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January 8, 2013
Five LSU juniors have played their final collegiate games.
LSU standouts safety Eric Reid, and linebacker Kevin Minter announced last Thursday that they will forego their senior seasons and declare for the 2013 NFL Draft.
A day after those announcements were made, the school announced that halfback Spencer Ware, cornerback Tharold Simon and punter Brad Wing had also ended their collegiate careers and declared for the NFL Draft.
Reid was a First-Team All-American selection this past season. Minter was also an All-American and was a finalist for the Butkus Award – an honor that goes to the top linebacker in college football. Simon was the top defensive back within the Tigers’ elite defense. Simon was an All-SEC cornerback this past season – his first as a full-time starter.
Ware and Wing were both starters and reliable assets for the Tigers.
“I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have been able to play football at LSU,” Reid said. “It was always my dream to go to LSU and play football. … I feel like this is the right time to make this decision. I will always be an LSU Tiger.”
“(Shoutout) to Tiger Nation for all of their love and support throughout the years,” Minter said on his Twitter page – where he announced his decision. “It’s truly been an honor to put on the (purple and gold).”
In Reid and Minter, the Tigers are losing two of the best defensive players in the country.
Reid solidified himself as one of the best defensive backs in America throughout his three-year run with the team.
The Tigers were 34-6 during his three seasons in Baton Rouge.
In his final year with LSU, Reid finished third on the team with 91 tackles. He also had seven pass breakups, two interceptions and a recovered fumble.
For his career, Reid played in 39 games and recorded 29 starts. He finished with 194 career tackles and six interceptions.
The Geismar native said he has two more semesters left of school before he can graduate. He said the decision was difficult because of his love for the Tigers’ program.
“I want to thank Coach Miles and all of the people that played a role to get me to this point in my life,” Reid said. “This was a difficult decision because I always wanted to be a Tiger and I love LSU.”
Like Reid, Minter will head to the NFL hot after producing one of the best seasons in the country among defensive players.
The Suwanee, Ga., native recorded 130 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, four sacks and four hurries in 2012.
The 130 tackles are the fifth-highest mark in LSU history for a single season.
Inside of Minter’s dominant season were a slew of standout performances.
The 6-foot, 2-inch linebacker recorded 20 tackles in the Tigers’ 14-6 loss against Florida in October.
In the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Minter recorded 19 stops and was named the Defensive MVP for the game.
Arguably Minter’s greatest performance came in the Tigers’ road win against Texas A&M. In that game, the LSU junior recorded 12 tackles, one sack and an interception.
He constantly provided pressure to Heisman Trophy quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Tigers limited the quarterback to just 27 yards rushing in the game – a season-low.
For his efforts, Minter was named the National Defensive Player of the Week by three separate organizations following that game.
Minter will finish his Tigers’ career with 206 total tackles and five sacks.
He played in 38 games and recorded 24 starts.
Minter is already a graduate, according to LSU Sports Information.
Simon will head to the professional ranks after establishing himself as one of the SEC’s top statistical corners.
The Eunice native posted 45 tackles with four interceptions in 2012.
He was an All-SEC performer.
This season was Simon’s first year as a full-time starter for the Tigers. He excelled in nickel and dime packages as a sophomore in 2011, recording 42 tackles and 10 pass breakups in 13 games with two starts.
Simon’s decision marks the third-straight season an LSU cornerback foregoes his final season of eligibility and heads to the NFL.
Following the 2010 season, unanimous All-American Patrick Peterson headed to the pro ranks. He was drafted in the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.
After the 2011 season, former Tiger Morris Claiborne headed to the professional ranks.
He was the No. 6 overall pick of the Dallas Cowboys, who traded up to land his services.
In Ware, the Tigers will be losing a steady halfback that has split time on offense throughout his three seasons with the team.
This past season, Ware started four games and rushed for 367 yards and a touchdown.
Ware’s decision to enter the professional ranks probably is largely because of the emergence of freshman Jeremy Hill, who emerged as the team’s full-time starter midway through the 2012 season.
With most expecting Hill to get the bulk of the carries in 2012, Ware’s role in the team’s depth chart was uncertain for 2013.
Wing is going to enter the NFL Draft because he may be out of options at LSU.
The punter was suspended for the Chick-fil-A Bowl after he violated an unspecified team rule.
When on the field, Wing is hands-down one of the best punters in the country.
As a freshman, Wing was a First-Team All-American after ranking No. 2 in the SEC with a 44.4-yard per punt average – a mark that was No. 11 in the country.
He followed up his freshman success with another big year in 2012.
Wing had a 44.8-yard per punt average this season. A total of 19 of his 59 punts were downed inside of the opponent’s 20-yard-line.
Scouts project that Reid, Minter and Simon are all late first round-to-early second round graded players.
Ware and Wing have not been given a projection grade.
Multiple analysts say that those prospects could shift up or down based on how the players perform at the NFL Scouting Combine later this spring.
Other Tigers waiting it out
The departures may be just the beginning for LSU.
Junior defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan are all expected to consider turning pro.
Mingo and Montgomery are the most likely to make the jump.
Both players are likely to be picked in the Top 15 of the draft if they enter the professional ranks.
All three players have made the decision to declare, according to multiple reports. But they have not yet declared publicly.
LSU linebacker Kevin Minter makes a tackle during a game this season. The LSU linebacker is one of a slew of Tigers who declared for the NFL Draft this week. He, Eric Reid, Tharold Simon, Spencer Ware and Brad Wing will all make the jump. Reports said that Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan will also turn pro before the deadline.
