When it came to looking for a potential replacement to current All-SEC place-kicker Cade York, LSU cast a wide net and extended scholarship offers to two of the nation’s top three prospects.
When LSU didn’t get a bite on the first one, the Tigers were more than glad to take a commitment this week from Nathan Dibert of Hartland, MI., the second-rated place-kicker in the Class of 2022 and a five-star prospect.
“I had a great experience and felt like it was home after I left,” Dibert told Tiger Details.com of his visit to LSU on June 13 and workout with special teams coordinator Greg McMahon.
Dibert gave LSU its first commitment since April 15th when tight end Jake Johnson of Watkinsville, Ga. pledged to the Tigers, whose 12-member class is rated fourth by 247Sports.com.
Dibert is the first special teams’ member in LSU’s class and third out-of-state prospect to choose the Tigers who have been able to rely on a fertile state crop with nine commitments to build a consensus Top 5 group nationally.
York, a second team All-American by the Football Writers Association in 2019, earned first team All-SEC honors this past season with 18 field goals in 21 attempts. He’s also moving into his junior season where the native of Texas will be draft eligible.
That made LSU’s search for another scholarship kicker imperative and after extending an offer to Florida’s Will Bettridge who remains uncommitted, the Tigers turned to Dibert with an overture a week later.
LSU got a look at Dibert during a workout in Baton Rouge nearly three weeks ago. Not only did he show off a strong left leg on field goals, but he’s also the nation’s No. 21 rated punter by Kohl’s Kicking and handles kickoffs.
The Tigers made their pitch with a scholarship offer on June 29 and Dibert obliged with his commitment on Thursday.
Dibert has enjoyed a busy spring and summer of workouts with trips to Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Akron, Michigan and Cincinnati. He’s also taken part in kicking camps put on by both Kohl’s which included a trip to Chicago for a May Midwest Showcase.
He also cemented his five-star status at Kornblue’s Fab50 Camp in May where he enjoyed a successful stretch of field goals at one point from 55, 57 and 60 yards.
Dibert averaged 55.9 yards per kickoff with 17 touchbacks in 2019. He followed that with an average of 58.7 yards per kickoff and 17 touchbacks during last season’s 3-4 record which included Hartland’s 21-16 first-round playoff loss.
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