Louisiana Adds to Already Deep Recruiting Class
By Bill Connelly
Louisiana head coach Porter Davis has been extremely hands on with this year's recruiting class and it has been very beneficial as the team has already secured a very deep class that they continue to add to.
“We're very excited about these players that we've been able to secure commitments from.” Porter explained. “We're being selective here, getting players who we think fit not only what we want to do on the field but fit our goals in the classroom and the community. We're not just swiping right on every recruit showing interest.”
The latest batch of commits includes a four star runningback, the highest rated recruit the Cajuns have landed in quite some time.
The additions bring the total number of commitments to 11. All 11 are listed below, in alphabetical. We will provide further updates as more recruits are added.
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BRENDEN ALLISON
WR – Highland Village, Texas
2* - #227 WR
6'0” 191
Allison is currently the starting quarterback at Edward S. Marcus High School. After some thought about playing QB at a lower level he was sold on the idea that he could be a solid receiver at Louisiana.
The Cajuns scouting report on Allison had the following to say: “Great knowledge of the game, very smart player and a great athlete that we feel can make the transition to receiver in our system. Excited to get to work with him.”
Allison's only other visit was to Rice, who reportedly wanted try to move him to safety.
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ANDRE BATISTE
CB – Marksville, Louisiana
3* - #85 CB
5'11 174
One of the first recruits to sign with Louisiana is Andre Batiste. Batiste is listed by Rivals.com as a three star cornerback and their 85th ranked player at the position.
Batiste currently plays at Marksville High School, just 75 miles north of the Cajuns' campus.
“It was important to me to remain in the area.” Batiste explained. “The future looks bright here and I wanted to be part of it.”
Batiste plays cornerback and runningback currently for the Tigers, he may fit better as a safety but could get a shot at corner due to the teams top two moving on after this season.
Batiste chose Louisiana over Louisiana Tech and UAB.
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RYHEEM BEACH
FB – Freeport, Texas
3* - #6 FB
6'0” 240
Beach is one of the top run blocking fullbacks in the nation according to Rivals.com.
“There aren't many players like Ryheem anymore.” Louisiana head coach Porter Davis explained after the signing. “Most of them get turned into linesmen or linebackers. We've seen great lead blocking ability and a player who isn't afraid to be the hammer whether it's with the ball or opening up a hole. We love guys like that.”
Beach says he's been a fullback since Pop Warner and loves the position. Beach has helped Brazosport High School lead their conference in rushing yardage the past two seasons.
He chose Louisiana over UTEP, UTSA and North Texas due to their lack of use of true fullbacks and Cajuns Coach Porter Davis' affinity for them.
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BRYAN BENSON II
TE – Midland, Texas
3* - #56 TE
6'6” 255
Three star tight end Bryan Benson II is a distant cousin of former NFL runningback Cedric Benson.
“Bryan's seen what it takes to be an elite player and that level of effort and dedication is really hard to find. You add that to his physical gifts and we think we can have a really special player there.” Coach Davis explained when asked about targeting Benson early in the year.
Benson is currently the leading receiver at Robert E. Lee High School. His choice to sign with the Cajuns was a bit of a surprise as he was heavily recruited by Texas A&M, Texas and Texas Tech.
Benson cited a high level of comfort with Davis and the rest of the coaching staff as well as the chance to branch out as two important factors in his choice.
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CRISTIAN BRADLEY
HB – Mineral Wells, Texas
4* - #17 HB
5'10” 193
Bradley currently holds or is approaching all the significant rushing, receiving and scoring records at Mineral Springs High School.
“Cristian is a phenomenal player and we're extremely excited to have landed him.” Head coach Porter Davis said when announcing the signing of Bradley.
Bradley is a speedy back who is a great receiver out of the backfield or in the slot.
“Just super excited about the scheme and the coaching staff's creativity and some opportunities we talked about for me and just feeling the love from coach Davis. Some of the other schools only sent letters or called,”
Bradley was heavily recruited and Rivals.com listed TCU as his next closest choice.
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JUSTIN CARTER
WR – Irondale, Alabama
1* - #274 WR
6'4” 211
Carter comes to Lafayette via Shades Valley High School and Arizona Western College.
Carter brings great size and hands to the table and the coaching staff is hopeful that he can catch on quickly and bolster a receiving corps that will be quite inexperienced next season.
Carter also visited with Ball State but said he felt out of place there and knew he was meant to be a Cajun after his visit in Lafayette.
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JA'MARCUS FRANKLIN
DE – Prien, Louisiana
3* - #147 DE
6'3” 274
Franklin started every game for DeQuincy High School from his sophomore season on, playing both offensive and defensive line. Franklin played defensive tackle and end and was very difficult to move in the running game. He is listed as a 3-4 defensive end but could be used there or at tackle in the Cajuns current defensive scheme.
“Just incredibly strong and very hard to move off a spot.” Coach Davis said of Franklin.
Franklin chose Louisiana after initially leaning toward Louisiana Tech. He was also recruited by LSU early on but eliminated them after being concerned about playing time.
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DREW LAURENT
MLB – Mansfield, Louisiana
3* - #70 MLB
6'4” 227
Laurent is another local player, hailing from Mansfield, Louisiana and currently playing at North DeSoto High School. Laurent is listed as a middle linebacker but the Cajuns coaching staff feel he could be a fit at a number of positions.
“He's a talented player and a great athlete. He has a nose for the ball defensively and a heck of a motor.” Head coach Porter Davis said earlier this season when Laurent signed.
Laurent stated that staying in state and the chance to play a variety of positions was a huge factor in his decision to sign with Louisiana.
Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe and Tulane were also near the top of Laurent's list.
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RAYMOND MEYERS
OLB – Louisville, Mississippi
3* - #55 OLB
6'1” 206
Louisiana's first out of state recruit is outside linebacker Raymond Meyers from Winston Academy in Louisville, Mississippi. Myers is a sure tackler who plays both inside and outside linebacker for the Patriots.
“Raymond is a smart player with a huge passion for the game, you find a place for guys like that!” Davis exclaimed after the signing was announced earlier this season.
Meyers said he felt like a priority when recruited by Davis himself and not an afterthought like he did with a number of other schools.
Meyers had Mississippi and Mississippi State at the top of his list before his visit to Lafayette.
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DION ROSS
OG – Talladega, Alabama
1* - #176 OG
6'2” 272
Coach Porter Davis discovered Ross at Blinn College in Texas while there to see teammate Brentley Simmons.
“Dion is a great run blocker and he has a great attitude, we're looking forward to working with him.” Davis said after being asked about signing the essentially unknown player.
Ross did not take any other visits but was reportedly talking with Troy and several FCS schools.
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BRENTLEY SYMMONS
DE – Violet, Louisiana
3* - #146 DE
6'7” 244
Symmons' path to Lafayette from Violet included a stop in Brenhem, Texas where he made the transition from quarterback to defensive end as well as from a poor student to a dedicated one while at Blinn College.
Symmons was a highly recruited quarterback during his junior season at Saint Bernard Parrish. Symmons ran into academic troubles and dropped out before later getting his GED and enrolling at Blinn.
With a deep roster at quarterback Symmons was asked if he wanted to consider another position and became one of the top defensive ends in the conference.
Symmons had Louisiana Tech a close second early in the season but said that Louisiana pulled away from the pack when Coach Davis come to see him play in person and seeked him out.