A recruit like Russell Shepard comes around once in a blue moon. At 6 feet 2 inches, 185 pounds, the Houston native has all the intangibles of a dual-threat quarterback. With his feet, Shepard can make up 40 yards of ground in 4.33 seconds. With his arm, he hits his Cypress Ridge High School receivers in stride with passes ranging from 5-yard dump offs to 40-yard fades. Playing high school football in Texas, the comparison's to former Longhorn Vince Young come daily. "If you go back and look over the last five years, the only quarterback that even comes to close to comparing to what Russell Shepard does is [Virginia Tech quarterback] Tyrod Taylor," said Sonny Shipp of Scout.com. "You could use [Shepard] at quarterback, receiver or running back and he is going to be a playmaker. He is a touchdown waiting to happen when he has the ball in his hands." But Shepard, the nation's No. 2 rated quarterback prospect according to Scout.com, has grown into something more than just a phenomenal football prospect. Shepard, 18, has become not only the nation's most talented athlete, but possibly the NCAA's best recruiter. "I know that all I can give right now is my verbal commitment," Shepard said. "But my word is my bond. When I say that I am going to do something, I am going to do it. That doesn't mean just play football. That means I am committed to other things, and recruiting is one of them." With LSU storming out of the 2009 recruiting gates with 11 commitments, Shepard said he has continued to try and do his part to help the Tigers stay atop not only the Southeastern Conference but all of college football. "I am trying to talk with everybody that LSU has on their board," Shepard said. "I am talking with [Rueben] Randle, [Chris] Davenport, [Craig] Loston, [Jamarkus] McFarland and a ton of other guys. I want the best class in the nation. I want this class to be better than LSU's in 2003." Shepard, whose highlight videos have joined the ranks of Reggie Bush and Noel Devine in jaw-dropping appeal, will showcase his talents in the fall on the national stage. "We are getting three of our games picked up on television," Shepard said. "ESPN is going to air one game nationally. Fox and CBS are also both trying to get games on regionally." With spring practice starting for Cypress Ridge on Monday, the five-star quarterback is trying to stay on the right track. "I am still working out my passing with former NFL quarterback [Jeff] Blake," Shepard said. "I am just going to use the summer to stay in shape, stay on top of school and get LSU the No. 1 recruiting class." Shepard said no matter what happens, the bottom line remains the same. "I am coming to LSU to win national championships," Shepard said. "I can throw for 1,000 or 5,000 yards. None of the stats matter to me. Baton Rouge loves winning, and I am coming there to put more banners up."
---- Contact Shea Dixon at sdixon@lsureveille.com
