LIU Lands 4th OL from NJ
Stop me if I’ve written this article before.
It sure feels familiar. LIU landing a commitment from an offensive lineman in New Jersey? We haven’t discussed this before?
We have. But it’s never a bad time to check in with what the Sharks are doing in the trenches.
Shaheem Dezonie, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound offensive lineman out of East Orange, New Jersey, has committed to LIU—becoming the fifth member of their 2025 class, and yes, the fifth offensive lineman.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s a signal.
LIU has found an identity in developing players in the trenches, and the momentum is clearly building. Dezonie said what drew him in was the way the coaching staff connected with him early and consistently.
“The thing that made LIU the place for me was the culture and the coach,” Dezonie said. “From day one the coach [was] talking with me and helping me with any questions I had, showing that they really wanted a person like me to play for them.”
For Dezonie, it wasn’t just football. It was familiarity. LIU’s program culture reminded him of the structure and support he experiences at home in East Orange.
“The culture they had there was similar to what I do now with my family over here in East Orange.”
And for players from Jersey- where the football is competitive and the athletes are typically well-prepared- Dezonie’s size and foundation make him a natural fit for LIU’s vision up front. He also singled out two coaches he’s built relationships with: Coach Pace and Coach Merritt (defensive ends/recruiting), underscoring the cross-unit buy-in that likely made LIU’s pitch even stronger.
LIU has now secured pledges from a complete offensive line unit before the first snap of football has been played in 2025. Four of those players hail from New Jersey, and one is from the Empire State. In the NEC, development is how you play high level ball. The Sharks clearly see something they like from athletes in their backyard, and the feeling is obviously mutual. They’ve got the line of the future already set to come to Long Island next fall. It’s strong work from the Sharks early on, who have the most commitments in the NEC to this point.
There’s still a long way to go before National Signing Day, but with five OL commits and counting, LIU is making a clear statement: the path forward starts in the trenches.
