re: John Emery commits to LSU

Posted on 1/22/19 at 11:47 am to TheSHU

Posted by LSU Patrick

Member since Jan 2009

73633 posts

Posted on 1/22/19 at 11:47 am to TheSHU

quote:
Emery finishes as No. 1 RB in America

LSU signed Louisiana’s top-ranked running back last month when Destrehan’s John Emery inked his scholarship papers with the Tigers, making things official in one of the most heated running back battles in the 2019 cycle.

The LSU staff ultimately flipped Emery away from a verbal pledge to the Georgia Bulldogs, with a turning point coming after the Tigers knocked the Bulldogs off in front of a sold out Tiger Stadium crowd.

Now, the Tigers aren’t only getting the state’s top running back, but the No. 1 running back in the country.

On Tuesday, the 247Sports team revealed the final 32 five-stars for the 2019 class, and not only was Emery in that mix, but he moved up in the rankings to become the No. 1 running back in the country.

Emery entered the day as a five-star on 247Sports, but he was ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the country and the No. 2 running back in the class, behind Alabama signee Trey Sanders.

But in the final rankings release, Emery pulled ahead of Sanders, with Emery checking in at No. 11 overall and Sanders at No. 14 overall.

Emery is the highest-rated running back to sign with LSU since Leonard Fournette in 2014. He helped Destrehan to a 13-2 record during his senior year, rushing for 1,693 yards and 26 touchdowns in leading the Wildcats to the 5A state semifinals.

As a junior, Emery totaled 1,029 all-purpose yards with nine touchdowns, averaging more than seven yards per carry in six games before suffering a season ending injury.

Emery is currently ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the country on the 247Sports Composite rankings, where he’s ranked as the No. 2 running back. Those rankings could shift slightly on the 247Sports Composite following Tuesday’s release of the final five-stars. He’s ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Louisiana behind five-star Derek Stingley, who also signed with the Tigers in December.

At 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, Emery clocked a verified 4.42 40-yard dash, a 4.20 shuttle and a 37.90-inch vertical jump at The Opening Finals in July 2018.

247Sports national director of scouting Barton Simmons said Emery is a “significant impact player at a major program and has first round NFL Draft traits”.