The LSU Tigers have secured a dedication from 2026 four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy, he introduced on the Underneath Armour All-America Recreation on Thursday.
McCoy, a 6’6”, 245-pound defensive lineman from Tupelo, Mississippi, selected the Tigers over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers and USC Trojans.
Incomes 19 scholarship presents, which primarily got here from some heavy-hitting SEC colleges, the four-star has shined throughout his highschool profession with lengthy arms, and has been touted as a recruit with excessive potential as he grows each together with his body and technical abilities.
LSU had lengthy been part of McCoy’s recruitment, getting concerned as early as his eighth-grade season, whereas sustaining that connection all through the previous few years. There have been a number of recruiters concerned with McCoy, together with outdoors linebackers coach Kevin Peoples, that finally helped promote him on the connection side to commit.
The Tigers had one of many strongest 2025 recruiting lessons within the nation, as head coach Brian Kelly’s employees put collectively a top-10 class led by five-star cornerback DJ Pickett.
Up entrance, they did add four-star edge rusher Damien Shanklin, a 6’4”, 230-pound recruit from Indianapolis. McCoy follows an identical pattern to that addition, though he’s already greater in measurement with room to develop given his lengthy body.
LSU had lengthy been a supporter this offseason, however the Tigers had seen some main competitors this fall with numerous different colleges seeking to lock in visits with the four-star.
Each the hometown Mississippi State Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels had been concerned, with McCoy getting as much as Oxford on numerous events.
He additionally made journeys as much as USC, Tennessee and Alabama, with the Crimson Tide constantly displaying curiosity after getting McCoy out to a apply final spring. USC made it to McCoy’s preliminary high three, due to a very good relationship between him and defensive position coach Eric Henderson.
However, finally, it was the preliminary staff that proved too arduous to beat out, because the Tigers continued to bolster their 2026 class with some early recruitments.
He joins a 2026 class for the Tigers that already has 5 different commits, together with fellow four-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, four-star security Aiden Corridor, four-star large receiver Kenny Darby, three-star security Jakai Anderson, and three-star offensive lineman Jalan Chapman.
Richard Anderson, a New Orleans, Louisiana, native, has been dedicated to LSU because the summer season, shutting down his recruitment early in June because the Tigers’ first recruit within the 2026 class.
In-state athletes had been an enormous focus early, because the in-state Jakai Anderson, Jalan Chapman, and Aidan Corridor dedicated again in June, July, and August, respectively, after every visited in the summertime.
The final of the commits, in-state four-star large receiver Kenny Darby, joined the body again in November over quite a few different SEC presents, as he dedicated to LSU almost instantly after incomes a scholarship provide.
McCoy turns into the primary non-LSU native to decide to the Tigers within the cycle, and can now be a key constructing block for this system as they proceed to recruit the junior cycle arduous over the approaching months.
