It’s not easy keeping a tiger under control, but Catholic High managed to contain an LSU commit in its recent matchup against Denham Springs.
Any onlooker at Olympia Stadium could point out the towering figure sporting the purple and gold for the Yellow Jackets.
Denham Springs’ Tevin Lawson, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound defensive tackle who has verbally committed to LSU, garnered the most attention from recruiters Friday night in Catholic’s 42-13 victory.
Known for his Southeastern Conference build and the ability to play on both the offensive and defensive line, Lawson is the type of athlete that coaches look to add to their programs.
“He can run and he has a body that can add weight,” said Denham Springs head coach Dru Nettles. “He’s a prototypical LSU lineman and athlete who’s going to be a special one once he fills out in college.”
Lawson only recently began to flash his abilities at defensive tackle after being a left tackle on offense for the majority of his high school career.
ESPN ranked him as the No. 135 recruit in the 2013 class, and Catholic was well aware of his presence.
Catholic repeatedly ran plays to the left side of the offensive line, away from Lawson. Though he successfully drove opposing offensive linemen into the pocket, they continuously double-teamed the senior and made him a nonfactor.
Lawson’s performance may not have had a major impact on the game, but his head coach said he knows his defensive lineman has potential.
“Tevin’s a disruptive guy inside, and he’ll get doubled a lot,” Nettles said. “He’s got some big upside, though. He’s going to get better, and two or three years from now, he’s going to really grow into [a defensive tackle]. He needs 30 more pounds to really be a defensive tackle like they project.”
Lawson wasn’t pleased with his performance against Catholic High, but he intends to continue to work toward being at LSU next season.
He feels he is more than ready to play in Tiger Stadium.
“I feel that I can go [to LSU] and get better, stronger and faster,” Lawson said. “I’m going to do what I can to be on the line for the Tigers.”
