Louisiana Tech football commitment tracker
Louisiana Tech's 2016 recruiting class is inching closer to completion with just a day left until signing day.
The Bulldogs sit at 21 commitments after receiving five pledges in the last two weeks from Oxford (Mississippi) quarterback Jack Abraham, Rummel (New Orleans) running back Israel Tucker, junior college defensive back DaMarion King and most recently junior college defensive tackle Keonayte Garner and Minden athlete L'Jarius Sneed.
Tech dropped a commitment late Tuesday when junior college linebacker Thomas Cletcher decommitted six weeks after pledging to the the Bulldogs.
Thanks to three three-star commitments, Tech's class comes in at No. 102 in the Rivals.com rankings. After once holding the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA, Tech has fallen to eighth behind UAB, Southern Miss, Middle Tennessee, FIU, Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic.
Below are the 21 commitments Tech has received with commitment dates, rankings (via Rivals.com) and some analysis. This list will be updated during the course of the next few days until national signing day.
Kalan Ritchie, DE, Georgia Military College
Commitment date: Feb. 3
Ranking: 3 stars
What the commitment means: The former South Carolina signee spent two years at Georgia Military College, recording 21 tackles and three sacks in 2015. Rivals.com ranked the 6-foot-6 lineman as the No. 97 JUCO prospect in the country. He joins Willie Baker as the only true defensive lineman of the class. Tech had been looking for a DE ever since Lorenzo Dantzler decommitted in December. Expect Ritchie to make an early impact.
Josh Outlaw, OL/DL, Texas Tech/Tyler Junior College
Commitment date: Feb. 3
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: The former Texas Tech lineman is another player who committed on his visit in January and had the news kept under wraps. Outlaw left Texas Tech in September and transferred to Tyler Junior College, but he enrolled late and never played. Outlaw signed as an offensive lineman and switched to defensive line last year at Texas Tech, although he'll likely move back to the offensive line at Tech. The Bulldogs are in need of linemen, especially at the tackle positions.
DJ Williams, WR/DB, Scotlandville
Commitment date: N/A
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: Williams' commitment was never made public, but he's been a member of the Bulldogs' class since the summer. He is the teammate of defensive back Reggie Cleveland, and both players came on a visit Jan. 15 to Tech. Williams is a prep sprinter who is expected to grayshirt.
L'Jarius Sneed, WR/DB, Minden
Commitment date: Jan. 23
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Sneed makes plays. That's the best way to describe the two-star athlete who will likely play defensive back for the Bulldogs. Whether it was at wide receiver or safety at Minden, Sneed had a knack for touchdowns and interceptions. He doesn't blow you away with his speed on film, but the stride on his 6-foot-2 frame helped him ease past players on the prep scene.
Keonayte Garner, DT, Copiah-Lincoln CC (Mississippi)
Commitment date: Jan. 29
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: Garner is the untraditional junior college commitment in that he's only one year removed from high school and has three years of eligibility remaining. At 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, he has some room to grow should the Bulldogs choose to redshirt him. He had five tackles and two sacks as a freshman at Co-Lin, according to the NJCAA.org website. He was a two-recruit out of Murrah High School in Jackson. Garner could replace Julius Turner, whose status appears to be up in the air. Turner, who committed last summer, Tweeted on Friday that he wasn't committed anywhere and would make his decision on signing day.
DaMarion King, DB, Allan Hancock College (California)
Commitment date: Jan. 17
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: Tech needed help in the secondary and the Bulldogs accomplished this with some experience via King (6-foot-1, 192 pounds). The Alabama native had 48 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions for Allan Hancock College in California.
Israel Tucker, RB, Rummel
Commitment date: Jan. 17
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: Tech's second running back of the class comes late in the process via a south Louisiana prospect. Tucker was in Ruston this weekend for an official visit and announced Saturday he had decommitted from Stephen F. Austin. He also had an offer from ULM. Tucker is listed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. He's another prospect to help replace Kenneth Dixon during the next few years.
Jack Abraham, QB, Oxford, Mississippi
Commitment date: Jan. 17
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Tech gets its second quarterback of the class via Abraham, who torched the Mississippi prep scene in 2015 with more than 5,000 yards. Based of sheer numbers, Abraham, who earned the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, flew under the radar a bit. He received an offer from California earlier in the fall and is a former Tulane commitment. Abraham plans to enroll early and participate in spring practice.
Tech lands commitment from Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year
Jon Randall Belton, QB, West Monroe
Commitment date: Jan. 5
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Tech gets its fourth local commitment as Belton joins Wossman's Ladarrius Thomas and Ouachita's Kennedy Madison and Zach Hannibal. Belton was injured his entire career for the Rebels, suffering two ACL tears and most recently a broken ankle that ended his senior season last September. On paper, Belton is an injury risk but he provides plenty of upside this late in the process. He could have landed at a Power Five school if not for the injuries. It's unclear if Belton (6-foot-3) will stay at quarterback his entire career, but he plans to start there and work with quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay.
West Monroe's Belton commits to Tech
Zach Cousar, TE, Oxford
Commitment date: Nov. 28
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Tech doesn't have a true tight end on the roster outside of Josh Gaston, and he is graduating. Plus, Gaston is a blocker as opposed to a receiving threat. Cousar is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound tight end prospect who can help fill a void Tech desperately needs in its offense. The Bulldogs tried to tight end route last year with Rayville product Jamarrion Johnson, but he failed to qualify academically.
Drew Melancon, OL, Hahnville
Commitment date: Oct. 9
Ranking: Not ranked
What the commitment means: Melancon is the fourth offensive line commitment among the 15 players to pledge to Tech's program. At 6-foot-4, 280-pounds, he will likely start inside with the ability to play tackle due to his height. Melancon graduated in December and enrolled at Tech, which will allow him to participate in spring practice in March.
Taylor Fondal, OL, New Iberia
Commitment date: Sept. 6
Ranking: 3 stars
What the commitment means: Fondal, a two-sport star, is the first three-star in the offensive trenches. The 6-foot-3, 282-pound prospect is yet another player with notable Power Five offers via Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Fondal also has offers from Southern Miss and Western Kentucky and received an offer from LSU for track and field.
Willie Baker, DE, Livonia
Commitment date: Aug. 22
Ranking: 3 stars
What the commitment means: Everyone likes to get caught up in the offer game, so Baker certainly checks off the boxes on those lists. The 6-foot-4 prospect, the 24th-ranked player in Louisiana, committed to Tech despite offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Michigan, Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Utah, among others. Baker went to the same school as sophomore linebacker Russell Farris. It's safe to say the Bulldogs' coaching staff will rest easy tonight.
4-star DE Willie Baker pulls off 'surprise' commitment to Louisiana Tech
Kody Russey, OL, Burleson (Texas)
Commitment date: Aug. 7
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Russey is another offensive lineman commit for new offensive line coach Robert McFarland and the second from Texas. Russey comes in at 6-3, 270 and is likely suited as a guard in college. Russey's Rivals.com profile has him running a 4.8 40-yard dash, a number that is pretty impressive for a high school lineman. He also posted a recent video where he dead lifted more than 700 pounds.
Eric Kendzior, DE/OLB, LaPorte (Texas)
Commitment date: June 10
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Kendzior can get after the quarterback on film and has a nose for filling the gaps inside. Will it translate to Conference USA? Who knows. What we do know is Kendzior is listed at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds. He has the movement to play on the line or at linebacker, which is a plus in Blake Baker's defensive scheme.
Reggie Cleveland, DB, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge)
Commitment date: May 14
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Cleveland is in the same boat as Thomas. He provides depth to the Bulldogs' biggest need in the 2016 class. Tech signed five defensive backs in 2015 and will still look to add depth to the position.
Kennedy Madison, OL, Ouachita (Monroe)
Commitment date: May 13
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: At 6-foot-3, Madison is a versatile lineman, having played both tackle and guard at Ouachita. It's unclear where he'll play at Tech, but the ability to handle multiple positions was a selling point. Madison is the third lineman commit, although the Bulldogs will look to add more with Jens Danielson and Josh Robinson all leaving the program next year.
Tech lands 2nd Ouachita commit with Kennedy Madison
Zach Hannibal, DB, Ouachita (Monroe)
Commitment date: May 12
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Hannibal committed a day before Madison, giving Tech two players from Ouachita. Hannibal played basketball most of his career before switching to football in 2014 when he intercepted six passes for the Lions. Hannibal is raw and could pick up more offers if his play continues to grow in 2015, but Tech's early loyalty should help down the road.
Ouachita's Hannibal finds "second home" at Tech
David Beasley, DB, Pine Bluff (Arkansas)
Commitment date: April 23
Ranking: 3 stars
What the commitment means: Beasley was the first of the three-star recruits to commit back in April and potentially gives Tech two dynamic cornerbacks with the recent addition of Thomas. Beasley is a two-way player who seems to be a football magnet much like current Tech safety Xavier Woods. On tape, Beasley is dynamic with the ball in the open field.
Ladarrius Thomas, RB, Wossman (Monroe)
Commitment date: April 18
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Thomas a bruising runner with deceptive speed. He racked up 329 yards during a game last fall and will compliment Tech's stable of running backs — Jarred Craft, Tywun Walters and Jaqwis Dancy — once Kenneth Dixon leaves. That is assuming Tech keeps Thomas at running back. Thomas also has the size (6-2, 215) to play linebacker.
Wossman's Ladarrius Thomas commits to Tech
Devin Hamilton, LB, Washington-Marion (Lake Charles)
Commitment date: March 30
Ranking: 2 stars
What the commitment means: Linebackers are arguably the most important piece of Blake Baker's defense. The Bulldogs use a blend of thumpers to stop the run and athletic outside linebackers to cover receivers in the slot. Unless Hamilton puts on weight, he'll likely end up as the latter.