BATON ROUGE, La. -- Les Miles said on national signing day that LSU addressed its needs with its 2012 recruiting class.
That's all well and good, but what does that actually mean? The Tigers' 22-man class will close out the year No. 14 in the rankings, with talent in several key areas.
But with the likes of Alabama and Florida hitting the jackpot with No. 1 and No. 4 rankings, respectively, is LSU's haul enough to keep pace?
Miles, not one to worry about class rankings, certainly thinks so.
"What it really amounts to is that we invest in these guys and we train them," Miles said. "They fit the need and this is a great class. This is the style of class that will continue to allow us to do what we have done here in the past, and that is winning championships."
With the amount of talent already on hand in Baton Rouge, that seems like a safe bet. But let's take a closer look at what to expect from the class of 2012.
Needs addressed
Linebacker: It is well known that Miles landed his best-ever group of linebackers Wednesday. The surprise addition of No. 3 outside linebacker Kwon Alexander (Oxford, Ala./Oxford) was a huge coup, not to mention two other ESPNU 150 linebackers in Lorenzo Phillips (Patterson, La./Patterson) and Ronnie Feist (Edgard, La./West St. John).
The Tigers also picked up some under-the-radar linebacker prospects in Lamar Louis (Breaux Bridge, La./Breaux Bridge), Trey Granier (Thibodaux, La./Thibodaux) and Deion Jones (New Orleans, La./Jesuit).
For a unit that lost three starters, the Tigers will have a lot of pieces to play with in 2012.
"This class of linebackers are talented, have great foot speed and, to me, can step to the field," Miles said.
Offensive line: Lost in the excitement over Alexander's commitment was the Tigers' other top prospect and other Alexander -- offensive guard Vadal Alexander (Buford, Ga./Buford).
Alexander comes in as the nation's No. 5 guard, and he's listed at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. On top of that, he's an early enrollee, meaning he will be in the thick of offseason conditioning and spring practice. The Buford product might project as a guard, but Miles said he sees Alexander as a left tackle.
Considering the Tigers reeled in the nation's No. 3 offensive tackle last winter in La'El Collins, Alexander's commitment will hopefully solidify the LSU line for years to come.
Joining Alexander is Derek Edinburgh (New Orleans, La./Edna Karr), another offensive tackle who checks in at an almost-unbelievable 6-foot-8, 337 pounds.
Suffice it to say, the Tigers have beefed up their offensive front.
Quarterback: From the moment he committed on Jan. 30, people have been speculating about Jeremy Liggins' future position at LSU. Liggins (Oxford, Miss./Lafayette) is a monstrous dual-threat quarterback. At 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, Liggins accounted for more than 2,500 total yards and 30 touchdowns last fall.
Due to his size, many are projecting he will wind up as a member of the Tigers' defensive front. But on Wednesday, Miles put those musings to rest.
"I'm just going to let you know that this man is going to step into the huddle for the Tigers, in Tiger Stadium," he said. "He's going to play tough, hard-nosed and very talented at the quarterback position."
With backing like that, it seems safe to say Liggins looks like the future following the departure of Gunner Kiel for Notre Dame.
Needs unattended
Defensive line: People will probably remember the decommitment of Torshiro Davis for one main reason -- he was from Louisiana.
As much as people hate to see LSU lose homegrown talent, there's a more important issue at stake here. With the loss of Davis, who many projected to play defensive end, the Tigers added just one defensive line prospect in Danielle Hunter (Katy, Texas/Morton Ranch).
Luckily, the Tigers are absolutely stacked along the defensive front. The decision by Sam Montgomery to return for his junior season looks especially huge right now. But following 2012, LSU loses Lavar Edward and Chancey Aghayere. And underclassmen like Montgomery, Barkevious Mingo and Bennie Logan will likely be tempted to leave for the NFL draft.
In short, defensive line just became a big priority for 2012, and Miles knows it.
"Certainly the next class will have to be a little heavier in defensive linemen," he said.
Under the radar
LSU knows a thing or two about finding under-the-radar prospects. Just ask Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu.
With less star power than usual, Tigers fans will be hoping to see some diamonds in the rough in this class, and there are several possible candidates.
Jeremy Hill (Baton Rouge, La./Redemptorist) would have been a big name if he had joined the team as part of the 2011 class, like he was supposed to. A sexual assault charge cost him that opportunity, but after having the charge lessened and accepting probation, Hill enrolled early as a member of this class.
The year off has undoubtedly pushed him out of the minds of fans and analysts, and he may even be a tad rusty. But at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, he adds more talent to what is perhaps LSU's most loaded position.
Miles admitted that Hill might have been a better prospect than 2011's other big-name running back, Kenny Hilliard.
"We thought he was maybe the more talented running back in the class when we recruited him last year," he said.
Hilliard finished with 340 yards and scored eight touchdowns in his true freshman debut. If Hill is better than that, watch out.
"To add him to the active roster is certainly an advantage," Miles said.
The Tigers are also hoping to address their secondary depth with some lesser-known signings. Claiborne and Mathieu are two signings who came out of nowhere to star in the backfield, and signings like Dwayne Thomas (New Orleans, La./O. Perry Walker) and Jerquinick Sandolph (Boutte, La./Hahnville) could follow a similar trajectory.
As is always the case in recruiting, only time will tell.
David Helman covers LSU sports for GeauxTigerNation. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @HelmanESPN.