by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
On Saturday during the All-American game documentary, Tristan Leigh went live on NBC from Robinson Secondary with his entire family in attendance, mother Laura to his right, his father Stan on his left and proceeded to shock the recruiting world.
Many expected Oklahoma, some were believing Leigh would geaux to Baton Rouge, but in the end Tristan opted for CFP-perennial Clemson, a program which gained whispers in the final days as a team lying in wait to pounce.
We knew, despite what we were told by a few sources, that Tristan had secretly signed at some point from 12/16-12/18, I told many subscribers that information...we could feel a decision had been made...but knowing he signed early with Clemson has to be yet another kick to the gut.
This was a hardcore steal by Dabo Swinney's crew, helped by upcoming sophomore starting quarterback D.J Uiagalelei, although many don't realize how close Tristan Leigh was to becoming an LSU Tiger...until a series of allegations into the athletics department at LSU and their handling of sexual assault cases were printed by USA Today...
Before this savage low-point and serious disgrace, Leigh was nearly wearing purple and gold...
Heavily curious about LSU, Leigh and his family traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana 5 different times...and while they had a great time, enjoyed their experiences there, Tristan's interest in the program waned once the allegations were released, the coaching staff's future was up in the air as nonstop negative recruiting abounded....all coupled by an inescapably bad season, a continuous spree of misfortune for Coach Orgeron's team due to opt-outs, transfers, high profile decommitments (Raesjon Davis) and rumors of player unrest amid the Baton Rouge Police Department brandishing guns at unarmed freshman receiver Koy Moore...
From July to December, LSU was barraged by every unimaginably bad headline you could envision....no sporting journalist has seen anything like this...
....At a time when Tristan's pro-LSU mother Laura says she "backed out of the process so Tristan could choose for himself", the Tigers' bad news seemed to heighten at an out of control pace, to the point even the most fiendish reporters failed to keep up.
Every factor played into Leigh's decision...
This recruiting staff took the Leigh signing for granted...thinking about offensive line last while our 2019 glory faded fast within the painful realities of 2020...and in the end, LSU failed to secure Tristan Leigh from the lure of Clemson...a big kick in the stomach, but not a debilitating one.
Tristan Leigh wasn't won over by the Joe Moore Award or the 5 linemen entering the NFL, 3 drafted outright...
He wanted the guaranteed contention of Clemson's ACC schedule with their constant / consistent coaching staff, not a bloodbath in the deep South under an O-line coach who may or may not have a job by the time he takes his first snaps...
But make no mistake, the Tigers lost this incredible recruit because they lost focus...Cregg couldn't seal the deal, our coaching staff couldn't explain the athletic department's actions in the aftermath of the sexual assault allegations and 2020 was a hard, nasty year for LSU that couldn't be swept under a rug, taking a toll on everyone involved within the program.
Following the bad news bears, perhaps the Tigers should consider themselves lucky to have a top 5 class at this point and regroup on how to grab a few Grade A offensive linemen...
After all, James Cregg found Damien Lewis from the JUCO level:
Once he was on LSU's roster, Lewis became Joe Burrow's trusty right guard wall and an immediate day one NFL starter for Russell Wilson & Pete Carroll's Seahawks...
That's the game plan for LSU, led by #1 JUCO talent Jordan Moko who we highlighted a few days ago .
Still...this was all about LSU letting a really big fish get away...Orgeron will be busy plotting his 2021/2022 revenge rather than sleeping tonight....because simply, if his Tigers expect to beat Alabama, they must improve their fortunes when recruiting 5-4 star O-linemen.
Should Cregg be ousted for this recruiting mishap? Tell us.
Plenty more coming soon, including a potential interview....we'll see.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
Copyright 2021 Uninterrupted Writings Inc LLC
SHOUTOUTS: Congrats Tristan! You're gonna be unreal for Clemson, they better realize just how good of a young man and player they just signed.
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