LSU becomes latest to offer Beaufort High star Justin Parker a scholarship

Posted by bparker at 7:53 pm, Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
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After garnering more than a dozen Division I scholarship offers, Beaufort High's Justin Parker received perhaps his most notable bid Wednesday when three-time national champion LSU extended an offer to the standout defenseman.

The Tigers (7-2, ranked ninth in nation) began to show their peaking interest in the state's top linebacker prospect on Tuesday, as coaches contacted Parker for more game film from this season. Prior to this point, Parker said the coaches had evaluated all of his available on various scouting websites as well as tape from the Eagles' first four games.

Apparently, a few more glimpses of Parker, who leads Beaufort High with 121 tackles, including 10 for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception, was all the Tigers needed to see, as defensive coordinator John Chavis contacted Parker's brother, Jeff, with their offer on Wednesday afternoon.

"I never thought it'd come, so I'm pretty excited," Parker said of the LSU offer during a Wednesday phone interview. "I guess they saw more things that they liked on film, like me being able to play inside linebacker, outside linebacker and defensive end. "Before, I've said that this was my dream school, so it was great to get this news," he continued. "I wouldn't say they're my number one school just yet, but trust me, they're definitely in my top five."

Parker said that he is interested in making a trip to Baton Rouge for one of his five official visits, but the University of South Carolina and Clemson still remain atop his list of favorite schools.

The first of these official trips is set to take place this weekend, as Parker said Wednesday that he has finalized plans to officially visit the Gamecocks when they take on No. 1 Florida. Parker has hinted that he could make a verbal commitment in the coming weeks, even before he's taken all of his official recruiting visits. And while he's made no secret of his desire to stay somewhat close to home, he hasn't completely ruled out any school just yet.

"When I said LSU was my dream school, I didn't think it was too far away, but like I always say, how far away a school is from home is a factor," Parker said. "I don't want to be too far from family where I can't just up and go home during a free weekend. That's not the biggest factor because a school like LSU is great to get an offer from, but it's important."

In the meantime, Parker and the Eagles (7-4) will begin postseason play Friday when they travel to Greenwood for the first round of the Class 4-A Division II playoffs.

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