Louisiana Tech snags a pair of three-star commits

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have gotten commitments from a pair of three-star players for their 2018 class over the past two days. Commits nine and 10 come in the form of Missouri City, Texas, quarterback Aaron Allen and Baton Rouge safety Xavier Lodge.

Aaron Allen

Allen is a dual-threat quarterback from Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas. He is 6’0”, and weighs 175 pounds. He is an accurate passer and throws a nice deep ball, but he also has good speed and escapability. He had offers from 13 other schools, including Tulane, Southern Miss, Army, North Texas, Rice, and UNLV. He rates in the top 40 nationally of dual-threat quarterbacks.

Xavier Lodge

Lodge is a safety from Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is 5’ 10”, 180 lbs. He plays both strong safety and running back in high school. He has good speed and can hit hard, but he’s also patient. He waits for the right moment and then strikes. He’s good at stopping the run, which is probably aided by his knowledge of the running back position.

He had 94 tackles in 2016 on top of 62 in 2015. In 2016 he recorded five PBUs, five TFLs, and forced two fumbles. In 2015 he recorded three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns (a pick six and a scooped fumble). He had six other offers, including Southern Miss, Tulane, and Memphis. He rates in the top 70 nationally of safeties, and among the top 40 players in Louisiana.

According to 247 Sports, Allen and Lodge gives La Tech’s 2018 recruiting class seven three-star players on top of a two-star recruit. Allen is the first quarterback in the class, while Lodge is the third safety, with all three being three-stars. Tech also has a three-star cornerback and defensive end, showing a commitment to strengthening the defense. The final-three star player and the lone-two star are both wide receivers, and the two unranked players are linemen.

Although it is obviously still very early, La Tech has the second best recruiting class in C-USA thus far. The Bulldogs’ seven three-star players outclasses the rest, with the next closest being Rice with five and UTSA with four. If Skip Holtz can hold on to these players and continue to add more quality recruits, 2018 could be a very strong class.