Back to the NCAA Newsfeed

Former LSU Coach Says He Offered Zion Williamson a Football Scholarship

Freshman forward Zion Williamson was recruited by more than a dozen schools before committing to Duke, but one offer was not like the others.

Eric Mateos, who is now the offensive line coach at Texas State, was the tight ends coach at LSU in fall 2016 when he saw Williamson's highlights. The high school star was garnering millions of views from clips of him dunking on YouTube.

So Mateos reached out, offering him a scholarship.

"I thought, hell, why not, he's probably the best damn tight end to ever live," Mateos told ESPN.