LSU football Class of 2018

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, December 21, 2017

A capsule look at the 18 players who signed with LSU football on Wednesday’s early National Signing Day. There will be another signing period of February:

*Micah Baskerville LB 6-0/210 Shreveport (Evangel)

Four-year HS starter, led team in tackles as a senior … Will play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl … 4-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals … Top-rated ILB in state, No. 6 in nation by 247Sports. 

Damon Clark OLB 6-3/216 Baton Rouge (Southern Lab)

Tremendous speed and range … -star by 247sports and Rivals… No. 7 player in the state No. 18 inside linebacker nationally by Rivals… Will play in  Army All-American Bowl Game.

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*Davin Cotton DT 6-1/262 Shreveport (Evangel)

Explosive first step with tremendous upper body strength … Missed all of senior season with an injury, but had 17 sacks during career … Unanimous 4-star … No. 9 player in state by 247sports … No. 21 DT by ESPN  

Chris Curry RB 5-11/200 Lehigh Acres, Fla. (HS)

Bruising runner with the speed, but it also physical enough to run between the tackles …  No. 9 RB in the nation by recruiting publications … 4-star prospect by both 247sports and ESPN.

*Chasen Hines DT 6-3/335 Marshall, Texas (HS)

Moved from OL to DL as a senior and made an immediate impact … Size and strength to play in the heart of the defensive line…Consensus 4-star prospect… Before switching was listed as No. 1 OG in Texas and No. 6 nationally. 

Jaray Jenkins WR 6-1/180 Jena (HS)

Smooth route runner with sure hands … Returning both punts and kickoffs for touchdowns during his career … 4-star by ESPN … Caught 111 passes for 1,960 yards and 27 TDs with 448 rushing and 9 rushing TDs. 

Nelson Jenkins DT 6-3/290 Plaguemine (HS)

Made impact both rushing the quarterback and defending the run … Tremendous technique … 4-star by ESPN and 3-stars by 247Sports …Member of the ESPN 300 … Could play  DE in college.

Kenan Jones WR 6-3/200 Berwick (HS)

Explosive WR considered one of the top players in state … 4 stars from ESPN and listed as the No. 11 overall prospect in Louisiana by 247Sports … Had 48 catches for 934 yards and 10 TDs.

*Damien Lewis OG 6-3/320 Canton, Miss. (NW Miss CC)

One of top JC offensive lineman … Rated as a three-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals … MACJC’s OL MVP for the north division … Started all 22 games of his Northwest career at right guard.

 Dominic Livingston DT 6-3/350 Houston (Aldine)

Consensus 3-star by all sites … Ranked as high as the No. 34 DT in the country … Top-100 prospect in the region by Scout …Named the District 16-6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore.

 *Travez Moore DE 6-3/250 Bastrop (Copiah-Lincoln JC)

Top weakside DE prospect in junior college this year …4-star prospect by JC recruiting sites … Ranked No. 1 weakside DE by 247sports … No. 1 JC weakside DE and the No. 6 overall prospect on ESPN’s JC 50.

Dare Rosenthall DT6-7/331 Ferriday (HS)

The top-rated DT prospect in state … Dominated at prep level … 4 stars from ESPN, Rivals and Scout … Listed as nation’s No. 18 overall DT and seventh-best DT in the south region … 30 tackles for loss as a senior.  Played on both the offensive and defensive lines.

Dantrieze Scott ATH 6-5/245 Ferriday (HS)

Starred both ways in HS. 3 stars from all recruiting sites … Played both TE and DE in HS … Defensively,  notched 101 total tackles with 10 sacks.

*Zach Sheffer TE6-3/235 Ponte Vedra, Fla. (Nease)

Consensus 3-star by 247Sports and ESPN … No. 26 TE in the nation and top-100 prospect in the state of Florida by 247Sports … Finished his senior season with 45 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns. 

*Cole Smith OL 6-4/275 Pontotoc, Miss. (HS)

Played both ways as OT and DTi… 3-star according to 247Sports … Did not allow a sack between his junior and senior seasons … A a senior season, totaled 62 pancakes.

Cole Tracy PK 6-0/185 Camarillo, Cal. (Assumption)

Graduate transfer will have one year of eligibility remaining … One of the top kickers in NCAA Division II, won 2017 Fred Mitchell Award for top PK in FCS, Division II, Division III … Connected on 27-of-29 FGs with career-long 53 yard FG in 2017. 

*Badara Traore OT 6-7/310 Boston (ASA College) 

Rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 OL junior college prospect and the No. 6 overall JUCO player … 4-star recruit according to ESPN and Scout.com ranked No. 17 in ESPN’s JUCO Top 50. 

Cameron Wire OT 6-6 /275 Gonzales (East Ascension)

4-star prospect by ESPN and 3-start prospect by 247Sports … Rated as the No. 40 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 23 overall player in the state … No. 15 player in Louisiana No. 31 OT in the nation by 247Sports.


 

* — Will enroll at LSU in January.