Ready to sign

Though he was pressed for time and didn't have much to say when TigerBait.com caught up with him, Dexter Blackmon said all that needed to be said on Sunday after his official visit to Baton Rouge.

"I'm still committed and I'm going to be signing," Blackmon said. "I had a good time. It was a good visit."

The 6-foot-2, 265-pound prospect from Selma, Alabama came somewhat out of nowhere earlier in the recruiting process. Though he had picked up an offer from Troy, Blackmon was largely an unknown outside of his area prior to committing to LSU over the summer.

"My host for the weekend was Lamin Barrow," he continued. "I got along with him real well. I got along with all the guys well. I talked to coach (Les) Miles and the coaches and they told me they were excited about getting me down there."

Given his weight Blackmon will probably have to spend some time in the weight room before he is ready to contribute a lot at defensive tackle. That said, the coaches have told him that there is an opportunity for him to come in and work his way into the rotation. That was a big selling point for the Tigers earlier in the recruiting process.

Blackmon said the highlight of the trip for him was having dinner at Texas de Brazil, a Brazilian steakhouse in Baton Rouge, with the other recruits and coaches.

When asked whether other schools have tried to make a push with National Signing Day approaching, Blackmon said he had heard from the same schools that had spoken with him throughout the recruiting process even prior to his decision, but he has never seriously considered a school other than LSU.