Best LSU football recruit of all-time: Leonard Fournette
By John Buhler
Leonard Fournette came to LSU with more hype than any other LSU football recruit.
LSU football has had 36 five-star players come through its program this century.
From Patrick Peterson to Jarvis Landry, to Jamal Adams, to Andrew Whitworth, you will see many former LSU Tigers starring in the NFL on fall Sundays. While that quartet all earned their five-star ratings coming out of high school, one player’s commitment and recruitment was a cut above the rest. Of course, we’re talking about five-star running back Leonard Fournette from New Orleans.
Fournette was the No. 1 player in the 2014 recruiting class and is the No. 16 overall player in the history of the 247Sports Composite. The St. Augustine High School standout boasted a ridiculous 0.9996 rating. At 6-foot-1, 226 pounds and in-state, there was no doubt about how badly the LSU football program wanted Fournette’s commitment.
Fournette had 14 official offers, had six coach visits, but only made two official visits during his recruitment. The only other team really in the mix for his commitment was the Alabama Crimson Tide. Fournette visited LSU on Dec. 6, 2013 and then visited Alabama a week later on Dec. 13, 2013. He committed to LSU on Jan. 2, 2014, enrolling on campus on June 4, 2014.
Current McNeese State Cowboys head coach Frank Wilson was Fournette’s primary recruiter. He netted LSU six five-stars during his time on the coaching staff, including Landry out of Lutcher, Louisiana. Former LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was Fournette’s secondary recruiter. Fournette was the only five-star he landed while on Les Miles’ coaching staff.
Leonard Fournette was the best recruit LSU football has had this century.
Fair or unfair, Fournette was dubbed college football’s next version of Adrian Peterson. Miles did his best to downplay the unwanted pressure, but people were very much excited about getting on that Fournette hype train to see where it would take them. As a freshman, he rushed for 1,034 yards on 187 carries for 10 touchdowns. He would have his best college season the next year.
As a sophomore in 2015, Fournette had 271 carries for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-SEC and was deemed a consensus All-American after his sensational sophomore season. However, injuries and Miles’ firing mid-season led to a frustrating final season for Fournette in Baton Rouge.
Fournette suffered a high ankle sprain in the lead-up to the 2016 campaign. He battled through it as best as he could but was in and out of the lineup all season. Fournette only played in seven games in his final college season. While he was named Second-Team All-SEC, Fournette finished his junior season with 843 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
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With him being a lock as a top-10 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Fournette was encouraged to sit out the 2016 Citrus Bowl by interim head coach Ed Orgeron. Fournette finished his LSU career with 616 carries for 3,830 yards and 40 touchdowns. He ranks fourth all-time in LSU football history in yardage and third all-time in rushing touchdowns.
Fournette went No. 4 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft. He went ahead of six Pro Bowlers taken in the top half of the first round of the draft, including LSU teammate Adams at No. 6 to the New York Jets, Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 to the Kansas City Chiefs and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson at No. 12 to the Houston Texans.
Though Fournette has never been to a Pro Bowl in the NFL, he has rushed for over 1,000 yards twice in his career and did come up one game short of playing in a Super Bowl as a rookie in 2017. He has 666 carries for 2,631 yards and 17 touchdowns through three NFL seasons. Fournette didn’t have his fifth-year option by the Jaguars ahead of the 2020 NFL season.
While he was slightly overdrafted, Fournette was worthy of a top-10 pick after his LSU career.
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