LSU Fans Call Nation’s Top 2017 Recruit Dylan Moses Names on Message Board
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
LSU has had a roller coaster of a season in 2015 as the Tigers won their first seven games then lost three straight games against Alabama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Fortunately, the Tigers won their final game of the regular season against Texas A&M saving the season and a lot of other things in the victory. LSU was then selected to finish their season in the Texas Bowl against Texas Tech.
During their three-game losing streak, rumors started to fly about the possibility of Head Coach Les Miles losing his job despite being one of the most successful coaches in LSU football history. As expected, these rumors and the treatment of Miles by the LSU athletic department did not only affect the play on the football field but it also affected LSU’s recruiting class. Class of 2016, 4-star quarterback Feleipe Franks from Wakulla High School in Crawfordville, Florida, who had been committed to LSU since June 1, 2014, decided to decommit on Nov. 23, before eventually committing with the University of Florida on Nov. 29.
Class of 2016, 4-star linebacker Michael Divinity from John Ehret High School in Marrero, Louisiana, who had been committed to LSU since Oct. 11, decided to decommit on Dec. 16. However, Divinity announced via his twitter account that he will make his final decision on Jan. 5 and he will choose between Texas A&M and LSU, keeping the Tigers in the potential running.
The struggles at LSU this year is not only affecting the 2016 recruiting class but is also causing problems in Class of 2017. On Aug. 3, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2017, linebacker Dylan Moses (6’2″, 225 pounds) decommited from LSU after committing as a ninth grader in Sept. 2013. This decommitment absolutely infuriated all Tiger fans and sent shockwaves through the recruiting world. Moses, who attends University Lab in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, registered 152 tackles in 2014 and 176.5 tackles in 2013 and led his team to the second round of the playoffs in 2015.
Since his decommitted from LSU, Moses has unofficially visited Alabama, which infuriated LSU fans even more. The tension between Moses and LSU fans reached its boiling point on Dec. 18 when a so-called LSU fan used profanity to describe Moses and his family on a LSU message board. The star recruit then posted his reaction on his Twitter account:
“I’m glad to see now that this is how some of LSU’s fan base (tigers toppings) recruit the No. 1 player in the nation who happens to live in there [sic] back yard. Since when does calling a 17 year kid a B**** appropriate in recruiting. When does taking someone’s words out of context and disrespecting a recruits family appropriate???” Moses added the following in a separate tweet, “LSU “Fans” are really wishy washy lol…but keep talking. And see where all that leads to. Remember LSU isn’t the only college in the US.”
It’s sad to see college football fans will stoop to this level when a high school athlete doesn’t commit to a certain college. Remember these high school athletes are still kids and if these so-called fans get satisfaction by using this language while taking about these kids, they need to get their priorities straight and not take college football recruiting so serious.
Dylan Moses still has one more year of high school football and just over a year to decide where he will play college football. This is truly one of the biggest decisions of his life and whether he chooses LSU, Alabama, or another school, college football fans need to respect his decision and not lash out if he doesn’t choose their favorite school.
Photo credit: nola.com; University Lab LB Dylan Moses