2024 Signing Day: LSU Signs Top 100 Safety Dashawn McBryde

Brian Kelly and Co. received a signature from Denham Springs (La.) 4-star Louisiana native Dashawn McBryde on Wednesday after the No. 4 safety in America made it official with the Tigers.

For the Bayou Bengals, to secure an in-state rising star of McBryde’s caliber is a massive win for this program as they continue building their roster for the long haul.

But what are the Tigers getting in their latest signee?

A dive into a few traits that can help LSU sooner rather than later:

Ball Hawk

It’s rare for a defensive back to have soft hands and make the highlight reel play as routinely as McBryde does. He plays the ball at its highest point and can come up with the interception on most outings.

During his junior campaign, McBryde set his school’s single season record for interceptions (9), which helped land him All-State honors this past year.

The unique ability of being in the right place at the right time is what propelled him to add his name in the history books. For McBryde, the film doesn’t lie as he continues sharpening his skill set and reading the defense like a book.

Physical Traits

Already at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, the junior defensive back attains the size and length of a player prepared for the next level. McBryde is long and strong. A guy who will benefit after putting on another 15-20 pounds, his physical traits so young is something this program has to be salivating over.

We’ve seen the results this strength and conditioning program has achieved. Jayden Daniels alone is someone who has lived in the weight room, coming to Baton Rouge at 190 pounds and ending his first 12-14 months on campus at 210 pounds.

For someone like McBryde, his physical traits are outstanding and will only benefit this program moving forward as he continues putting on more size.

Versatility

McBryde is a gifted safety but also has the ability to line up in other slots due to his speed and athleticism. He’s set to thrive at safety given the way he reads the defense and can cover ground with his V8 engine speed, but McBryde can realistically be a plug-in anywhere in the secondary.

When we look at Javien Toviano, he’s a hybrid that will play all over for the Tigers. From safety to cornerback to nickel, the freshman made an impact any way, shape or form he could, and McBryde could be used in the same way once on campus.

Defensive coordinator Matt House is a coach who puts his players in position to be successful. He allowed Harold Perkins to line up in various slots during his first season with the program, and when it comes to McBryde, he’ll thrive at safety, but his versatility is something that can be utilized long term if need be.

Final Thoughts

McBryde is a gamer. A player who is beginning to hit his stride at the perfect time after wrapping up his prep career, his game is coming together rather quickly. For Kelly and Co. to reel in a player of his caliber is big-time for this program.

Keeping a Louisiana native home is always a win and reloading the secondary for the future with a player like McBryde only helps keep the “DBU” tradition alive in Death Valley.