…which means I’m a bit preoccupied. I still follow college football recruiting.

And LSU’s taking one hell of a class today.

UPDATE (2:21 p.m.): Rasco puts on an LSU hat, and the folks go bonkers in the gym. That probably finishes off the class.

UPDATE (2:20 p.m.): Jermauria Rasco is about to make his decision now, amid one of those signing-day circuses at Evangel that just make you cringe. He has Florida and Texas stuff all around him.

UPDATE (12:15 p.m.): Good news – David Jenkins just came in. Guess the fax lines in Texas aren’t frozen after all.

UPDATE (11:50 a.m.): The one LSU commitment left who hasn’t signed is David Jenkins, the blue-chip cornerback out of Carrollton, Texas. Jenkins, who is originally from Jena but decided to head on up to the Dallas area to finish high school a couple of years ago after all the racial crap unfolded there, has denied reports he would waver on his pledge after the University of Texas offered him a scholarship. But LSU fans are likely to freak out about Jenkins since the weather in Dallas/Ft. Worth right now is a nightmare and his high school is closed today. Might have to wait until tomorrow before his letter of intent makes it over the fax machine.

The last recruit LSU is waiting on is Jermauria Rasco, the blue-chip defensive end from Evangel High School in Shreveport. He’s making his decision in a couple of hours.

UPDATE (10:50 a.m.): Mickey Johnson, the defensive tackle out of St. Paul’s High in Covington, just signed. Johnson was LSU’s latest commitment last week, and he’s pretty good. He’s only 5-11, and he’s 305 pounds. Like a tree stump in the middle of the line. Johnson is the reigning powerlifting champion in Louisiana; he can bench press 500 pounds and squat something like 700 or so.

UPDATE (10:05 a.m.): A recruit LSU was hoping to drag away today, defensive lineman Tim Jernigan of Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida, just announced he’s going to Florida State.

Oh, well. Can’t get ’em all.

UPDATE (9:55 a.m.): Quentin Thomas (6-3/276) just signed. He’s a defensive lineman from Breaux Bridge whose high school career got cut short out of disciplinary problems early in his senior year. But LSU’s coaches are in love with his potential; supposedly at 276 pounds he runs a 4.7 in the 40.

Thomas makes 19 guys. They’re waiting on two more commitments and then a couple other guys who could be late additions.

UPDATE (9:50 a.m.): Steven Rivers (6-7/198), a quarterback out of Athens, Alabama and the brother of San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers, just sent in his paperwork. Rivers is another guy who’s grossly underrated, largely because he team he was on this year stunk on ice. But he was the MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi all-star game in December, and with new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe supposedly a guru for quarterback development he’s a guy with a great deal of upside. When was the last time LSU had a 6-foot-7 quarterback? Has that ever happened?

UPDATE (9:40 a.m.): Trevon Randle (6-1/205), a linebacker out of Clear Springs High in League City, Texas, just signed. Randle is one of those guys who seems a lot better than he’s rated; he’s been unbelievably productive (something like 400 tackles over the course of his high school career). LSU needs linebackers and he’s the only one they look to sign in this class, though next year Louisiana is supposedly lousy with them.

UPDATE (9:35 a.m.): La’El Collins (6-4/315) possibly the best offensive lineman in the country out of Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, just signed with LSU. Collins has been a commitment to the Tigers for a long time, but moron rumor-mongers from Auburn have been claiming they were going to sign him.

Well, they didn’t.

ORIGINAL: As of 9:30 a.m., they’ve signed most of the class. They have 15 guys on board. They’re going to sign somewhere between 21 and 23 players today, maybe more if things really go their way.

The list (the links are to LSU’s highlight films on each guy)…

• QB Zack Mettenberger, Butler CC, Kansas (6-5/250)
• DT Anthony “Freak” Johnson, O.P. Walker HS, New Orleans (6-3/294)
• RB Kenny Hilliard, Patterson HS (5-11/225)
• WR Odell Beckham, Jr., Newman HS, New Orleans (5-11/175)
• P James Hairston, Jesuit HS, Dallas, TX (5-11/175)
• OL Jonah Austin, St. Augustine HS, New Orleans (6-5/320)
• OL Trai Turner, St. Augustine HS, New Orleans (6-2/334)
• WR Alonzo Lewis,  St. James HS, Gramercy (6-3/205)
• CB Jalen Collins, Olive Branch HS, Mississippi (6-1/180)
• DB Micah Eugene, Acadiana HS, Lafayette (5-11/185)
• WR Jarvis Landry, Lutcher HS (5-11/190)
• RB Terrence Magee, Franklinton HS (5-9/205)
• OL Corey White, Capitol HS, Baton Rouge (6-3/333)
• DB Ronald Martin, White Castle HS (6-1/182)
• QB/DB Paul Turner, West Monroe HS (5-11/185)