Five-star OT Zalance Heard sets commitment date

Right before Zalance Heard leads Monroe (La.) Neville out for his senior season, the five-star offensive tackle will make his college decision.

Heard, the nation’s No. 13 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle, will reveal his college commitment on September 1. The Louisiana lineman is the No. 3-rated player at his position and is down to five teams: LSU, Nebraska, Florida, Houston and Florida State.

Heard visited LSU and Nebraska in June and recently toured through both Gainesville and Tallahassee last month, and left the Swamp with an offer from the Gators. The in-state Tigers are leading the way on the On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder will announce his college decision in Neville’s high school gym in a similar fashion to Rashard Lawrence several years ago. Heard and Neville kick off the 2023 football season that Friday on the road against Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian in a clash of Northern Louisiana state powers.

Heard is the No. 52 overall player according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 is higher on the Louisiana offensive tackle than the rest of the recruiting industry — nationally, in-state and positionally.