Brian Kelly assesses the positional versatility of Da'Shawn Womack

LSU landed a freakish EDGE rusher in Da’Shawn Womack out of the 2023 recruiting cycle, and head coach Brian Kelly is already making plans on how to utilize his services as a potential instant-impact player for the Tigers.

Standings at 6-foot-5 and 266-pounds, Womack has the ability to play both the edge either as an EDGE rusher or as an outside linebacker.

“I think he has some flexibility as a guy that can play the big end position, but we haven’t ruled out how we play him,” Kelly said. “Is he a stand-up, two-point player in a manner that he’s 100 percent of the time a jack linebacker? No, probably not. That doesn’t mean that we can’t be in four down and he can’t stand up and drop back in a limited fashion to change the looks up because he is so athletic.

“His athletic ability still lends itself to having some of the traits necessary to put him in a hybrid position.”

Womack is a consensus top 50 player nationally for the Class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He is ranked No. 5 overall at his position and is the No. 1 player in his home state of Maryland.

Before heading to Baton Rouge, Womack racked up 48 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and recovered 5 fumbles while leading St. Frances Academy to an 8-1 record, including a win over IMG Academy in the season finale. He also blocked a field goal and scored a touchdown for his squad before heading off to the next level.

His efforts earned him a spot in the Under Armour All-American game, though he did not participate in the event after undergoing off-season surgery. He is still recovering from the ailment through spring training.

“He’s everything,” St. Frances Academy coach Messay Hailemariam said of Womack. “He’s athletic, big. Has an unbelievable future in the game. He’s learning how to be a leader. He’s embraced this platform and opportunity. I see nothing but greatness for him.”

By his coach’s accounts, Womack is going to be a freakish athlete and fits right into the mold of what you expect an SEC edge protector to look like, and to play like. Still, Womack is one of the more polished pass rushers in an already strong group of EDGEs in the 2023 recruiting cycle and could provide an instant boost to Kelly’s defense.