LSU Football Recruiting: Coveted RB Zachary Evans among key October visitors

LSU will be hosting some key prospects the next few weeks beginning with this weekend’s Florida game:

Phillip Webb, a 4 star linebacker, is a possible surprise visitor this weekend. The 6’3 1/5, 225-pounder from Buford, Georgia is being recruited by Dave Aranda. Alabama and Auburn are the perceived favorites, but LSU and Clemson have maintained their relationships with Webb, who has good growth potential and exceptional pass rush skills. He will have to polish up his technique some but his pluses are considerable.

Webb plays at full speed, has good hips and is both instinctive and super athletic. He gets into passing lanes, delivers a hit and tackles well in space. He totaled 86 tackles in 2018 with 20 for loss and 10.5 sacks.

Malcolm Greene (5-10, 180), a 4 star safety from Highland Springs, Virginia, is expected in town this weekend. He is a player who could immediately contribute as a true freshman in 2020. Very smart, instinctive and a physical tackler, he displays great range in coverage and forces turnovers. Greene’s current top five include LSU, Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina and Duke. Bill Busch and Corey Raymond are assigned to the task for LSU.

The biggest fish to catch is 5 star running back Zachary Evans, a 5-11, 200 pound Houston product who will make his second campus visit. He has also been to Texas A&M three times as well as solo stops at Georgia, Texas, Alabama and Ole Miss. His top choices are Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama and Georgia. The Bulldogs may have the inside track with LSU second at this time. His next visit to Baton Rouge could determine a lot.

Other recruits of note for 2020:
ILB Bryson Eason (6-2, 250) Memphis, Tenn. — 4 star is down to Arkansas, LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State.

OLB Latarie Kinsler (6-3-205) Pahokee, Fla. — 3 star has Louisville, LSU, Oregon, Syracuse and Tennessee among his top options.

OG Xavier Hill (6-3-325) Olive Branch, Miss. — 3 star is linked to Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

OLB Donell Harris (6-4-210) Miami, Fla. — 4 star has top options of Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Auburn.

RB Darvon Hubbard (6-0-195) Surprise, Arizona — LSU, Purdue, Tennessee and Ohio State have most of the 4 star’s attention.

OLB Kaden Johnson (6-4-235) Minneapolis, Minnesota — 4 star is considering has Minnesota, LSU, Oregon State, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

O-LINE NOTES: LSU is enjoying national attention, but very little notoriety has come to the offensive line despite the unit’s scoring explosion through five games. There are a few players who have really asserted themselves since the season began.

Right tackle Austin Deculus has toiled in anonymity but the big junior worked extremely hard in the offseason. Anonymity is a good thing in this case. It appears his efforts have paid dividends. PFF cited Deculus’ work into week six, saying he graded very well in pass blocking assignments and was a force as a run blocker. He was rated the fourth best offensive tackle in the SEC for his work against Utah State. He has been solid, if not spectacular, this season. You rarely hear his name as a penalty offender.

Offensive guard Adrian Magee graded 78.3 as a run blocker and gave up one pressure in 29 pass blocking assignments. He was considered the line’s sixth man, but he has proven valuable. He’s done a solid job regardless where he lines up at guard or tackle.

Reserve left tackle Dare Rosenthal (6-8, 333) has steadily improved during the absences of starter Saahdig Charles. If there is one player who seized an opportunity early, it’s him. He has drawn praise from PFF and displays great potential. After being converted from defensive tackle to offensive tackle a year ago), he has dropped some weight and worked tirelessly on his craft. At one time, he was almost considered a liability but not anymore.

With the return of offensive guard Ed Ingram, the entire unit will do nothing but improve. If he performs up to expectations, he could enter the 2020 NFL draft, if he so chooses.

Lloyd Cushenberry (6-4, 315) has played in 18 games for the Tigers. An original commitment to Mississippi State before signing with LSU, he could play center or guard at the next level. He has been the leader up front.

LSU likely will pick up a couple of offensive linemen in the upcoming signing class, and I fully expect the Tigers to be a great landing spot for a grad transfer at that spot as well. The program has benefitted tremendously from grad transfer Joe Burrow, and the grad transfer program is becoming more and more in vogue across college football. Graduation and the NFL draft could take a bite out of the offensive line so the right grad transfer could provide a big boost for 2020.