Tag: Dominick McKinley

LSU DT earns honor from SEC after Oklahoma performance

LSU true freshman defensive tackle emerging as a key difference maker, earning honors from SEC.

LSU football’s [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] capped his first season with a strong performance against Oklahoma. On Monday, the SEC rewarded McKinley with the Freshman of the Week award.

Following the win, LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said McKinley was unblockable. McKinley came up big with two sacks and three stops on the night.

His three sacks are tied for most among true freshman defensive tackles in the Power Four. A five-star in LSU’s 2024 class, McKinley is starting to emerge as a key part of LSU’s future.

LSU needed an influx of talent at defensive tackle. McKinley was the headliner of a strong defensive line class that also included Ahmad Breaux. Both were ready to contribute early.

McKinley didn’t enroll early and dealt with an injury throughout fall camp. Considering that, he’s ahead of schedule in his development. With a full offseason under defensive line coach Bo Davis, McKinley can be an all-conference caliber player.

LSU needs its defense to take another step forward next year. The emergence of McKinley should give LSU confidence in that happening.

Does LSU have a shot with Jahkeem Stewart 48 hours out from signing day?

Does LSU still have a shot to sign Jahkeem Stewart — the top-ranked recruit in Louisiana?

Signing day is less than 48 hours away and the top player in Louisiana is still on the board.

DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], a New Orleans native, is ranked as the No. 16 overall recruit in the class and No. 3 at his position. Stewart was originally the top-ranked recruit in 2026 before reclassifying to 2025.

He remains uncommitted, making him LSU’s top target in these final hours.

Momentum was not on LSU’s side the last few weeks as reports indicated Stewart was likely to leave the state.

But according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Stewart took a visit to LSU last week, and this one isn’t over.

Five-stars from Louisiana typically don’t leave the state. [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] was the top recruit in Louisiana last year and was originally committed to Texas A&M, but LSU was persistent and earned McKinley’s commitment on New Year’s Day.

LSU will hope Stewart’s recruitment mirrors McKinley’s.

With Frank Wilson and Bo Davis leading the recruiting charge for LSU, the Tigers have the firepower to pull it off. And with Underwood out of the picture, LSU has money to spend too.

LSU signed a good defensive tackle class last year, but it remains a position of need as Brian Kelly tries to restack his defense.

LSU closed the year with back-to-back wins, restoring some momentum to the program. I’d still bet Stewart heads elsewhere, but Stewart donning the purple and gold can’t be ruled out.

Should LSU be worried about five-star Jahkeem Stewart going out of state?

Jahkeem Stewart is one of the best prospects in the state of Louisiana. Should LSU worry about him heading elsewhere?

LSU rarely lets elite talent leave Louisiana. When there’s a five-star in the boot, more often than not, they end up at LSU.

Last year, LSU signed [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag]. Both five stars and the two best players the state had to offer.

LSU is hoping to do the same in 2025. The Tigers already have two of Louisiana’s top three players committed, but DL [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] remains on the board.

Stewart was previously the top-ranked overall prospect in the class of 2026 before reclassifying to 2025. Still, Stewart is a “can’t miss” prospect. If you saw how LSU looked up front in the loss to Alabama, you saw why LSU needs a guy like Stewart.

The transfer portal is nice, but the most effective way to build an elite defensive line is to get blue-chip players in at the high school level and develop those guys. LSU hasn’t done that in recent years.

Even the Tigers’ best pass rusher now, Bradyn Swinson, is a transfer. You won’t find five Swinson’s in the portal, which makes it critical to land talent right out of high school.

Stewart is far from an LSU lock. The On3 Prediction Machine still has LSU in front of Oregon, Ohio State, and USC. But if I was taking LSU or the field, I’d take the field.

Stewart was on campus for the Alabama game. Prior to the visit, On3 wrote LSU “had some ground to make up.”

The momentum doesn’t seem to be in LSU’s favor with this one, but at the end of the day, Stewart is a top prospect out of New Orleans and that always gives LSU a chance.

But I don’t think LSU fans should feel great about this one right now.

Brian Kelly’s staff has recruited Louisiana in his time at LSU so missing out on Stewart shouldn’t defined Kelly’s efforts in Louisiana, but it would reflect poorly on LSU if it can’t close out on an elite prospect at a position of need.

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4 things we’ve learned about LSU in 2024

LSU is halfway through its regular season. Here’s four things we’ve learned about the Tigers.

We’re already halfway through the college football regular season. LSU has six games down with six more to go.

LSU’s first six games didn’t lack intrigue. LSU’s played four games against Power Four opponents and three came down to the wire. LSU came up short against USC in Week 1 but staged comebacks against South Carolina and Ole Miss to jump out to a 2-0 start in conference play.

After the Ole Miss upset, LSU is up to No. 8 in the AP Poll, five spots better than where it began the year at No. 13.

Given all that LSU lost after 2023, a 5-1 start is impressive. You can’t make the playoff in the first six games, but you can get knocked out of it. LSU did enough to stay alive and remain in the thick of the playoff race.

Here, we’ll look at five things we’ve learned about LSU in these last seven weeks. We had a lot of questions about this group entering the year and now with a good sample size to look at, many have been answered.

The receiver depth is even better than we thought

Receiver was somewhat of a question for LSU after losing [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] That type of production is hard to replace in one offseason, but LSU is managing just fine with a plethora of talented options.

[autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] leads the way with 30 catches for 463 yards. His five-catch, 111-yard performance vs. Ole Miss made it back-to-back 100-yard games for the fifth-year senior.

[autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] is enjoying a breakout year with 30 catches for 452 yards. Both marks rank in the top 10 among SEC receivers.  Transfers [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag] and [autotag]Zavion Thomas[/autotag] are both making impacts too.

Along with the receivers, tight end [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] leads all SEC tight ends with 33 receptions.

This group doesn’t have the same explosiveness element as last year’s, but it’s deep and dependable.

Defensive development is ahead of schedule

LSU brought in a new staff on the defensive side of the ball, hoping to accelerate the development and get the most out of its young talent. We’re seeing that so far.

Start at defensive tackle, where [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] continues to get competent production from its interior defensive line despite losing [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag]. True freshmen [autotag]Ahmad Breaux[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] are both in the rotation while veteran transfer [autotag]Gio Paez[/autotag] is on track to set career highs in stops and pressures.

At linebacker, Blake Baker has sophomore Whit Weeks playing like a star. Greg Penn has shown progress too.

LSU hired Corey Raymond to rebuild the secondary, and we’re already seeing the impact for LSU’s corners. The Tigers look much more comfortable in man coverage and playing balls in the air. Zy Alexander leads all SEC CBs in PFF coverage grade after week seven.

The OC transition could have been smoother

LSU’s offense is good, but it’s still experiencing some hiccups as it figures out its identity. Mike Denbrock took the OC job at Notre Dame after leading the best offense in the country at LSU in 2023.

Brian Kelly didn’t have to look far for Denbrock’s replacement, promoting QB coach Joe Sloan and WR coach Cortez Hankton.

Sloan called plays before in his time at Louisiana Tech, but this is his first time doing it at this level.

LSU has struggled to recreate last year’s success on the ground. Regression was expected without Jayden Daniels’ legs, but the fall is significant. After leading the country in EPA/rush last year, LSU ranks 94th this year.

Nussmeier isn’t a threat with his legs and LSU is yet to find an adjustment that makes up for that.

The drop-back game is one of the best in the FBS, but consistency is an issue. Nussmeier was uncomfortable early against Ole Miss but eventually settled in. Expect Sloan to get his QB in rhythm early against Arkansas.

LSU shows poise under pressure

All offseason, Brian Kelly spoke about the maturity of this team. He said it was the most “player-led” group he’s had since arriving in Baton Rouge. That’s starting to show up on the field.

LSU hasn’t played many comfortable games this year. Outside of South Alabama, virtually every game was close at one point. That said, LSU found a way to be 5-1.

The Tigers came up short at the end vs. USC, but LSU hung in there to get big conference wins against South Carolina and Ole Miss. Both wins required big plays late in the game.

Ideally, you’d like to see LSU controlling more games than it is, but remaining cool under pressure isn’t a skill every team has. It’ll come in handy with more close games in the coming weeks.

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Instant analysis from LSU’s Week 4 win over UCLA

The Tigers had another slow start, but they outscored the Bruins 17-0 in the second half to move to 3-1 on the year.

LSU had to battle a slow start once again on Saturday against UCLA in Week 4, but like in Week 3 against South Carolina, it overcame that. This time, the Tigers pulled away in the second half for a much more comfortable 34-17 win to move to 3-1 on the year.

LSU had some defensive struggles in the first half, particularly against the pass, but quarterback [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] got off to a hot start with a pair of first-half touchdown passes, including a 45-yard bomb to [autotag]Kyle Parker[/autotag].

And despite those defensive issues, the unit came up with some big, timely plays. The Tigers totaled four first-half sacks and recovered a fumble that led to a field goal.

However, the Bruins managed to drive down the field in the final minute, setting up a game-tying touchdown with two seconds to left as the teams entered the locker room tied at 17.

After getting a stop to start the second half, LSU was pinned at its four but responded with a 14-play, 96-yard drive capped off by a [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] touchdown to get back on top.

The Tigers would expand their lead early in the fourth despite starting the drive pinned at the eight when Nussmeier found freshman running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] on a 35-yard touchdown, most of which came after the catch.

Though LSU allowed a fairly efficient day from quarterback Ethan Garbers aside from a late interception from [autotag]Jardin Gilbert[/autotag], it ultimately tightened up, pitching a second-half shutout while allowing fewer than 300 yards.

On the ground, the Bruins totaled just 14 yards on 22 carries while the Tigers sacked Garbers five times, including one from five-star true freshman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag].

The defense did suffer a potentially significant loss in the fourth quarter as [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag] left the game with a knee injury and was later ruled out. His status moving forward is unclear.

It was another big game for Nussmeier, who completed 32 of 44 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns. [autotag]Mason Smith[/autotag] (eight catches, 77 yards) and [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] (six catches, 75 yards) paced the team through the air.

It wasn’t a particularly efficient game on the ground, but [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] was the standout with 62 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

The Tigers will play at home again next weekend against South Alabama before a bye. Then, a potentially top-five Ole Miss team comes to town in Week 7.

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Brian Kelly says true freshman Ahmad Breaux could see immediate action this week

LSU defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux is set to make an immediate impact.

Depth at defensive line has been a question for LSU all summer. That puts a spotlight on the young guys in that room.

A freshman making an immediate impact on the interior would be significant, potentially changing LSU’s outlook at the position.

The name to watch early could be [autotag]Ahmad Breaux[/autotag]. Brian Kelly said Breaux was LSU’s most physically and mentally ready freshman.

Breaux was a three-star in the 2024 class, but he’s looked like a blue chip thus far. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Breaux was the No. 59 ranked defensive lineman in his class and the No. 21 ranked recruit in Louisiana.

The most notable defensive tackle signing for LSU in the 2024 class was five-star [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], but Breaux might be seeing the field first.

LSU hired Bo Davis to develop difference-makers at defensive tackle. LSU had three NFL draft picks on the interior last year, but the level of play was below the talent level. It’s looking like LSU will get immediate results from Davis in week one.

https://twitter.com/ByCoryDiaz/status/1829289891852878244

Brian Kelly doesn’t shy away from playing true freshman up front. In 2022, we saw LSU rely on two freshmen at the offensive tackle spots in [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] and [autotag]Emery Jones[/autotag]. That completely flipped the trajectory of that room with Campbell and Jones emerging as stars.

LSU hopes the 2024 defensive tackle class will make a similar impact.

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Brian Kelly discusses whether 5-star freshman TE Trey’Dez Green can make an immediate impact

Brian Kelly offered his thoughts on if five-star tight end Trey’Dez Green can make an immediate impact.

LSU’s five-star tight end [autotag]Trey’Dez Green[/autotag] is generating buzz as the Tigers fall camp gets underway.

Green was the top tight end in the 2023 class and LSU’s second highest-rated recruit, only behind five-star defensive tackle [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked about the impact Green can make as a true freshman and had this to say.

“Well, he certainly looks the part. Controls his body really well, has a great deal of confidence. He doesn’t look out of place in any shape or form from a physical standpoint,” Kelly said.

It’s not just the physical aspect, Kelly also offered praise for the progress Green is making on the mental side of things.

“He’s picked things up very well for a guy who’s not played this game very long, it’s coming to him, I don’t want to say easy, but it has not been a very difficult transition for him and that all bodes well for players who are in their first year.” Kelly said.

Kelly pumped the breaks a little bit, saying it’s too early to tell if Green will play in year one, but said Green’s combo of skills is promising.

LSU’s starting tight end spot is locked up with [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] and LSU doesn’t run much 12-personnel (two tight ends), but there’s an opportunity for a player to emerge behind Taylor.

“My experience has told me that guys that transition quickly, with his kind of physical attributes, they tend to show real quick,” Kelly said.

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LSU wide receiver target receives offer from Tigers track and field

A four-star LSU football target recently received a track offer, too.

Four-star Louisiana receiver [autotag]Phillip Wright[/autotag] committed to Michigan earlier this month, but that hasn’t stopped LSU from trying to flip the blue-chip prospect.

Now, Wright will have the opportunity to run track at LSU along with playing football.

Wright, who’s earned the nickname “Flash,” runs a 10.46 100m, making him one of the fastest receivers in his class. We’ve seen LSU put a premium on speed at the receiver position in recent years, making Wright a perfect fit in the [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] offense.

Wright hails from Destrehan High, a place that LSU is familiar with. LSU already has one Destrehan commit in 2025 with safety [autotag]Jhase Thomas[/autotag] locked it. It’s the school that produced former LSU star [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] and current LSU running back [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag]

Top prospects from Louisiana rarely leave to head up north. It’s even rarer at Destrehan. Wright was at LSU this weekend for the Bayou Splash but remained firm with his Michigan pledge for now.

LSU knows it continues to have a chance with top instate products until that dotted line is signed. Last year, the state’s top prospect [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] committed to Texas A&M, but LSU stuck with it and eventually signed the five-star defensive tackle.

The Tigers will hope for a similar outcome with Wright this year.

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Brian Kelly identifies 3 true freshmen who could make an immediate impact in 2024

Expect to see these first-year players take the field early in 2024.

After taking a much smaller transfer portal class than it has in the past two offseasons, LSU is mainly banking on the development of the players already on the roster as it enters the 2024 season.

However, the Tigers could get some help from their incoming true freshmen in the 2024 signing class. At SEC Media Days on Monday, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] identified three true freshmen who could make a Day 1 impact at LSU: defensive tackle [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Gabriel Reliford[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Jelani Watkins[/autotag].

“We have some freshmen that I think are poised and ready to play,” Brian Kelly said, per On3. “We’ve got a defensive tackle in Dom McKinley. We’ve got a defensive end in Gabe Reliford. We’ve got a wide receiver in Jelani Watkins, who is maybe one of the fastest players in the country, that I think are poised, based on our summer workouts, that I think can contribute right away. And that’s just to say a few guys.”

McKinley is an understandable choice. A five-star prospect and the top player in Louisiana last cycle, it was a big recruiting win for the staff to flip him from Texas A&M last winter.

Reliford could also see some action on a defensive line that lacks depth, and LSU linebacker [autotag]Harold Perkins Jr.[/autotag], who was also in Dallas for SEC Media Days, also spoke highly of him.

“Gabe is somebody that I’ve been watching quietly,” Perkins said per On3. “He’s humble, he puts in the work every single day, he comes in every day and busts his tail to be the best. I’ve just watched him put in the work. He reminds me of myself. Just coming in, not trying to step on anybody’s toes. ‘I just want to be the best. I’m here to take somebody’s spot.’

“So, that’s kind of what he reminds me of myself a little bit in that remarks. Quiet, just trying to put in his work and be great.”

Watkins may have trouble breaking through in a receiving corps that remains talented despite the offseason losses, but his speed as a former high school track star makes him an intriguing potential weapon on offense.

LSU has questions at several positions entering the season, especially when it comes to depth. But if some of these true freshmen are able to contribute right away, it would certainly ease some of those concerns.

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LSU continues rebuild of defensive tackle room with 2 commits

LSU’s two newest additions on the defensive line are two more steps in the right direction.

When LSU hired [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] in January, I wrote about just how massive the addition was. It’s rare that a position coach can completely move the needle for a program, but that’s what Davis did at Texas.

Davis provided the Longhorns with the best interior defensive line in the country, headlined by T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II. According to PFF, the duo were the top two graded defensive tackles in the country. After working with Davis, both went on to be NFL draft picks.

Sweat and Murphy were both highly touted recruits, but neither was the slam-dunk prospect that some five stars are. Per 247Sports, Sweat was a three-star and the No. 27 ranked DT in his class. Murphy was a four-star but sat outside the top 250.

On July 4, Davis and LSU landed two DT prospects that fit similar criteria. Two composite four-stars in [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag]. Brown ranks as the No. 324 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Williams isn’t that far behind, sitting at No. 298.

They are the first two defensive tackle commits in LSU’s 2025 recruiting class which is sorely in need of interior defensive linemen. That’s why Davis was brought to LSU, to address that need at defensive tackle. Brown and Williams are the first steps to getting this room where it needs to be.

LSU hit the transfer portal to add depth for the upcoming year. The Tigers missed on top targets like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Barrow[/autotag] but added [autotag]Jay’Viar Suggs[/autotag] and [autotag]Gio Paez[/autotag]. The top piece is rising fifth-year senior [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag], but he’ll be off to the league after this year.

The Tigers have some prospects in the pipeline with [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], [autotag]De’Myrion Johnson[/autotag], and Ahmad Breaux, but you need to stack classes to get the needed depth.

A dominant interior defensive line can change the outlook for a defense. LSU thought they had that heading into 2023 with [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and Mekhi Wingo, but poor defensive coaching mitigated that.

LSU got here because the defensive line coaching position has been a volatile spot for the Tigers. Just when LSU thought it had stability with [autotag]Jamar Cain[/autotag], he took an NFL job with the Broncos. It’s hard to find consistency and build relationships in recruiting when there’s a new face coaching the room every year.

LSU paid a heavy price for Davis, a former LSU defensive lineman in his own right. They’re hoping this is more than just a one-year thing. Davis has coached at LSU before, he was a part of national titles at Alabama and helped lead Texas to the playoff in 2023. The goal is for Davis to stick around and build something.

We’ve seen the job [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] has done with the offensive line. He took a mediocre unit and built it into one of the best offensive lines in the country. If Bo Davis can have a similar impact on the defensive line, LSU will be competing for SEC titles year after year.

The skill positions will never be much of a question. Louisiana has a way of producing elite receivers and running backs. Quarterback isn’t an issue that plagues the program anymore either.

Defensive tackle is, by far, LSU’s biggest question mark entering the year. It’s the one thing holding LSU back. With additions like Brown and Williams, that’s on its way to being fixed.

There’s a strong defensive tackle group within the state in 2026. That gives Davis and company the chance to keep up the momentum.

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