of LSU Tigers He announced at Thursday's Under Armor All-America Game that he had secured a contract with 2026 four-star defensive lineman Jaraylan McCoy.
McCoy, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound defensive lineman from Tupelo, Mississippi, chose the Tigers over the team. alabama crimson tide, volunteer tennessee and the USC Trojans.
A four-star player with 19 scholarship offers, mostly from SEC powerhouse schools, he shined in high school with his long arms and is a recruit with high potential as he grows both physically and technically. A skill that has been touted as
LSU has long been involved in McCoy's recruiting efforts, starting with his eighth-grade season and maintaining that connection over the past few years. McCoy had several recruiters involved, including outside linebackers coach Kevin Peoples, who ultimately helped sell him on the relationship side to commit.
The Tigers' 2025 recruiting class is one of the strongest in the nation as head coach Brian Kelly's staff has put together a top-10 class led by five-star cornerback DJ Pickett.
Up front, they added four-star edge rusher Damian Shanklin, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound rookie from Indianapolis. McCoy follows a similar trend with that addition, but given his long frame, he's already bulky and has room to grow.
LSU has been a long-time supporter this offseason, but the Tigers were experiencing some significant competition this fall with many other schools looking to secure a visit with the four-star player.
Local Mississippi State Bulldogs Ole Miss Rebels McCoy approached Oxford multiple times.
He has also made trips to USC, Tennessee and Alabama, and the Crimson Tide has shown consistent interest in McCoy since taking him to practice last spring. USC rose to McCoy's first top-three spot thanks to McCoy's good relationship with defensive line coach Eric Henderson.
But in the end, it was the first team that proved too difficult to beat as the Tigers continued to strengthen their 2026 class with early reinforcements.
He joins the Tigers' 2026 class, which also includes four-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, four-star safety Aiden Hall, four-star wide receiver Kenny Darby, and three-star safety Jakai Anderson and three-star offensive lineman Jarran Chapman.
Richard Anderson, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, committed to LSU in the summer and became the Tigers' first recruit in the Class of 2026, ending his recruitment in early June.
In-state athletes have received a lot of attention from the beginning, with in-state athletes Jakai Anderson, Jalan Chapman and Aidan Hall visiting in the summer, followed by June, July and August respectively. I have returned.
The last to commit, in-state four-star wide receiver Kenny Darby, committed to LSU immediately after earning a scholarship offer, beating out many other SEC offers to join the slot in November. Ta.
McCoy becomes the first non-LSU graduate to commit to the Tigers this cycle and will be a key component of the program over the next few months as the Tigers continue to diligently recruit junior cycles.
