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Billy Napier has added another member to his inaugural signing class, bringing the number to 17. The Ragin’ Cajun football team reported that it received a National Letter of Intent from all-Nebraska defensive tackle Masry Mapieu.
Mapieu was formerly 100% committed to the University of Nebraska according to 247Sports, but there was some concern as to whether or not he would academically qualify to play. The choice to switch to the Ragin’ Cajuns was the culmination of a lot of moving parts:
- June 2016: Mapieu commits to Nebraska
- January-February 2018: Nebraska’s staff “backs away” from Mapieu due to academic concerns
- February 2018: Mapieu signs with Iowa Western Community College
- March 2018: Mapieu visits Lafayette, loves it, decides to become a Ragin’ Cajun
Essentially, there was some growing concern as to whether or not Mapieu would be eligible to play for a four-year program out of high school. This spooked the Nebraska coaching staff, allowing Napier to swoop in and secure a strong player for his 2018 defense. Mapieu has said that he was disappointed in the choice by Nebraska, but that he is happy to get the chance to play for the Cajuns.
Mapieu is rated as the number 2 recruit from the state of Nebraska and the number 33 overall recruit for his position in this class according to Rivals. He was recruited by 11 schools in total, receiving offers from 7: Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, South Dakota State, UCF, UCLA, and the Ragin’ Cajuns.