High School Coach: "Zeiqui Lawton Will Play on Sundays"

South Charleston defensive end, Zeiqui Lawton, is one of the top rated players in the Mountain State and the country and is one that is being recruited nationally by several Power Five schools, including West Virginia.

The state of West Virginia often times gets knocked for the lack of talent that makes it to the Division I level, but despite what the critics say, there is some really and I mean really strong talent in the state. In the 2021 recruiting class alone the state of West Virginia has two of the best players in the entire country at their respective position - offensive lineman Wyatt Milum (Spring Valley) and cornerback Isaiah Johnson (Bluefield).

Lawton (6'3", 240 lbs) continues to catch the eye of several Power Five schools as the offers keep pouring in. Currently, Lawton holds offers from Appalachian State, Liberty, Eastern Kentucky, Cincinnati, Illinois, Louisville, Marshall, Oregon, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Recently, I spoke with Scott Canada, who is an assistant coach at South Charleston High School and coaches the cornerbacks and safeties. Although he doesn't necessarily work with Lawton during practices, he sees the immense talent that he possesses and what makes him special.

"I would say Zeiqui’s best attributes are his strength, athleticism and knowledge of the game. He sees things during a game and makes adjustments most kids his age don’t know how to do. It’s what makes him an elite prospect. He could easily be a Division I running back, he’s that good! He has progressed over the last four years from his freshman season in ability and maturity. As a freshman, he was a big kid that oozed potential. Now, he is a guy that wants to be the most dominant player on the field each week. He takes it as a challenge if you say 'this guy' is supposed to be the best in the state or in the country," Canada said.

Even as the amount of Division I talent continues to increase in the state of West Virginia, many are still skeptical about those kids actually becoming a prominent piece of a major program. There has been some gems, but there have also been some big time busts. In the case of Zeiqui Lawton, Canada believes there is nothing that warrants any sort of concern.

"As far as impact on the next level, I think he will grow into a more vocal leader. I know he will give whatever school he ends up at everything he has in his body. I think he will continue to grow and play multiple positions on defense like he has for us. I think we could see him on Sundays if he continues to put the work in through college. Just a great kid that I appreciate having the pleasure of coaching the last few years."

For the most part, Lawton has kept his recruitment pretty silent and doesn't spend as much time on social media as other recruits - that's because he is focused on the task at hand and isn't worried about soaking in the glamour of being a top recruit. However, Lawton did recently tweet that he will be releasing his top list of schools soon, one that should likely see the Mountaineers on it.

As far as where Lawton goes will remain to be seen, but one thing is for sure - there is no doubt in his ability to become an impact player.

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