LSU football assembles one of nation's top classes

LSU tied a national record by signing 19 players ranked in the ESPN 300 Wednesday as the Tigers put together another top 5 class on National Signing Day.
LSU’s 12th signing class under head coach Les Miles was ranked as high as No. 3 by both ESPN and 247sports. The Tiger class picked up a No. 4 rating from Scout and a No. 6 ranking from Rivals, marking the ninth time under Miles that LSU has had a composite Top 10 class nationally.
LSU’s class included three five-star signees in cornerback Kristian Fulton (New Orleans/Rummel High School), defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence (Monroe/Neville High School) and cornerback Saivion Smith (St. Petersburg, Florida/IMG Academy).
The 2016 signing class is arguably the deepest in school history, with every signee being ranked with at least three stars.
In addition to the three 5-stars, the LSU class includes 16 four-star prospects and four three-star players.
The Tigers also protected the Louisiana borders, signing nine of the top 10 players in the state, including the top player for the third consecutive year. In addition to his five-star status, Lawrence was rated the No. 1 player in Louisiana and joins Leonard Fournette (No. 1 in 2014) and Tyron Johnson (No. 1 in 2015) as the state’s top player to sign with the Tigers during the past three years.
LSU’s class included 17 players from Louisiana, three from Texas and one each from Alabama, Arizona and Florida for a total of 23 signees.
Five of the 23 signees already have enrolled at LSU and will participate in spring practice, which begins in March.
LSU’s five early enrollees include Smith, wide receiver Dee Anderson, linebacker Michael Divinity Jr., wide receiver Stephen Sullivan and running back Devin White.
The Tigers signed 10 players on offense, 12 on defense and one kicker.
Offensively, the Tigers signed four linemen — including the nation’s No. 2 rated offensive tackle in Willie Allen (River Ridge/John Curtis) and the second-best offensive lineman in Louisiana in Donavaughn Campbell (Ponchatoula/Ponchatoula High School).
The other two offensive linemen to sign with the Tigers are Lloyd Cushenberry III from Dutchtown High School and Jakori Savage from Bay Minette, Alabama.
LSU added three wide receivers, one quarterback, one running back and a tight end. LSU picked up Louisiana’s top running back in White, who accounted for more than 5,000 yards and 80 touchdowns during his career, along with the state’s top quarterback in Zachary’s Lindsey Scott Jr. Scott led Zachary High School to the Louisiana 5A title this year and was named the state’s most outstanding offensive player.
Miles called LSU’s group of wide receiver signees — Anderson, Sullivan and Drake Davis — one of the best at that position in the country. Sullivan was listed as the top receiver in Louisiana and No. 7 nationally, while Davis was ranked No. 19 nationally at his position.
Jamal Pettigrew, a versatile four-star product from St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, is the only tight end in the class.
Defensively, LSU signed five linemen and five defensive backs along with a pair of linebackers. All of LSU’s five-star signees are on defense — Lawrence, Smith and Fulton.
In addition to Lawrence, other defensive line standouts LSU signed include Edwin Alexander, a four-star player from St. Thomas Aquinas in Hammond; Andre Anthony, another four-star product from Karr High School in New Orleans; Glen Logan, the nation’s No. 69 overall rated prospect out of Destrehan High School; and Caleb Roddy, a three-star player from Denham Springs High School.
Divinity, who is ranked No. 46 overall nationally by ESPN, and Rahssan Thornton, a four-star product from Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas, are the two linebackers in the class.
LSU’s already outstanding secondary got that much stronger with the addition of cornerbacks Fulton and Smith. They are joined by safety Cameron Lewis from Wossman High School in Monroe, safety Eric Monroe from North Shore High School in Houston, and cornerback Andreaz Williams from Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport.
LSU’s lone special teams signee was three-star kicker Connor Culp from Phoenix, Arizona.
LSU’s 23 signees will add to a Tiger roster that will feature 19 scholarship seniors and 18 returning starters in 2016.
LSU, winners of its last two games to finish 9-3 overall in 2015, opens the 2016 season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sept. 3.