LSU hasn’t claimed many wins against Alabama as of late, but the Tigers topped the Tide in the recruiting game after a four-star defender chose Baton Rouge as his future home.
Kendell Beckwith, a 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound defensive end out of East Feliciana High School in Jackson, La., announced his commitment to LSU on Jan. 3 during the first quarter of the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game.
“[LSU is] just a school where I feel more at home at, and I was most comfortable at throughout the whole process,” Beckwith said.
Beckwith said he will be looking to play either defensive end or outside linebacker when he joins the program next season.
ESPN ranked him as the No. 4 prospect at his position and the second-best recruit from Louisiana. He was named the No. 41 prospect on their Top 150 list.
The battle for Beckwith raged on until his announcement.
Many speculated whether the defensive standout would choose to join the National Champion Tide after he visited Alabama’s campus in December, but Beckwith decided to stay in-state and sport the purple and gold.
Beckwith’s commitment bodes well for the Tigers, as any defensive line recruit is now greatly valued with the recent heavy attrition at the position. LSU lost four starters on its defensive line after the 2012 campaign’s finale, including juniors Sam Montgomery, Bennie Logan and Barkevious Mingo and senior Josh Downs.
This leaves several openings for Beckwith to make a contribution under LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis next season.
“I can see a lot of success coming his way,” said East Feliciana coach Cedric Anderson. “He’s very coachable, a hard worker and a very bright young man. He has all the physical and mental tools, so hopefully he can get it together and get on down there with Coach Chavis and [LSU coach Les] Miles and the crew and do a good job for them.”
The East Feliciana product is known for his speed and explosiveness, as he recorded a 40-yard dash time of 4.8 seconds. Anderson compared Beckwith’s body type to current Carolina Panthers and former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.
“We actually had a guy here last week who came down and said that he could see [Beckwith] playing quarterback,” Anderson said.
“He compares to [Cam] Newton. We actually had a guy here last week who came down and said that he could see [Beckwith] playing quarterback.”
