Recruiting: Tulane gets commitment from St. Charles Catholic LB Mandel Eugene

Joshua 1:9 #RollWave🌊 pic.twitter.com/Gh2WJpNpcE

— Mandel Eugene Jr.🦅 (@Selfmade_006) June 22, 2020

Tulane has received a verbal commitment from St. Charles Catholic linebacker Mandel Eugene.

Eugene (6-1, 210), a Class 2A all-state selection as a junior, also had offers from New Mexico State and Southland Conference schools. He is the fifth Green Wave commitment for the Class of 2021 and second from the metro area, joining Holy Cross running back Jalen Handy.

“Aside from being a team leader, he’s our leading tackler and can play outside or inside,” said St. Charles Catholic coach Frank Monica, who was an assistant at Tulane from 1979-82 and 1989-96. “He can run and he can hit. They got a heckuva player and a better kid.”

Eugene – whose father Mandel Sr. was a standout at East St. John – heads into his senior campaign with 235 career tackles, including 50 for loss. As a junior, he had 92 stops, including 13 for loss, and three blocked kicks in helping SCC reach the Division III state championship game.

“He flew underneath the radar because of the pandemic,” Monica said, “but Tulane recruited him hard and has been on him since his junior year.”

In Monica’s 20-plus years at SCC, Eugene is the fourth Comet to pledge to Tulane, joining running back Lazedrick Thompson, wide receiver Casey Robottom and linebacker Luke Jackson.