LSU Tigers and HC Brian Kelly are fading quickly with a five-

LSU Tigers and HC Brian Kelly are fading quickly with a five-star recruit that they have been the front runner for some time now

The LSU Tigers fading quickly with a priority five-star recruit.

The LSU Tigers and head coach Brian Kelly have been on quite the run on the recruiting trail over the last few weeks. There are still several key 2026 recruiting targets that are still out there, and that includes 2026 Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s School five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray.

LSU has been viewed as the favorite for Gray for some time now. Despite some buzz for other programs recently, there was a sourced piece from Rivals that stated that the Tigers were still confident that they would land the Virginia native in the end. It feels like that could be changing, and quickly.

“Most of the sources I talked to feel South Carolina is the program to beat for Darius Gray.“

“What has South Carolina sitting No. 1? Shane Beamer. He’s led the charge in his recruitment, created an environment around the team Gray loves being around and has put the Gamecocks on a trajectory where the ballyhooed road-grader believes can compete for College Football Playoff spots and beyond.“

If LSU does lose out on Gray, it would be a substantial loss at a major position of need. For South Carolina, it would be a monumental victory. Gray is one of the higher ranked overall offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class.

The Virginia star is currently rated as a five-star player on various rankings, which includes the 247Sports Composite ranking. They have Gray rated right now as the No. 24 overall player, No. 2 interior offensive lineman, and No. 2 player in the state of Virginia.

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but Gray holds over 40 total scholarship offers. Some of the top programs that have pursued him include the Tigers, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Ole Miss, Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida State, Clemson, South Carolina, and Auburn among others.

While Gray plays left tackle on the high school level, he projects very well inside to guard or even center. The 6-3, 285-pounder has the upside to be a dominant presence on the interior. Gray is an impressive overall football player.