Good things can come in small packages, but when it comes to defensive linemen a big package is preferable. The LSU football team found such a package at its front door Jan. 15 when Will Blackwell, defensive tackle from West Monroe High School, verbally committed to LSU. “He brings the total package to LSU,” creator of DandyDon.com and recruiting buff Donald Long said. This special delivery from West Monroe is anything but unobtrusive: the 6-foot-4-inch, 296-pound Blackwell was recorded running a five-second 40-yard dash and benching a maximum of 325 pounds. West Monroe coach Don Shows is confident Blackwell can parlay his size and speed into success at the collegiate level. “I think he has a lot of upside in a football player,” Shows said. “He certainly beats the eye test for a young man.” Blackwell is one of the elite high school players in the defensive tackle pool, ranked No. 13 among all defensive tackles by Rivals.com. He is one of five defensive linemen to verbally commit their services to LSU. Long said part of what makes Blackwell such a valuable recruit is the high school for which he played. “He played 5-A football at West Monroe, the highest caliber football in the state of Louisiana,” Long said. “West Monroe has a great coaching staff, and so I think he’s going to be pretty much ready to step into the big picture. It’s a lot different to play 5-A football in high school than if you played for class 1-A or 2-A.” West Monroe is widely regarded as a marquee football program in Louisiana, grooming such players as Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bradie James and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. Blackwell also considered committing to the University of Notre Dame, the University of Florida and the University of Alabama. In the end, though, Blackwell liked where the LSU football program is going. “They are on the rise,” Blackwell told Monroe’s The News-Star. “Now is a good time to go to LSU.” Blackwell excelled against talented opposition in his time at West Monroe. For his senior season he recorded 70 tackles, 11 of which resulted in losses, and five sacks. Even though he is physically imposing, Blackwell does not simply rely on brute strength to muscle his way through offensive lines. Billy Laird, coach of West Monroe’s rival Ruston High School, acknowledges that Blackwell’s pigskin pedigree plays a crucial part in his dominance. “He’s got the background,” Laird said. “He comes from a coaching family. He’s got good instincts. There’s a lot of inborn stuff in him. He knows the game, knows how to play. He’s been around it all the time.” Laird believes Blackwell’s physical stature and mental acumen for the game of football will aid him in the often daunting transition from high school to college football. “I think he’ll adjust,” Laird said. “He’s just the type of individual that I think can do it, and he’ll adjust to the faster game once he gets [to LSU] and starts playing with those other people.” While remaining a dominant football player in high school, Blackwell has not sacrificed his schoolwork. He has maintained a 3.5 GPA in high school and recorded a 24 on his ACT. “He’s intelligent,” Shows said. “He’s got good work ethics, and I just think he’s got a lot of upside to him.” Ruston coach Laird remembers Blackwell’s desire to win in arguably his most impressive moment. “I think it was against [C. E.] Byrd High School,” Laird said. “They’re a Wing-T team, pulling guards and stuff like that, and the way he took on those guards and just disassembled their plays, I mean, it was a man among boys.” The LSU football team hopes that game against Byrd foreshadows what Blackwell can bring to the Tigers. “I think he’s got a football mentality,” Shows said. “I think he’s got a knack for playing the game, and he plays hard and wants to win.”
—–Contact Jonathan Finney at jfinney@lsureveille.com