McCallum goes West
- Updated: June 25, 2018
SEC West, that is; Oxford linebacker makes pledge to LSU in a commitment video Monday morning
By John Garcia Jr.
247Sports
OXFORD — “Baton Rouge, here I come.”
And with that simple declaration Monday, Oxford linebacker Kendall McCallum confirmed his commitment to continuing his college football career.
The imposing inside linebacker announced his college commitment to LSU in an exclusive video with 247Sports after narrowing his list of offers from one dozen down to Southeastern Conference members LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri.
The Tigers entered the race for his services earlier this year with an offer extended on Feb. 6, followed by Ole Miss later that month and Missouri some time thereafter.
The 6-3, 235-pound McCallum, a relative unknown in the college recruiting world before this year, also picked up offers from Louisville, Wake Forest, Memphis, Florida Atlantic, Troy, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Arkansas and Tulane thanks to a break junior campaign.
He admitted the group of finalists began to separate themselves from the pack this spring following unofficial visits to both LSU and Ole Miss. A trip to Missouri failed to materialize before a public verbal commitment was to be made.
The rising senior has some connections to two of the programs within his finalists – also hailing from Oxford.
With LSU, it was former Yellow Jacket and Tiger linebacker and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer Kwon Alexander. McCallum has known Alexander the majority of his life, although he admitted the NFLer has not pushed of oversold LSU in their recent communication.
The Ole Miss connection is with Trae Elston. The former Rebels safety, most recently listed at the position with the Miami Dolphins, also has been in fairly consistent contact with McCallum about the process and atmosphere in Oxford, Miss.
Known for his power upon contact, McCallum embraces the expectation of making considerable collision on Friday nights. In fact, physically imposing his will against the opponent to set the tone is a part of his goals every game. It’s something college coaches have noticed and hope to see carry over once the primary competition shifts to Saturday.
“One of my biggest strengths right now is that I’m not afraid to put my head in the hole,” he told 247Sports earlier this year. “When I hit, I’m literally trying to take somebody’s head off.”
McCollum is a top 25 inside linebacker prospect in the industry-generated 247Sorts Composite rankings for the Class of 2019. He ranks No. 22 among inside linebacker projections and top 25 among Alabama senior prospects.
As a junior he registered 105 tackles (72 solo), 12 for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.
John Garcia Jr. is a writer for 247Sports. This story used by permission.
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