Report: LSU Offered Duke Star Zion Williamson Football Scholarship Back In 2016

According to ESPN, ex LSU tight end coach Eric Mateos extended a scholarship offer back in 2016 to Duke basketball star Zion Williamson.

Mateos, who is now the offensive line coach at Texas State, gave out the offer while Ed Orgeron was the interim head coach after Les Miles was fired. According to the report, Orgeron didn't know about the offer and the Tigers never heard back from Williamson.

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"Honestly, I just thought it would be really fun and would be good exposure for LSU if we offered him for football. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be too [interested]," Mateos said. "Coach O said go recruit the best athletes in the country, and that's what I tried to do."

"Any time you have an athlete that can generate that much explosive power in a controlled manner, that's a level of elite that translates to a bunch of different football positions," Mateos said.

There are only a few football players who can even begin to compare to someone at 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds with Williamson's leaping ability.

"If he's 285, you're talking a rare specimen, Julius Peppers-type of freak," Mateos said. "I used to think [Jadeveon] Clowney was the biggest freak I'd ever seen. Zion probably brings the same or better athleticism based off what I've seen."

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Williamson was rated one of the top prospect coming out of High School last year. He is averaging 25.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game this season through three games.