Kendell Beckwith, a defensive end/athlete from East Feliciana Parish Enrichment Academy (La.), is joining the LSU Tigers. Beckwith considered Alabama along with LSU, but ultimately decided that he wanted to stay in-state and play for Les Miles. LSU recruited Beckwith longer than any other school, and that paid dividends.
Kendell Beckwith signs with LSU over Alabama
Beckwith adds to what is a strong 2013 recruiting class for the LSU Tigers. He’s one of the top prospects in the state of Louisiana.
Bud Elliott (SB Nation)
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Beckwith projects as a linebacker or defensive end at the college level, and he is considered the No. 92 overall prospect in the class of 2013 by Rivals. He is rated as the seventh-best outside linebacker prospect and the No. 67 overall recruit by 247 Sports.
LSU has several linebacker commits in its 2013 class, and SB Nation’s And The Valley Shook believes there is a good chance that Beckwith ends up playing defensive end for the Tigers. Whether he plays linebacker or defensive end in Baton Rouge, he’ll be joining one of the best defenses in the country. The Tigers ranked eighth nationally in total defense in 2012, ninth in rushing defense and 11th in pass efficiency defense.
Here’s an assessment of him from SB Nation recruiting expert Bud Elliott:
Beckwith is much better rushing the passer and playing the run than he is defending the pass. He looks like a player who could get quite big. Many recruiting experts wonder if Beckwith will need to move to defensive end. If he does, he should fit quite nicely with LSU’s defense, which has shown a willingness to play smaller defensive ends.
The Tigers have put together one of the top recruiting classes in the nation this year thanks to commitments from a bunch of highly touted recruits like Kendell Beckwith. LSU could finish with a top-5 class and still rank behind Alabama and Florida, but such is life in the SEC.
Vitals: He is 6’3 and weighs 228 pounds.
Other offers: Alabama, Auburn, Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami
Twitter: @KendellBeckwith
Recruitment timeline: Beckwith visited both LSU and Alabama multiple times during his recruitment, but his unofficials during the season were all to Baton Rouge. He took an official to Alabama in early December, but that wasn’t enough to sway him from committing to the Tigers.
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