2022 LSU Football Recruit Shone Washington Ready to Get Back to Work After Sitting Sophomore Year
Shone Washington has been to LSU only a few times. The New Orleans native and Warren Easton defensive tackle, is a highly coveted prospect in the 2022 class, earning offers from Alabama, Florida, Texas, USC, Texas A&M and the Tigers in the last three months alone.
Washington visited LSU's campus as a freshman for a camp and then again on Junior Day just a few weeks before the entire sports world was put on pause. Yet of all the schools that have made recent offers to the rising junior, Washington says LSU is the most persistent.
"Since we've been off due to the coronavirus, I haven't been speaking as much with a lot of the other colleges, it's mainly been LSU," Washington said. "So over the coming weeks and months I just want to continue to build that relationship with the coaching staff."
Washington picked up an offer from LSU back on Mar. 8 and has mainly spoken with coach Ed Orgeron and defensive line coach Bill Johnson, the two leaders of the defensive line.
"Coach O and coach Johnson really want me," Washington said. "They love my freshman tape, that's all they bring up. As a freshman I was playing aggressive and I've been able to use that to help in other areas of my game."
As a freshman at John Ehret High School, Washington impressed with his physical gifts, helping lead the Patriots to a 5A semifinal appearance. The now 6-foot-4, 297-pound lineman transferred to Warren Easton in the fall of his sophomore year and had to sit out due to transfer rules.
It's why the LSU staff could only be enamored with his freshman tape, but he's been working the entire offseason to continue to add elements to his game.
"I've been working on my pass rush moves, I have a lot of moves in the toolbox," Washington said. "Whether it's the jab, the cut, the rip, I feel like I'm more versatile than I ever was as a freshman."
Washington was invited to the "Under Armor Elite Underclassmen" camp in Vicksburg, Mississippi on June 14 to showcase his talents. The goal, outside of surviving the intense heat, was to hopefully perform well enough in drills to earn an offer to the Under Armor Future 50 game.
After having to sit out a year and with this being the first recruiting camp in months, Washington wanted to make sure to leave a strong impression with the evaluators.
"I think I did great out there today because I've been working extremely hard while we've been off," Washington said. "I've been focusing on getting my hips right, getting my movement right. I've been working on footwork mainly and just getting right for the season."
Camps like the "Under Armor Elite Underclassmen" are always a great way of seeing how prospects stack up against one another. For Washington, getting to pick the brains of his fellow defensive linemen is an opportunity he never passes up.
"It's great because there's a lot of competition out here, we're all out here for the same thing, to get better and get invited to the Future 50 game," Washington said.
As it pertains to his recruitment, Washington is still in that relationship building stage with these different programs. Because the offers are still flooding in for Washington, he doesn't plan on whittling down his list of preferred teams until at least the start of his senior season.
"From everything I've seen from LSU, playing there would be an amazing experience," Washington said. "Really, right now that's my dream school and we'll see what happens. I definitely love the program coach O has built though."
