Touted Florida LB DeMario Tolan Makes Final Decision

After the LSU Tigers parted ways with Ed Orgeron, Dr. Phillips (Fla.) linebacker DeMario Tolan, a longtime LSU pledge, had to reassess his recruitment. Along with his family, Tolan visited multiple schools, including Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia. The coveted linebacker prospect has continued to mull over his options and has officially announced his final decision to stick with the Tigers during a ceremony at his school.

"Really, at first he (Coach Kelly) loved Coach Baker, and I love Coach Baker, and he said whoever comes in is going to have his type of personality and care for the players that he recruits and wants, so that was big for me to see how that would be," Tolan said of his decision to stick with the Tigers in the end. 

"It was the most important visit, I would say," Tolan said of how important last weekend's trip to LSU factored into the final decision. "It was really the determining factor on if I was going to stay at LSU."

The focus of the trip was getting to see how he could connect with Brian Kelly, and the new LSU head coach knocked it out of the park. 

"Really, it was getting to see how Coach Kelly was going to treat me and how he was going to try and change the team and how everything is going to work out under him," Tolan said of this. "I felt like I could trust his decisions with everything, and I am not really as worried now." 

There is no doubt, Tolan is an integral part of this LSU class, and Kelly let that be known. 

"He says I am an important piece because I am the only linebacker in the class right now," Tolan said of the new LSU Head Coach's message to him. "He said I am a need there, and he really wants me to stay there with my commitment." 

Now, Tolan will get to live out the dream of playing in the SEC, and he is excited about getting to his future home. 

"I will never go somewhere without giving my all, and now that I am locked in, it is going to be that forever."