Five-star prospect Malachi Dupre had already made his decision before he woke up on the morning of national signing day. All that remained was putting the cap on his head and his signature on the dotted line.
“The night before signing day, I sat down with my family, and that’s when I decided,” Dupre said.
Dupre, the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver, excited the LSU faithful when he pledged his commitment to the Tigers, and his effect was immediately evident as the program’s 2014 recruiting class shot up to No. 2 in the nation, behind only Alabama.
For Dupre, a product of John Curtis Christian High School, the opportunity to play at home ultimately swayed him. But the decision wasn’t easy, as the nation’s top programs tried to claw Dupre away from his hometown Tigers.
In the two weeks leading up to national signing day, the high school All-American made trips to Alabama, Florida State, Ole Miss and UCLA, a stretch Dupre said was enjoyable yet problematic.
“It was a great situation to be in, but at the same time, I don’t think people understand how hard it is because each opportunity is so great, and I was blessed to have all of them,” Dupre said. “Not too many people have that chance.”
Dupre now has a chance to blossom at LSU, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for coach Les Miles. The Tigers will enter next season without the services of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, two 1,000-yard receivers from last season who declared for this year’s NFL draft.
But Dupre said he isn’t focused on replicating those results.
“Those guys were such great players, but they were juniors this year,” Dupre said. “That’s three years away from me. I’m not going to say I’ll start immediately or do this or that, because there’s going to be skeptics no matter what you do, especially with the position I’ve been put in. But I’m definitely ready to start getting to work.”
Dupre is also eager to work under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron because he saw the way his close friend Beckham excelled under the offensive guru during his first season. Beckham finished his junior season with 1,152 receiving yards, a mere 36 yards shy of the total from his first two seasons. Dupre also said Cameron’s NFL experience was too good and too rare of an opportunity to pass up.
But Dupre said his chief concern is helping LSU get back to a national championship, no matter how he may fit into that picture. That selflessness is one of the biggest praises J.T. Curtis, Dupre’s high school coach, had for his former player.
“[Dupre] lost his quarterback in game four, so we ended up playing a quarterback who’s more of a runner than a thrower,” Curtis said. “But rather than putting his head down and pouting, [Dupre] just geared up and tried to make the team the best it could be with his blocking, and when the opportunity to get him the ball came, he made plays.”
Dupre’s career contributions, which totaled 1,479 receiving yards and 22 touchdown receptions, helped his alma mater claim three consecutive state championships, including a national title in 2012.
But along with his championship experience, Dupre gives the Tigers a legit vertical threat for the passing game. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound receiver adds a rare combination of abilities to LSU’s arsenal, Miles said.
“[Dupre] could jump out of this gym,” he said during his national signing day press conference. “He’s a guy that not only has size and height and ball skills and speed, but he has an explosiveness that’s just different.”
With his destination set, Dupre is ready to join forces with the other members of LSU’s elite recruiting class to prove the hype surrounding them was justified.
“We had such a great recruiting class this year, with people like Leonard [Fournette] and others ranked high in their positions,” Dupre said. “We all have a chip on our shoulders because if you’re No. 1, there’s no other place you can go but down. We’re just going to let our actions speak.”

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courtesy of Terrill Weil