Five-star OT Zalance Heard commits to LSU

Five-star Monroe (La.) Neville offensive tackle Zalance Heard‘s decision is in.

Heard, one of the nation’s best 50 players on the On3 Consensus, committed to LSU in front of a full crowd on hand in the Neville High School auditorium on Thursday. Louisiana’s No. 2 overall player revealed his decision in a similar fashion to former Neville and LSU Tiger Rashard Lawrence back in 2016. Florida, Nebraska, Houston and Florida State were other finalists for the nation’s No. 3-rated offensive tackle.

“I’ve been there four or five times,” Heard told On3. “It’s my home school. It’s in the SEC and it’s a good school. When you have an SEC school right up the road, that’s big.”

“I didn’t care about distance,” he continued, “but I made sure everything was great. LSU is a great program for academics and it’s a great environment.”

Heard chose Thursday to reveal his decision as Neville’s Tigers prepare for a march toward Louisiana’s Superdome in December. For On3’s No. 13 overall player, it felt like the right time to put a bow on his recruitment.

“I struggled. It was hard. It was very hard,” Heard admitted. “I just felt it was about that time. There was no certain thing; I just knew it. It was time to shut it down.”

Belton, Davis make difference for Tigers

Ultimately, Heard’s decision boiled down to LSU and Florida. Offensive line coach Brad Davis recruited the five-star from the time that he was playing on the defensive line at Neville.

“He’s been my guy,” said Heard. “I feel like he’s a guy I can play for, a guy I can see myself playing for.”

Former West Monroe (La.) standout and Director of Recruiting Jon Randall Belton forged arguably the strongest relationship with Heard of any coach throughout his recruitment. He was able to connect with Heard as well as those closest to him.

“We’re 318 guys, so it’s a good connection there,” Heard said. “JR is a good dude. I look at him like a big brother. We have a big brother-little brother relationship. He’s a great dude to be around.”

“Mom was partial. Everybody was. Mom, dad, my sister … everybody was partial,” he continued. “LSU didn’t just talk to me, they talked to my mom and checked up on Mom. They checked up on Dad. They made sure everyone was straight, not just me.”

Education wins over Mom, family

While Heard navigated the process with the help from his family, including his mother, Veronica Faye Heard, the biggest difference from LSU to Florida to Nebraska didn’t come from roster makeup or path to the field. The Heards put a colossal emphasis on academics, a staple for the 6-foot-6, 310-pounder and the rest of his siblings throughout their upbringing.

Ultimately, that’s where the Tigers won.

“I know for a fact that when we visited LSU, they talked about academics tremendously,” Veronica Faye Heard told On3.

Heard referred to Belton as her stepson because of how he was able to connect with her son and what mattered most.

“They honed in academics, on education and what he needed to do in his classes. For Lance, it’s not about the sport. His heart is in it and he loves it, but It was never about the football.” 

Heard is the nation’s No. 3-ranked offensive tackle. On3 is higher on the North Louisiana lineman than the rest of the industry.