2016 Defensive Lineman Caleb Roddy Commits to LSU

Just a little more than a week after reeled in Greedy Williams, the coaching staff is at again, this time pulling a rising prospect from just down the road in Denham Springs. Three-star Caleb Roddy ended his recruitment tonight and pledged to LSU.

Roddy is a name that didn't stand out on many preseason recruiting lists, but he's garnered a lot of recent interest due to his outstanding size and strong camp performances. He's earned offers from the likes of Arkansas (his former favorite), Texas, Arizona, Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oregon and most of the rest of the Southeast. As a junior Roddy amassed 79 tackles, 20 TFL, 12 sacks, 5 PBU, and 3 FF. Roddy was an All-District 4-5A player last season. He was offered by Ed Orgeron today and immediately pounced.

At 6'5", 241 pounds he's got prototypical SDE size, and room to add good bulk. Frame wise he looks quite similar to current LSU junior Tashawn Bower, whom he reportedly weighs four more pounds than currently. Considering he's already 241 pounds, he could profile nicely as a future 5-tech, depending on how much mass he puts on. Based on his athletic measurables, he projects nicely either there or perhaps as a 3-tech, rather than a LEO. At the Opening in Dallas, Roddy posted the following:

40: 5.98
Short Shuttle: 4.46
Powerball: 37"
Vertical Leap: 31"
SPARQ: 89.64

So he's a good, but not freaky athlete. None of those times/measurements illustrate an overly explosive player, even at 241 pounds. That, to me, indicates a player who may be best suited bulked up and perhaps slid down inside.

The other side of the token is that the staff reportedly worked Roddy at both OL and DL. His long, lean frame fits the profile of the type of OL Grimes prefers. Obviously the transition to OL would be a few years off, but I think that could likely be the case on the DL too, as I'm not sure he's athletic enough to play on the outside.

Let's see what the tape shows:

The primary thing that stands out is Roddy's length. He's a long prospect, not just tall, but with impressive wing span that should help make up for his lack of explosiveness. He bats down quite a few balls with those long arms. He doesn't flash overly impressive get off. I don't see a pure edge rusher here. Interestingly, his HS coaches already make use of moving him around the line.

He's also not much for technique. He doesn't have an array of pass rush moves or anything, but he does do a good job of coming with his hands and keeping blockers off of him. Roddy wins, a lot of the time, by pure effort. I'm guessing that's the characteristic that most drew the staff, specifically Orgeron, to Roddy. The old saying goes, you can't coach effort. No one is going to out hustle Roddy.

What's to come for Roddy? I still see him as a guy that will shift inside or play the 5-tech, assuming Steele does shift LSU into a 4-3 Under look. He reminds me a lot of 2015 signee Isaiah Washington, a similarly big-bodied end that's not a great athlete.

CDub

Sorry wrong Roddy.  My childhood got the best of me.

Coach O continues to stockpile talent in his first year as d-line coach, reeling in a name that will more than likely rise up the rankings once the summer comes to a close.  The 6'5", 241 lb. defensive end Caleb Roddy earned his offer at the LSU camp this past weekend/Monday and wasted very little time in jumping on it.  Roddy becomes the third d-line commit, joining Ed Alexander and Glen Logan, and the first end to join this class.  Ed O is a determined coach and knows what he wants, so after Roddy showed his skills, it didn't take much more to make it all official.

What Roddy Brings to LSU

It doesn't take long to see what makes him stand out.  Roddy is a relentless pass rusher and already employs several moves to get to the quarterback.  When it is a quick release or he just can't get to the QB, he does a great job getting his hands up to knock passes down.  He has good speed and shows solid pursuit to bring down running backs or scrambling quarterbacks.  Roddy has gone up against some good competition at the high school level, providing him some opportunities against better tackles and shown himself well.  He has a solid build that will only get stronger once he gets to the next level and a better weight program.

Two things stand out that could be fixed.  He appears to stand up too quickly after the snap, leaving him flat-footed sometimes.  Roddy can get away with it in high school due to his superior strength and athleticism over the guys blocking him, but it will be something that can be taken advantage of in college.  The other has been his motivation.  It's not something you see in a highlight film but there has been the energy concerns, where you see the elite talent that made him an LSU commit for two plays and then one taken off.  That can be understandable when you are the focal point on your defense, but the consistency will be key in making a player like him become an elite defensive end under Coach O.

What This Means For LSU

The defensive line is far from done from a completed project, but Coach O is off to a solid start, bringing in a 5, 4 and 3 star commit so far with Roddy more than likely to see a rise up the rankings and possibly a fourth star.  With guys like Rashard Lawrence, Stephon Taylor, Andre Anthony and Erick Fowler, amongst many others, Coach O still has his pick of the litter to go after to put together one of the more memorable d-line classes at LSU.  With how the rest of this class is forming, Coach O is doing his part in helping to compile what could wind up being the best class in LSU history.