LOCAL LiVING: Coach Odums stays local on National Signing Day

Signing new blood onto the roster has always sparked a certain brew of life for the Southern University football team locker room and the public.
What’s significant about this year’s recruits is that SU head coach, Dawson Odums used the “tank of gas” method.
The “tank of gas” method means only finding recruits that can be reached only using a tank of gas or less. Odums zeroed in on his method on National Signing Day reveal ceremony at the Royal Cotillion Ballroom earlier this month when 13 of the 24 players hail from Louisiana.
Even better, was that four of the players could be reached by bicycle or even by foot if Odums and his staff would have chosen that approach.
Among the players, two are from Southern Lab: quarterback Bladrick Veal and running back Darbbeon Profit also two from neighboring Scotlandville: defensive back Bryce Beekman and linebacker Caleb Carter.
Odums was tremendously excited about his method proving successful when he said, “This is the first time since I’ve been here that I’ve been able to get this many players from our own backyard in Baton Rouge.”
“It’s so great to get this many players right across the street. That’s huge. There’s a lot of talent at Southern Lab, and there’s a lot of talent at Scotlandville. I really think that’s it’s a great opportunity for them, and I think it’s a great opportunity for them, and I think it’s the right time to be at Southern University.”
But with other signees from Donaldsonville, New Orleans, Loreauville and Shreveport, Odums was ecstatic to have statewide appearance.
“The plan from Day One was to use the tank of gas philosophy,” said Odums, ‘and it’s starting to pay off. When you continue to knock on doors of high schools in the state of Louisiana and you keep going back, you’re building relationships with the coaches and they start trusting you with their players.”
The class has an even amount of offensive and defensive players being 11.
Southern signed two defensive tackles, which were a need.
“We addressed a really big need at defensive tackle,” said Odums, “and we have two really big guys.”
And statiscally, the players are 6-3, 334 pound Lee Castille from Loreauville and 6-2 285 pound Dakavian Champion from Houston.
Also they wanted to make sure linebackers were fine where the depth chart was tested last season due to injury.
“We had some guys go down at linebacker last year,” Odums said. “We really needed to address depth at that position.”
The area of the defense with the biggest infusion of talent is the secondary, which Oliver will oversee. He’ll have five newcomers to blend into the mix.
On offense, Southern landed just one lineman — Jeremiah Abby from Atlanta — leaving the one void in the class. Odums said he hopes to beef up that area in the spring.
Much of the focus on offense was long-term. The Jaguars signed five running backs even though Lenard Tillery, the school’s all-time leading rusher, returns next season. His two primary backups — John West and LonDres Johnson — will be graduating next season.
“Next year we won’t have to put an emphasis on running backs, because we really took care of next year’s class this year,” Odums said.
Even though Southern has two juniors at quarterback in Austin Howard and Deonte Shorts, it signed two newcomers in Veal and Darquez Lee from Shelby, North Carolina.
“You get a chance to come in and develop from a guy who’s been in the system and get ready for your opportunity to take over,” Odums said. “More competition will make everybody in that room better.”
As for the class as a whole, Odums is hopeful that the recruits from the neighborhood are part of a trend that will grow.
“When you continue to be successful and those guys are successful once they get here,” said Odums, “you’re going to see more guys follow in their footsteps.”