LSU Courts Middle Schooler

July 27, 2012 / Football

By David Helman

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8199497/soon-8th-grader-dylan-moses-offered-lsu-tigers-scholarship

&&codeblock4&&Last week, a hopeful prospect showed up at LSU’s July football camp. He posted an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash, and he earned a scholarship offer from the Tigers’ coaching staff for his efforts.

It’s a scene that plays out on college campuses every single summer, although this offer was different for one main reason — Dylan Moses has yet to start eighth grade.

Considering the Tigers are only just starting to hand out offers to members of the Class of 2014, it came as a bit surprise for a 2017 prospect to get one.

“I was kind of shocked when I first heard it — it was a dream come true,” Moses, 14, said. “I’ve always wanted to play for LSU since I was a kid, and now it’s coming true in front of my eyes.”

If it is a dream for Moses, it was also a dream for his father, Edward Moses — albeit not one he expected to come true so soon. When the Tigers’ staff approached him about offering Dylan a scholarship, the plan seemed too good to be true.

“The coaches told me they were offering — and they were serious. I thought they were playing,” Edward Moses said. “Really, I thought that they were joking around until I saw the serious look on their faces. So I rolled with it. Let’s see where it’s going to end up.”

Much has been made of the offer since word got out the Tigers were interested in a soon-to-be eighth grader. Indeed, even if he accepted the offer, Dylan Moses couldn’t officially sign with LSU for another five years.

His workout numbers certainly don’t reflect that youth. In addition to the blistering 40 time, the 6-foot, 205-pound middle schooler posted a broad jump of 9 feet, 3 inches and a 34-inch vertical leap. Impressive as they were, the latter two weren’t so surprising to his father.

“I already knew that he could jump the 34-inch vertical, and we were actually working toward 9 feet in the broad jump. I didn’t think it was going to come then, but I felt it coming,” Edward Moses said. “The 40 — that blew me away. I wasn’t expecting a 4.46 40-yard dash.”

The trip to LSU’s camp wasn’t even supposed to be a significant one. Dylan said he’s been attending camps on campus since he was 10 years old.

“He runs track right now, and the week of that camp was his break week. So we just took that weekend to go to the camp so he could participate in the drill,” Edward Moses said. “I just thought it was going to be another trip to LSU camp and then back to track.”

Despite being good enough to earn a scholarship offer to LSU, Dylan won’t be old enough to play varsity this fall at LSU Laboratory School, located on the university’s campus. Instead, the Tigers’ youngest target will play eighth grade football.

But with a long road ahead, both father and son acknowledged it’s a step in the right direction.

“It means that all my hard work is paying off. All the two-a-days and practices from when I was six on up, it’s paying off right now,” Dylan Moses said.

Said Edward: “It’s a matter of continuing to develop toward that point. Because Lord only knows where we’re going to wind up at the end.”

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