SB Nation - Kyle Prater

Depth Chart Thoughts

Richard Pittman — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:00:15 -0000

by Bill Haber - AP

(AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)

Once again, we aren't exactly quick to react here, thanks to our day jobs, but we do give you things that most other places can't. Namely, us. Here's a look at the newly released depth-chart-les-miles-wants-you-to-think-is-right:

X 80 Terrance Toliver 6-5 206 Jr.
2 Rueben Randle 6-3 201 Fr.

LT 70 Ciron Black 6-5 322 Sr.
76 Chris Faulk 6-6 316 Fr.

LG 68 Josh Dworaczyk 6-6 281 So.
60 Will Blackwell 6-4 298 Fr.-RS

C 53 T-Bob Hebert 6-3 282 So.
-or- 64 P. J. Lonergan 6-4 300 Fr.-RS

RG 65 Lyle Hitt 6-2 295 Sr.
72 Alex Hurst 6-6 324 Fr.-RS

RT 78 Joseph Barksdale 6-5 315 Jr.
75 Greg Shaw 6-5 301 So.

TE 18 Richard Dickson 6-3 240 Sr.
19 Deangelo Peterson 6-4 240 So.
83 Mitch Joseph 6-5 275 So.

Z 1 Brandon LaFell 6-3 206 Sr.
21 Chris Tolliver 6-1 178 Fr.-RS

3-Wide 86 Chris Mitchell 6-0 185 Sr.
28 R.J. Jackson 6-0 202 Sr.

QB 9 Jordan Jefferson 6-5 220 So.
12 Jarrett Lee 6-2 225 So.
-or- 10 Russell Shepard 6-1 188 Fr.

RB 32 Charles Scott 6-0 234 Sr.
5 Keiland Williams 6-0 221 Sr.
-or- 8 Trindon Holliday 5-5 161 Sr.
26 Richard Murphy 6-1 204 Jr.

FB 45 Richard Dugas 6-1 271 Jr.
35 James Stampley 5-10 240 So.
33 Dominique Allen 5-11 275 Fr.

LE 84 Rahim Alem 6-3 263 Sr.
87 Chancey Aghayere 6-4 263 Fr.-RS

LT 97 Al Woods 6-4 311 Sr.
77 Josh Downs 6-1 275 Fr.

RT 91 Charles Alexander 6-3 298 Sr.
-or- 92 Drake Nevis 6-1 292 Jr.

RE 95 Lazarius Levingston 6-4 269 Jr.
89 Lavar Edwards 6-4 265 Fr.-RS

Sam 24 Harry Coleman 6-2 206 Sr.
11 Kelvin Sheppard 6-3 239 Jr.

Mike 54 Jacob Cutrera 6-4 236 Sr.
-or- 11 Kelvin Sheppard 6-3 239 Jr.

Will 56 Perry Riley 6-2 245 Sr.
22 Ryan Baker 6-0 221 So.

LCB 29 Chris Hawkins 6-1 182 Sr.
4 Jai Eugene 5-11 182 Jr.
13 Ron Brooks 5-11 175 Fr.-RS

SS 15 Brandon Taylor 6-0 191 So.
37 Karnell Hatcher 6-2 207 So.

FS 3 Chad Jones 6-3 225 Jr.
44 Danny McCray 6-1 206 Sr.

RCB 7 Patrick Peterson 6-1 211 So.
17 Morris Claiborne 6-0 171 Fr.

PK 30 Josh Jasper 5-11 165 So.
38 Drew Alleman 5-11 185 Fr.-RS

KO 30 Josh Jasper 5-11 165 So.
38 Drew Alleman 5-11 185 Fr.-RS

PR 8 Trindon Holliday 5-5 161 Sr.
3 Chad Jones 6-3 225 Jr.

KOR 8 Trindon Holliday 5-5 161 Sr.
13 Ron Brooks 5-11 176 So.
5 Keiland Williams 6-0 221 Sr.

P 38 Derek Helton 6-0 188 Jr.
30 Josh Jasper 5-11 160 Jr.

SNP 85 Alex Russian 6-5 247 So.
50 Joey Crappell 6-2 242 So.

HOLD 38 Derek Helton 6-0 188 Jr.
12 Jarrett Lee 6-2 225 So.

Thoughts after the jump.

It's a mild surprise that true freshman defensive tackle Josh Downs is in the 2-deep ahead of his more heralded classmate Chris Davenport, but given the tenuous nature of defensive tackle depth right now, I think both are going to play a good bit.
T-Bob Hebert apparently beat out P.J. Lonergan at center, at least for now. At least, Hebert's name is listed at the front end of the or-clause and Lonergan's is the back end.
If you're a scholarship player who has been in the system for a full year or more, and if you're not on this list, I would say your prospects for playing time now and in the future are not very good. An exception to that might be at linebacker where we are just so flush with senior talent and where junior Kelvin Sheppard is occupying two spots on the 2-deep. I could really see Stefoin Francois or Kyle Prater busting through if they're patient. Stevan Ridley would be another exception.
There are some true freshmen on there: Russell Shepard, Rueben Randle, Josh Downs, Chris Faulk, Dominique Allen, Morris Claiborne.
It's a mild surprise that Michael Brockers and/or Sam Montgomery did not make the 2-deep. They're true freshmen defensive ends, and word was that both were really pushing Edwards and Aghayere for time. I hope Aghayere's healthy. He will be an absolute beast if he gets healthy and can round into the shape it looked like he could round into during his recruitment.
Other notable freshmen not on the list: Barkevious Mingo, Michael Ford, Craig Loston, Bennie Logan, Kevin Minter. Some of these are likely to see time on special teams though, as might Josh Johns, Rockey Duplessis, and others.
Rahim Alem is listed as a left defensive end and Pep Levingston is a right. I think this is a simple mistake and that Alem will be at RDE and Levingston at LDE.
I think that the second team OL could end up being beastly when they get their chance.
I still want Chris Faulk and Morris Claiborne to redshirt. We have guys who have been in the system who can fill in when the game is already decided. I hope they figure out a way to avoid using these guys unless they can really contribute in a competitive game.

Class of 2009: LB Kevin Minter

Richard Pittman — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:10 -0000

via image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com

Linebacker Kevin Minter from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, was an early enrollee at LSU, and so has been at LSU since Spring Practice. This is a player I seriously considered giving "headliner" status to, but ultimately I am going to be conservative and simply call him a solid player.

When Kevin Minter committed, it was not exactly earth-shattering news. He was a 3-star on Rivals and a low 4-star on Scout, from 3 states away from Louisiana. He had gotten very little if any press, and no one believed he was a make or break prospect. That is, until we all watched the film.

Here is what I said of Kevin Minter at the time of his commitment:

Probably my favorite defensive commitment so far is 3-star linebacker Kevin Minter from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia. I think Rivals has him criminally underrated. Scout lists him as a 4-star and the #5 rated middle linebacker in the country, which is more appropriate. To me, he looks just about as good as Ryan Baker does, and he was almost a 5-star according to Rivals. Minter has the size, at 6'0" and 220#. He also has athleticism, as seen in his video where he skies to knock a pass out of the air. He is aggressive. Blockers don't seem to discourage him at all. When he finds a target, he goes after it full speed, and no obstacle stays in his way long. It would not at all surprise me to see Minter's stock rise as the season goes on. I know that USC (the one in California) wanted him bad, and when USC is willing to recruit a guy all the way out in Georgia, he must be pretty darn good. It's best not to get too hung up in ratings. I know the coaches ignore them, but you want a kid to get his due.

I was not the only person to see more in Kevin Minter than what his ratings would suggest. Here is what Scott Kennedy said of Minter's performance at the Georgia state championships:

A question I get every year about the games in the dome is "if you could take one player, who would it be?" For the Dome games of 2008, I'd have to say it would be Peachtree Ridge and LSU Commitment Kevin Minter. Minter was everywhere on defense for the Lions. He's got size, speed, instincts "want-to", everything Scouts look for in a linebacker. If he continues to play on the next level the way he played his senior season, he'll be a star for the Tigers of LSU.

This event included many Division 1 and BCS level prospects, including those going to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and South Carolina, plus fellow LSU signee Drayton Calhoun. Kennedy singled out Minter for the high praise of "If [I] could take one player," it would be Kevin Minter. This is a very exciting prospect, who could end up at middle linebacker or at outside linebacker for the Tigers.

If there is one area of performance you cannot see in his film and would like to know more about, it is his performance in coverage in the passing game. This is not at all unusual at all for a linebacker to not have this in his film. Linebacker film tends to focus on big hits and disruptions rushing the passer. They do not often focus on a linebacker covering a running back or tight end. It's just not as fun for the typical recruiting watcher. Personally though, I like to see it just because I know how important it is at the next level. You cannot play linebacker at a place like LSU until you become at least semi-competent at playing pass coverage.

His extra semester and his participation in Spring Practice will be big for Minter. It would not shock me if he breaks into the two-deep this year. We have 5 experienced linebackers in Jacob Cutrera, Harry Coleman, Perry Riley, Kelvin Sheppard, and Ryan Baker. We also have redshirt freshman Kyle Prater returning, plus incoming freshmen Barkevious Mingo, Lamin Barrow, and possibly Tahj Jones. Barring injury, there may be no need to play Minter, but his future is very bright and there will be lots of room for a new linebacker in the lineup next year and if Minter is at the head of the line going for those open positions, he will probably play to get some experience this year.

In Case You Haven't Figured Out, This Will Be Recruiting Week at ATVS

Richard Pittman — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:30:09 -0000

First, a congratulations to GasHouseGorillas, who celebrated the birth of his first child yesterday. GasHouseGorillas, in case you didn't know, is my older brother. Liam Casey Pittman was born yesterday at around 11:00am, weighing in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring an impressive 19.5 inches. Sadly, if the Pittman genes have anything to say about it, great athleticism is probably not in his future, Cousin Kirston notwithstanding.

Continuing on with the topic at hand.

With the Long, Dark Offseason of the Soul continuing for another few weeks, we are scrounging just a bit for topics to discuss here at ATVS. What's good for the bloggers is not necessarily good for the team, as I pointed out in this post about all news being bad news. Things are mighty quiet around the LSU athletic facilities, with nary a serious injury (since the Tim Molten injury), an arrest, or a transfer to discuss. We think transfers are coming, as I think we still have a little ways to go to get under scholarship limits, but they're not out there right now.

So this week, barring the introduction of any real news, we will be going over LSU recruiting for 2010 in the morning, and profiling 2009 signees in the afternoon. The 2009 profiles will continue until we're done with them.

Of course, there may be some real news, as SEC Media Days are upon us starting on Wednesday. Usually, if there is any SEC Media Days news, it is purely of the manufactured variety, and I am not really planning on spending a lot of my energy discussing it. I will, however, be reading Team Speed Kills' coverage, as he should have the hook-up for me. If anything important happens in Birmingham, he'll tell us all. I'll actually be doing a little podcast with him later this week. Be sure to check that out when it happens.

In the meantime, a little 2010 recruiting is in order. First, I would like to quote an article I wrote back in March on the subject of 2010 recruiting, back when little was known about most of the recruits we'll be signing:

For reasons I can't entirely explain, we seem to have a two-year cycle on the perception of in-state recruiting and our ability to recruit great players from out of state. For example, 2007 was a banner year for recruiting in the State of Louisiana, with two 5-star players produced by the state: Joe McKnight and Chad Jones, along with several very highly regarded 4-star type players. Not only that, but LSU's recruiting class was widely considered about the most solid in the country, with 21 four- and five-star commitments signed, including 5-star Terrance Toliver, and only a handful of 3-stars. This resulted in a #4 ranking according to Rivals, and was generally considered to be an outstanding class.

Contrast that with the 2008 recruiting class. It was much more heavily weighted towards 3-stars, with thirteen 3-star players signed, along with thirteen 4- and 5-star players. There were no in-state 5-stars. With the exception of Patrick Peterson (formerly Patrick Johnson), our out-of-state recruiting was considered lackluster, as it was believed we got a lot of guys who were other teams' leftovers. Examples include Derrick Bryant, Alex Hurst, and Kyle Prater, 3-stars out of Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas respectively. It was considered a down year and was ranked #11 by Rivals (fourth in the SEC).

The early results on both of these classes (keeping in mind that the 2007 class has had an extra year to develop and an extra year to have players wash out) is that these classes are more-or-less equal. From the 2007 class, we had 4 players get essentially a starters' share of playing time last year: Chad Jones, Terrance Toliver, Joseph Barksdale, and Jarrett Lee. Kicker/punter Josh Jasper was also a big contributor. A couple players slid right into backup positions and appear to be poised to be starters this year: Drake Nevis, Josh Dworaczyk and Will Blackwell. A few more have contributed as backups and on special teams and look to stay in those positions for now while they wait for more experienced players to clear out: Stevan Ridley, Phelon Jones, Ron Brooks, Mitch Joseph, etc., etc.

But look at the 2008 class. The QB from the 2008 class appears to have beaten out the QB from the 2007 class for the starter job, despite one fewer year in the system. Patrick Peterson beat out all the 2007 corners signed and became a starter. Ryan Baker was a monster on special teams and looks like he might win a starter's position this year. Brandon Taylor will compete as well, now and in the future. Offensive lineman Alex Hurst is drawing raves and many close to the program believe he'll be one of the next outstanding LSU offensive linemen, and he was one of the "leftovers".

My conclusion is that, at this time, it appears the 2008 LSU recruiting class was just as good as the 2007 class. It's hard to say how much of that was the 2007 class being overrated (just look at the guys who left the program without ever contributing: Jordon Corbin (sadly, due to injuries), Delvin Breaux (likewise), Jarvis Jones (kicked off; not to mention the ones who just don't look like they're going to be good players (no names mentioned at this time), and how much of it was the 2008 class being underrated.* I think it's a little of both.

That's my conclusion. My point is that the 2009 class was highly regarded, both in- and out-of-state, and so we're due for a down cycle in perception. The 2010 Louisiana recruiting class is not considered to be as great as the 2009 class or the 2007 class. It's considered more like the 2008 class. I wouldn't buy it though. Try not to get too high about the highs or too low about the lows. There will be lots of solid players in this class from the State of Louisiana. We will also sign some very good players from out of state, maybe even some real blue chippers.

Just calibrate your conclusions according to the inevitable result that it will be perceived to be middling. I think it's just part of the psyche of LSU fans and of recruiting observers in general. We're coming off a serotonin high of a great recruiting class. It's time for a bit of a come down. It's time, I guess, for the heroin half of our recruiting speedball to kick in (sorry, criminal defense lawyer-mode came out for a second).

I am wrong a LOT. I will be the first to admit that, but sometimes I get it exactly right, and I think this is one of those times.

Right now, LSU has 18 officially recognized commitments for the 2010 class. Ten are listed as 3-stars on Scout. Eight are listed as 3-star (or are unrated) on Rivals. Overall, this is shaping up to be a class more like the 2008 class than like the 2007 or 2009 classes. There are a lot of prospects in this class that are getting little attention nationwide. There are a few sleepers in the class like Sam Gibson (one of my favorite prospects, by the way), Houston Bates, Cameron Fordham, and Elliott Porter.

There are not a high number of in-state prospects that are getting a lot of love from the recruiting media. Rivals only lists 8 Louisiana prospects with 4 stars, and none with 5 stars. I expect two of those (Terrance Broadway and Munchie Legaux) to drop down to 3-stars soon, but they may be replaced by one or more new 4-star prospects. This compares to 14 four- and five-star prospects from the 2009 class, 11 in the 2008 class, and 17 in the 2007 class. This is clearly a year more like 2008 as far as the in-state prospects are perceived.

But as pointed out, the 2008 class appears to be a very good class, with Jordan Jefferson and Patrick Peterson being the headliners of that class so far. Peterson was all-world, but Jefferson was a sleeper who did not earn an offer until after his senior year was finished. The 2008 class was full of players who were probably a little underappreciated, like Karnell Hatcher, Greg Shaw, and Alex Hurst. I am thinking that this 2010 class will probably end up the same way.

Tomorrow and Thursday, we will discuss just a little bit about the little guys (receivers, defensive backs, etc.), and then on Friday we will start to profile some of the linemen that have decided to call LSU home in a year. We'll play it by ear after that, but at some point next week we'll get into the "Where Do We Go From Here" discussion of recruiting.

Spring Football: The Linebackers

Richard Pittman — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:30:08 -0000

One of the more interesting stories to come out so far this offseason for LSU is this Q&A with new LSU defensive coordinator/linebacker coach John Chavis. Surprisingly, this gem of an article was brought to us by none other than Glenn Guilbeau, who everyone generally finds to be irritating. See this article too.

There are a lot of good quotes in that piece on Chavis, but for right now, let's stick with this one:

Q: HEAD COACH LES MILES WAS TALKING ABOUT NOT WANTING TO SUBSTITUTE AS MUCH THIS SEASON BECAUSE MAYBE HIS DEFENSIVE COACHES DID THAT TOO MUCH LAST YEAR. DID YOU SUB A LOT AT TENNESSEE?

CHAVIS: "We basically had two packages that we worked a lot — our base package and our dime package, where we put six defensive backs in."

Q: YOU HAD NO SEPARATE NICKEL (FIVE DEFENSIVE BACKS FOR PASS SITUATIONS)?

CHAVIS: "No. Our base package was basically our nickel package. We just moved that outside linebacker up and back, inside and outside. You look for a guy that's got skills enough to do some or really all the things that we want to do in our base package. And you like to play with that guy because he's going to get the reps, he's going to get all the looks. You're not working an extra package in practice. And to me, if you're going to go nickel, why not go ddime, where you're going to get the match-ups all over? And you're going to do some things to help yourself in the run game."

...

Q: SO, WOULD YOU SAY YOUR OUTSIDE BACKERS HAVE TENDED TO BE MORE COMPLETE LINEBACKERS?

CHAVIS: "You look at guys that are getting drafted today by the folks in the NFL. They want guys that can play three downs. They don't want a first-down linebacker. It's hard for that guy to go on. Well, it makes sense because we're playing the same style as the NFL. We're playing offenses that are very, very similar, so we need guys out there who are going to be every-down guys also. And that's what we're looking for. It doesn't have to be a safety. There's been plenty of guys we recruited as linebackers and played for us as linebackers, and they went on. The focus — and not that there hadn't been one here — in terms of those guys will be speed."

So, Chavis's base defense is essentially a 5-defensive back alignment with a converted safety moved to linebacker, with that safety/linebacker hybrid expected to play a key role in coverage against 3-wide sets. And the whole thing emphasizes speed. Interesting.

There's a couple problems with this at LSU. First, the set of linebackers that are the apparent favorites to be the starting 3 can't do that particular job.

Right now, it looks like seniors Jacob Cutrera and Perry Riley, along with junior Kelvin Sheppard are tops on the depth chart at middle, strong, and weakside linebacker respectively. None of those guys are particularly speedy, even for linebackers. The idea that one of them might be asked to cover, say, AJ Green in single coverage is absolutely frightening.

This means that Chavis could be looking to move a safety into a linebacker spot. That brings up the other problem. Our safeties were pitiful in coverage too last year. Seriously, we've tried using Danny McCray as our nickel back. We've tried it for two years, and it was a heavy contributor to getting our defensive coaching staff fired. The guy is just out of his depth trying to cover wide receivers by himself. Why would he do any better as a "linebacker" asked to cover receivers?

As a group, our safeties were insufficiently athletic last year with the exception of Chad Jones. Putting Chad Jones on the field every play in a free safety position is a big improvement in scheme, and I'm certainly open to having Harry Coleman or Danny McCray move to linebacker and get a little more speed into that position, but not if it means that linebacker is our de facto nickel back, covering slot receivers one on one at times. Harry Coleman would be a disaster in that role.

Which brings up a couple other possibilities. Personally, I do not like our linebacker corps as constituted up above. It is a little slow and not sufficiently athletic. Enter Ryan Baker, who I thought was awesome when we were recruiting him, and who was awesome on special teams as a freshman last year. He's a heat-seeking missile as a linebacker, and at 6'0" 213# he does not have the bulk to slow him down. He might, then, have the kind of speed and athleticism to actually keep up with slot receivers some of the time.

Personally, the guy looks like a playmaker in waiting, and seems like the kind of guy we need to find ways to get on the field more anyway. Jacob Cutrera's a good character guy, but has he done anything on the field to make anyone think he's an All-SEC calibre defender? Ryan Baker has done things to make me think he is. Move Cutrera out and back to his role as a depth player (which he performs admirably, by the way). Move Sheppard or Riley into the middle, and put Baker into your OLB/nickel combo position. Voila! Your defense is faster, more athletic, and more apt to make big plays instantly.

Another possibility, and this idea is a pure ATVS original, is to forget about moving a safety into the linebacker position and think even more outside the box.

If you need an outside linebacker who can cover receivers, how about converting a cornerback? Or your combo corner/safety nickel back? That's the theory behind the idea of converting Phelon Jones into your line-nickel-back player. He was the backup nickel as a redshirt freshman last year, and showed promise at the position. He's the safety/corner combo that is sometimes just perfect for nickel, because he can cover receiver and is physical enough to provide run support when needed. Why not let him do the job full time?

Alright, this probably won't happen, though I hope they've at least thought about it. The idea of moving a safety to linebacker is generally a sound one for many teams as a plan to get more speed on the field, but frankly our safeties were slow last year and the position was in desperate need of an overhaul. Moving the slow safeties down to linebacker and asking them to cover wide receivers is not the answer.

OK, back to the position preview. We know that Cutrera, Riley, and Sheppard start the Spring as starters, but how will it end, and who will the backups be? We've talked about Ryan Baker, but there are other linebackers out there.

Two to watch for are Shomari Clemons and Kyle Prater. Clemons saw limited action as a redshirt freshman last year, and there were some off-field issues as well, but the converted safety (there's that term again!) could see his stock rise with a coaching staff that puts renewed emphasis on speed. Kyle Prater redshirted his true freshman year last year and hopes to get into the mix as a middle or strong-side linebacker this year.

Senior walk-on Ace Foyil returns to provide depth at the linebacker position. Redshirt freshman Kellen Theriot has an injured shoulder and won't see action in the Spring, and may see a position change when he returns anyway.

This is also another position where a true freshman is on campus early to get a head start. Kevin Minter out of Suwanee, Georgia is a very promising player. I think he was greatly underrated as a 3-star during the recruiting season and I think it's entirely possible he'll be a factor this year, especially if the coaching staff decides not to shuffle Riley or Sheppard into the middle, as that is where Minter is most natural. He's got a great future, I think, and it might come sooner rather than later.