Davenport commits to Tigers
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LSU’s recent run of elite defensive tackles — from Chad Lavalais to Kyle Williams to Glenn Dorsey — has earned the school the moniker of “Defensive Line U”, according to some national observers.
The events of Tuesday afternoon’s latest commitment of Mansfield’s Chris Davenport will do nothing to tarnish that burgeoning image.
Davenport, a mammoth 6-foot-4 1/2 , 315-pound defensive tackle, informed LSU coach Les Miles of his intentions to sign with the school in February while on campus to take part in the Tigers second summer camp.
“I felt like LSU had the inside track,” Mansfield football coach Donald Mayweather said. “He had been there, knows the environment and talked to the coaches a lot. They left things open, he went and visited other schools, but he came back home.”
The addition of Davenport, considered a run-stopper supreme with excellent footwork and strength, further bolsters an LSU recruiting class that has the makings of one of the school’s best. The nation’s fourth-rated defensive tackle and 18th overall prospect by Rivals.com gives LSU its 16th commitment and second from a five-star recruit, along with quarterback Russell Shepard of Houston.
“He put a timetable out that he was going to wait until after the season,” Mayweather said. “I guess once he got down there he changed his mind. I think it’s a good decision for him. He’s at home and now his parents and everybody around here gets to see him in person.”
Mayweather said Davenport, who squats 585 pounds and runs 5.2 in the 40, chose LSU over Florida State and Tennessee. He also made an unofficial visit to Texas A&M and had scholarship offers from Florida, Michigan, USC and Michigan.
“They had been recruiting Chris like the other schools did,” Mayweather said. “Chris had all of their (LSU coaches) numbers so he could call any of the coaches to talk to them and find out what was going on. They just made themselves available for him and I think that gave then the inside track for him getting there.”
Davenport, who has not taken the ACT but has the necessary core grade point average, helped Mansfield to a 6-5 record and to the Class 2A state playoffs a year ago.
Davenport earned All-District 3-2A honors and first team Class 2A All-State mention after registering 120 tackles, 20 of which were for losses, and 18 sacks.
“If he puts his mind to it and does what he needs to do, I have no doubt that he could be one of the best players to come through LSU from this state,” Mayweather said. “He has all of the tools. He has everything that it takes to be the best.”
Jesuit-New Orleans running back Payton Jason (6-0, 190) became Tulane’s fourth commitment. Jason originally committed to Ole Miss after his sophomore season. … Michigan reached into Louisiana for its 13th commitment — gaining a pledge from defensive lineman DeQuinta Jones (6-2, 265) of Class 4A state champion Bastrop. Jones had 83 tackles and three sacks in 2007.
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