2021 Cornerback Kamari Lassiter Talks Lingering Recruitment Decision, Latest in Regards to LSU Football
Growing up with in Tuscaloosa, with Alabama in his back yard, Kamari Lassiter of course cheered on the Crimson Tide. But whenever he wanted to watch phenomenal defensive back play, it was the LSU Tigers he'd always tune into.
From Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu to Jamal Adams and most recently Grant Delpit, Lassiter knew that watching LSU DB’s would help in his development on the football field.
"Tyrann Mathieu was my favorite player," Lassiter said. "I like to pick apart film from a lot of different players whether it's Mathieu or Patrick Peterson, Jalen Ramsey, Marcus Peters, all of those guys. They're all so patient, they're so good at baiting the quarterback. I'm a very impatient person so that's something I'm trying to work on."
Whether he's impatient or not, some of the top programs in the country are recruiting the 2021 cornerback out of American Christian High School.
Lassiter recently dropped a top-six schools that included LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State and Georgia Tech. All of those schools have done a phenomenal job of staying in touch according to Lassiter, who revealed he may cut his list down one more time before committing.
In regards to LSU specifically, Lassiter speaks with the Tigers' coaching staff weekly and he's always learning something new about the program or the school itself.
"I really enjoy talking with LSU, building a relationship with coach [Corey] Raymond and Coach O and I believe LSU is a really good school both academically and athletically," Lassiter said. "They tell me it's DBU and that's obvious. They tell me the players that come out of LSU speak for themselves and they really just want me to feel comfortable with the academic side of things."
Though it was discussed pretty early on in the recruiting process, Lassiter said LSU likes that he's aggressive, he plays smart and that he's a ball hawk with a knack for making plays. The ideal role for Lassiter if he were to choose the Tigers would be to play on the outside because of his physicality and build.
Since the end of his 2019 season, Lassiter has been working out like crazy to make sure he's ready for his senior year. He's added about 15 pounds of muscle and improved his speed as well.
"I've been working on my man coverage very heavily and I think I'm ready to put on a show this season," Lassiter said. "My teammate has a garage filled with every kind of weights we needed so we'd get up and five days a week go workout with bench, power cleans, squats and just everything. I've really just worked on my hips and trying to get them nice and fluid to help with change in direction."
While patience is something that Lassiter is also continuing to work on, he feels his smarts on and off the field keep him level headed as he never puts himself in a position to be beat on a play because of impulsiveness.
On a typical game week, Lassiter estimates he'll spend upwards of 20 hours studying up on his opponent for that Friday.
"I study my opponents, before a game I'll spend all week studying up on my opponent and making sure I'm using every one of his weaknesses to my advantage," Lassiter said. "My film study has grown a lot since my freshman year because I've come to realize just how important that mental aspect to the game is."
With his senior year rapidly approaching, Lassiter wants to have his commitment wrapped up before Aug. 21, which means he won't be able to get down to Baton Rouge for a visit. Currently the recruiting dead period is extended through Aug. 31 and with the 2020 season starting on time growing less and less likely by the day, getting down for a game will be equally difficult.
"I'm really just paying attention to the way the faculty and staff are communicating because that's the biggest factor," Lassiter said. "All of the facilities are going to be nice but it's the relationships that are important to me, a relationship you can trust."
Playing in a big SEC environment like LSU is something Lassiter certainly craves but he still wants to find the best fit for him. The potential of playing in Baton Rouge in particular is one of the many stadiums and fan bases he could see himself playing for.
"That stadium, the night games look amazing, that atmosphere looks unbeatable," Lassiter said. "It's something I'm looking into and an experience that definitely would be one of a kind."
