re: Why is it harder to steal recruits from Mississippi when compared to Louisiana?

Louisiana produces more D-1 talent than any state not named Florida, California and Texas. Unlike any of those states, there is only one in-state school.

This creates an environment where LSU can never "win them all" but it also creates an environment where we can pick and choose our battles.

We all know Trooper got banned from campus after the Trovon Reed and Greg Robinson deal down in Thibadoux where he just so happened to download "Facebook for iPhone" while on his AU visit and Trovon's "father figure" magically had money to cart kids all over the South to watch AU games while working as an oil change tech at Wal-Mart (seriously, look it up).

But even beyond dirty recruiting, Saban has always done this. He turned Mobile into LSU country with kids like JaMarcus, and recruited Melvin Oliver out of AL as well. He pilfered MS as well for kids like Chevis Jackson. He's known for recruiting nationally, but also for finding your weak spot and getting kids out of there.

His skill at strategy knows no bounds, whether on the recruiting trail, on the field or building a program.

So whether it's LSU simply not having enough spots each year, kids getting paid, or coaches who are flat out the best at what they do, it's going to happen. There's too much talent in Louisiana not to see kids walk each year that might impact our program if we could have gotten them.

Re: Cameron Sims, this kid was not anywhere as highly ranked as Quinn or Dupre, and Upchurch is neck and neck as an out of state take. Re: Hootie Jones, we upgraded by taking a more highly ranked out of state kid in the 5 Star Ed Paris who was also an early enrollee. In almost all cases, LSU has the ability to replace losses like that with comparable talent if not an outright upgrade in terms of rankings. No doubt a kid like Cam hurts, but last year we signed a Samoan defensive lineman whose brother is a 5* OL in Texas this year and committed the same day bro inked for last year.

It all works out.

The Mississippi kkk can make very strong cases for kids not going ANYWHERE!!!! Especially if those recruits have families and/or loved ones...

It's harder because of Catholicsm.

For the record, Louisiana is the best football state in the modern era, in terms of population percentage/produced talent. Mississippi is also very good, esp historically, but it's not regarded as high now because of it's small population, retrograde HS coaching, and the fact that MS is the most hated state by the media outlets. Both fanbases in MS are as passionate as as any in the SEC, with the exception of Bama. The facilities are also good, especially at State, even though the stadium is about 60 percent the size of Tiger Stadium, but that's basically the only difference in facilities. The football op center at State is as nice as just about anybody's in the country.

There is something else the OP doesn't know about MS, people here are born with either a Rebel or Bulldog stamped on the butt. Even the ones that aren't are going to be heavily influenced if they happen to be a coveted athlete. There's 3 million people here, so there's a lot of pride that both fan bases carry within the state and most of the players want to represent their home state. The other reasons have been covered in the thread.

And inexplicably Bama also. I'd like to punch those crickets in the throat sometimes. Asked one of them idiots if, since he was Bama fan, he must have seen a lot of Bama games and be connected to the university in some way other than just seeing those arse hats on TV and hearing all about their greatness in the media? His response, "hell yeah! We go watch 'em alll the time in Birmingham!"

So you are saying that MSU was clean in the Cam Newton recruitment? Methinks someone is whistling past the graveyard. It might not have been the coaches but the Alums had dirt under their nails on that deal. Who is the stupid one here? Find a mirror.

Someone explain to me how 2 schools with less success on the field, inferior facilities and coaching vs Alabama and LSU can change a kids mind so quick.