Missouri lands four-star linebacker Antonio Doyle for Tigers’ third pledge of the week

Barry Odom’s first defensive pledge in the 2020 class came in grand fashion Saturday night.

Four-star linebacker Antonio Doyle from Lutheran North High School in St. Louis. announced his commitment to the program, capping off a wild week for Odom. The Tigers landed three pledges in seven days, including tailback Dominique Johnson and offensive lineman Ray Curry. Missouri’s class now consists of seven recruits, with five of them hailing from the St. Louis area.

“I’ve always said Missouri is recruiting St. Louis really hard,” Carl Reed, Lutheran North’s head coach said. “When you plant those seeds, you’re starting to see them sprout.”

Considered one of the state’s top players, Doyle chose MU while on an official visit over offers from Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M and LSU, among others. ESPN has Doyle ranked as the No. 88 player nationally and third-best prospect in the state. Doyle is the second Lutheran North player to commit to MU in recent years, joining incoming offensive lineman Jack Buford and third player under Reed. Reed coached current MU linebacker Ronnell Perkins at University City before taking the job at Lutheran North. Doyle had a visit to Texas A&M planned for late June, but Reed said he’s unsure if Doyle will still take it.

Reed said Doyle is “the total package,” and considers him one of the best linebackers in the country. Reed said Doyle can play all three linebacker positions and compared him to former Alabama and current New England Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower. He considers Doyle the biggest name MU has landed out of St. Louis since Jeremy Maclin or Sheldon Richardson.

“He’s dominant against the run, he’s dominant in the passing game,” Reed said. “He has NFL size. He has very few weaknesses.”

This story was originally published June 8, 2019 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Missouri lands four-star linebacker Antonio Doyle for Tigers’ third pledge of the week."