LSU's coaching staff no doubt wanted to come out of their Spring Game on Saturday afternoon with a few big recruiting commitments and that's exactly what they did, scoring pledges from
Winnfield (La.) defensive end
Michael Patterson,
Denham Springs (Denham Springs (La.) defensive tackle Tevin Lawson and
Ruston (La.) offensive lineman
K.J. Malone over the past four days.
"I made up my mind (on a visit)," Patterson told
TigerBait.com. "Nothing tops LSU football and it being close to home made it an easy decision for me. I think I fit mainly as a speed rusher. They want me coming off the edge."
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Patterson held offers from Nebraska and Texas A&M among others after a breakout junior year that included 75 tackles and 10 sacks. He'll be joined by Lawson along the defensive line to give the Tigers a duo with a very high upside at what is typically a position of strength for the team.
"I thought about it and thought about it for a while and I guess it's just the right time to stay close to home," Lawson said. "I talked to (defensive line) coach Brick (Haley) about it today and he told me I needed to talk to coach Miles. I just want to represent the state of Louisiana and I thought about it day by day."
Malone is a familiar name to many because of his father, NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone, who played at nearby Louisiana Tech. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound son may have earned a scholarship in a different sport but nevertheless becomes the ninth commitment for LSU's class of 2013 after drawing interest from a host of SEC programs. Malone's half-brother, Demetrius Bell, is a free agent offensive tackle in the NFL and recently played for the Buffalo Bills.