LSU Hosting 5-Star DL Commit Dominick McKinley For Official Visit

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers reeled in a commitment from five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley on New Year's Eve after successfully flipping the former Texas A&M pledge.

Now, the No. 1 player in Louisiana is a Tiger after a hard push from Kelly and Co. over the last few months.

The LSU staff had been working on McKinley for months, looking to lock in an official visit, and will now get him on campus this weekend.

With the commitment of McKinley last month, the Bayou Bengals have secured pledges from 11 of Louisiana's Top 12 players. A notable feat, LSU remains active in recruiting the Bayou State.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder provided the Tigers with a huge addition to the defensive line for the future. Kelly and the Tigers remained in pursuit of the top player in Louisiana, landing his pledge before the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve.

McKinley will head to Baton Rouge this weekend alongside a pair of 2024 signees: 4-star RB Caden Durham and 4-star LB Xavier Atkins.

#LSU will bring in two key visitors this weekend:

- 5-star DL commit Dominick McKinley will arrive on Friday for an official visit. Louisiana’s No. 1 prospect.
- Liberty WR CJ Daniels will arrive on Friday for an official. 1,000+ yards in 2023.

Big weekend in Baton Rouge. pic.twitter.com/j3JRGWWgpf
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) January 12, 2024

More on the signees:

Caden Durham: The Scouting Report

Elite Speed

Durham will be a two-sport athlete in the purple and gold after signing with the Tigers. Along with being the next running back in Baton Rouge, Durham will also compete in track for one of the top programs in the country.

It’s his elite-level speed that makes him so difficult to take down in open space with the ball in his hands and it’s shown against some of the top talent in the country.

Duncanville plays a rigorous schedule and Durham routinely handles business due to his speed and elusiveness with the football.

The top end speed of his is what makes him such a force. The balance of speed and strength Durham attains gives defenses fits, and after leading Duncanville to back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023, LSU’s latest signee put the offense on his back to take home some hardware.

Power, Versatility

Durham can be a three-down back for the Tigers and it was one of the reasons he decided to take his talents to Baton Rouge. The plan Frank Wilson put in place was one that Durham felt could come to fruition if he made the move.

The versatility the four-star back attains is a piece of his game that offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has to be salivating over.

He can catch the ball out of the backfield and turn up field in the blink of an eye but he can also use his strength to bounce off of defenders when running downfield.

Durham can make an impact sooner rather than later for the Tigers given his unique skill set as a running back. The Tigers may have significant depth with this position group, but adding Durham to the mix makes them that much more lethal moving forward.

The Future

LSU brought in two four-star freshmen in the 2023 class: Kaleb Jackson and Trey Holly. The pair of youngsters have different play styles, but moving forward, they will be key in what this running back room does long term.

Factor in the addition of Durham in the 2024 class and this position group is certainly built to compete in the SEC. With a variation of skill sets and young guys with the physical make up to play early, running backs coach Frank Wilson has done an excellent job in building up his group moving forward.

Xavier Atkins: The Bio

A 4-star linebacker prospect from Summer Creek High School in Humble, Texas … Originally from Jonesboro, La. … Moved to Houston in early 2023 … Listed as the nation’s No. 26 linebacker prospect and No. 49 overall in the state of Texas … Ranked as high as the nation’s No. 10 linebacker by Rivals … Finalists for the 2024 Mr. Texas Football … Helped team to a 14-2 record and a berth in the UIL Texas Class 6A Division II Championship Game as a senior …. Racked up 102 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles … Played first three years of high school football at Jonesboro-Hodge High School in north Louisiana … As a sophomore, had 218 tackles, 28.0 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks in 13 games … Coached by Kenny Harrison.