2009 recruiting spotlight: Russell Shepard

The LSU fan base has very little to be upset about.

It has two football National Championships in five years, a feat only matched by the mighty Men of Troy. John Brady has finally been fired. If the Tigers can keep Anthony Randolph around, they might have a shot at the SEC West title next year in hoops. Things are good in Cajun country.

The quarterback situation at LSU may leave a bit to be desired, however. Ryan Perrilloux has shown that he has a ton of ability...at getting into trouble. Is Jarrett Lee ready to step in and start in the event of a Perrilloux suspension? Which at this point is more likely than not. Possibly, but he is yet unproven. How about Jordan Jefferson?

Well, it will be sometime before the answer shows up on campus, but mark it down, once he does, all the names mentioned above will be forgotten.

Russell Shepard, who is most assuredly a top-10 prospect for 2009 has already committed to LSU.

The Houston, Texas native plays his high school ball at Cypress Ridge. Describing it as simply playing ball does not really do him justice, though. He makes people look silly. The 6-2, 190-pound quarterback/athlete is nearly unstoppable. He makes most of his plays on designed runs or improvised scrambles, and he makes a lot of plays.

He has Percy Harvin speed, agility and quickness from the quarterback position. His vision, lateral movements and acceleration are unmatched.

Obviously, he will need some work on his passing skills but the raw tools are there. He has a quick, tight release putting decent zip on the ball. He does not have a huge arm, but shows the strength to make most throws. The short to intermediate game is already a solid part of his game. He also does a great job of throwing on the run — something that will be a huge part of his college game on bootlegs, rollouts and play-action fakes.

In addition, Shepard has been visiting Austin on regular basis in order to work with former Cincinnati Bengal and East Carolina Pirates quarterback Jeff Blake. This can only be a good thing for LSU fans as it will accelerate his learning curve within the passing game.

Here is a taste of what this young athlete can do...

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