofing around. By the time school lets out and he's done lifting weights, he's home around 6:30 in the evening. Riddle says "if there's light, I'll throw" but otherwise it's dinner, homework and sleep during the week.
When I asked him what his favorite dinner his mom cooked for him, Chris responded with shock and then a chuckle.
"Huh? Favorite food my mom cooks? My mom does not cook at all." Jon's the cook and unlike most teenage boys who can't get enough hamburgers, pasta or steak, Chris says he has "to go with salmon" as his favorite meal.
Weekends aren't quite as hectic for Riddle—unless he's going on a school visit—so he spends a lot of time throwing the football to his two receivers, George Hawkins and Marquis Rowe; The Washington Post named Rowe to its All-Met team (honorable mention) last season. After tossing the ball around, Riddle says it's time "to eat some wings."
Like all student-athletes, Riddle has favorite players. "I don’t follow NBA but I'll go with the Lakers," he said. "Baseball? Yankees." Ahh, youth. They just love to go with winners, don't they? Riddle lived in Southern California when he was little so we'll give him a hall pass on the Lakers. His favorite NFL team?
"Colts, no question," he replied. "I was a big Manning fan [but] once he left I couldn't justify switching over to the Broncos."
Like Manning, Riddle hopes to be playing on Sundays.
"[For] anyone who wants to be good at football, their dream is going to be the NFL," he said. "Of course I would consider the NFL as my ultimate goal, as most kids [would]."
For now, his aim is to be playing on fall Saturdays.
But unlike a lot of college football fans who tend to jump on a conference's bandwagon, Riddle says although he lives in ACC country and is close to SEC country, conference affiliation isn't tantamount to prospects picking their schools of interest—at least not the prospects he knows and what he's observed from them.
"I think most kids' dreams [are] to get to the best school that they can," he noted.
In two years, Chris Riddle will be in college and hopefully playing quarterback at his dream school.
Until then, he'll have coaches knocking on his front door and waxing poetic about how their school is the best choice for him. Riddle probably won't make his signing day announcement a circus act like so many recruits have done in the past—he appeared to be very unassuming when we chatted.
That may change when he approaches his parents to remind them about that important teenage milestone that passed by without fanfare or acknowledgement.
He wants his driver's permit.
http://lsufootball.net/
LSU Football - Geaux Tigers!!!
| Louisiana Daily | .mp3 Audio (4 min): Recruiting Confidential - Freshman hit the practice field |
| LSU Sports | Spring Football Blog |
| Times Picayune | Anthony Johnson moves into leadership role on D-Line (video transcript) |
| NFL News | Tyrann Mathieu sells himself to NFL as a changed man |
| NCAA News | NCAA opposes class certification in likeness lawsuit |
| BCS Football (ESPN) | All 31 current bowl committees were invited to submit bids to host the new playoff |
| Opelika-Auburn News | Schedule set for SEC Media Days; July 16 - July 18 |
| Columbus Ledger | Linebacker a position of strength for Tide |
| Clarion Ledger | Dan Mullen: Bulldogs will have full staff in place for spring practices |
| ESPN Blog | Spurrier, Gamecocks taking aim at title |
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SB Nation
LSU Spring Football 2013: Defense -- Who the Hell are These Guys?
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Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIREFor the better part of this golden era of LSU football, we've associated the defenses with individual stars, and in each of the last three springs, John Chavis' side of the football has had some of those types established, whether they were All-SEC or All-American. For the first time in a while, the Tigers enter spring drills looking for those players to emerge.
Sure, there are some well-known star recruits like Anthony Johnson and Craig Loston, and guys like Jalen Mills and Lamin Barrow that were incredibly productive in 2012. But the star power just isn't there.
Yet.
There's certainly some things to like. Young talent that could be ready to emerge at defensive end. A secondary that, despite its relative youth, has seen a lot of football. And the deepest, most talented group of linebackers LSU has had in recent memory.
But there's still question marks. The defensive tackle group only has two members with appreciable playing time -- not the ideal for one of the SEC's premium positions. Aside from Craig Loston, the safeties, while talented, haven't shown they're quite ready for prime time yet. It's just more question marks than we, as fans, are used to seeing from this side of the ball.
College football fans are especially fond of the cliché "we don't rebuild, we reload." I hate it. Everybody rebuilds. It's a very relative term. Sometimes it's subtle, and in areas that opponents might not be able to exploit. For this defense, how they come together, particularly in the first half of the season with big games like TCU and Georgia away from Baton Rouge, will be what decides whether 2013 is a great year, or merely another very good one.
We start with a best guess at a depth chart.
| Position | Player | Ht./Wt. |
| LE | 59 Jermauria Rasco (Jr) 98 Jordan Allen (Jr) |
6-3, 255 6-6, 253 |
| LT | 90 Anthony Johnson (Jr) 95 Quentin Thomas (So) 91 Christian LaCouture (Fr) |
6-3, 304 6-3, 294 6-5, 290 |
| RT | 9 Ego Ferguson (Jr) 96 Mickey Johnson (So) 91 A'Trey-U Jones (Sr) |
6-3, 308 6-0, 306 6-0, 282 |
| RE | 94 Danielle Hunter (So) 54 Justin Maclin (Jr) |
6-5, 235 6-4, 237 |
| Sam | 58 Tahj Jones (Sr) - or - 25 Kwon Alexander (So) 35 Lorenzo Phillips (RS-Fr) |
6-2, 205 6-2, 215 6-2, 215 |
| Mike | 57 Lamin Barrow (Sr) - or - 25 Kwon Alexander (So) 31 D.J. Welter (Jr) 22 Ronnie Feist (So) |
6-2, 232 6-2, 215 6-0, 226 6-2, 230 |
| Will | 45 Deion Jones (So) - or - 57 Lamin Barrow 23 Lamar Louis (So) |
6-2, 202 6-2, 232 6-0, 220 |
| LCB | 28 Jalen Mills (So) 13 Dwayne Thomas (RS-Fr) |
6-0, 185 6-0, 175 |
| SS | 6 Craig Loston (Sr) 34 Micah Eugene (So) - or - 12 Corey Thompson (So) |
6-2, 205 5-11, 190 6-2, 210 |
| FS | 26 Ronald Martin (Jr) 12 Corey Thompson (So) - or - 39 Jerquinick Sandolph (So) |
6-1, 202 6-2, 210 6-2, 190 |
| RCB | 32 Jalen Collins (So) 19 Derrick Raymond (RS-Fr) 36 Kavahra Holmes (RS-Fr) |
6-2, 195 6-1, 175 6-2, 180 |
| Nickel | 32 Jalen Collins (So) | 6-2, 195 |
Up front, LSU will have just five scholarship defensive tackles going through these drills, and only two of those saw any significant action last season: J.R. "Ego" Ferguson and Anthony "the Freak" Johnson. Granted, that's a pretty damn talented twosome; the fact that a 30 tackle, 10 tackle-for-loss season was seen as a disappointment for Johnson is a testament to his talent level. Behind them, you have Quentin Thomas, Mickey Johnson and newcomer Christian LaCouture. Thomas has always drawn rave reviews from program insiders, but has yet to show much of anything on the field. There's also senior walk-on A'Trey-U Jones. I shouldn't really need any reason to bring him up though, should I?
Outside, Jermauria Rasco will almost certainly man one of the defensive end spots after seeing a good amount of rotation snaps the last two years. Sophomore Danielle Hunter has the inside track on the other side, and could be poised for big things. Behind them are veterans Jordan Allen and Justin Maclin, neither of whom have seen much action due to various injuries. This defensive line will almost certainly give the rest of the class of 2013 ample chances to see the field once they arrive this summer.
Linebacker will be the site of some very interesting competition and shuffling. Lamin Barrow returns after, quietly, producing at a very high level in 2012 next to Kevin Minter. The question is, does he slide over to Minter's "Mike," or middle position, or stay at the "Will" or weakside spot. Senior Tahj Jones and uber-talented sophomores Kwon Alexander and Deion "Debo" Jones will vie for the other two starting spots. In a radio interview a few weeks back, Chavis stressed that he'd look for the best three linebackers, and sort the positions out later, and Miles more or less re-iterated that stance in yesterday's press conference. Behind these four there's veteran stalwart D.J. Welter and the rest of the loaded 2012 linebacker class, Ronnie Feist, Lamar Louis and Lorenzo Phillips.
Behind them, there's a nice blend of youth and experience. The starting corners are the sophomore Jalens, Mills and Collins. They took their lumps in 2012, especially as the temperature dropped, but Mills was still a worthy freshman All-American. Behind them, Loston has one safety spot locked down following his best year in purple and gold. Could he be ready to meet that 5-star promise? Ronald Martin tops the depth chart at the other safety spot, but he'll likely compete with sophomores Corey Thompson, Jerquinick Sandolph and Micah Eugene. Additional depth will come from redshirt freshmen Dwayne Thomas, Derrick Raymond and Kavahra Holmes.
Not that anybody is going to feel bad for LSU, and nor should they. The Chief's track record is established, and with the players on hand, the defense is never going to fall off any sort of cliff. But there will likely be an adjustment period, and the offense may have to pick up the slack for the first half of next season's schedule. Makes for a very interesting next five weeks.
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http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/
SEC Blog
Video: Teams set to jump to elite level
March, 15, 2013
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.
Michele Steele and Ivan Maisel go over a trio of teams ready to make the jump to Alabama's heights.
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USA is for the Birds:
http://msnvideo.msn.com/?
North Korea exposes life in the USA
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