Odell Beckham ’11 Commits to LSU

Picking a college or university is a big decision for every Newman student, and Odell Beckham ’11 had a big decision to make. On Saturday, he told the nation where he was going to college on national television. It was a big weekend all around for Beckham. He played in the Army All-American Game, surrounded by other high-powered high school football players from around the nation, and committed in front of the cameras to play for Louisiana State University next year.

Beckham played wide receiver for the West and led the team with three receptions. At the end of the third quarter he donned an LSU hat and announced his decision to join the Tigers. Along with Beckham’s family, varsity football coach Nelson Stewart traveled to San Antonio for the game. While there, Stewart participated in a Coaches Academy, did on-field drills with NFL coaches, and heard lectures from the Chief of Staff of the Army, General George W. Casey, Jr., and former Cincinnati Bengals coach Sam Wyche. 

Beckham has been referred to throughout the recruiting process as a four-star recruit and has been named the 10^th rated player in the country for his position. The calls started coming in to the football staff at Newman at the end of Beckham’s junior season. He had over 20 offers from 20 different colleges. It soon became clear that his top choices were LSU and Miami. Miami offered him a spot on their team when he participated in their summer camp and was named the MVP of that camp over the summer. Beckham delayed making his decision in order to focus on his last football season here at Newman.

Beckham will formally sign with LSU on national signing day in a ceremony here at Newman in February. He will join Newman alumnus Ronnie Vinson ’10 at LSU. Vinson was red-shirted last year so both will be freshmen in what is shaping up to be a great season for the Tigers!  

Click here to watch a video of Beckham and his father on local news talking about his commitment to LSU.