No. 2 Wide Receiver in Louisiana, Elite LSU Football Commit 'Locked In' With Tigers

The Bayou Bengals hold a pledge from the No. 2 rated wideout in Louisiana, remains dialed in despite coaching change.

Courtesy of Kenny Darby's Instagram.

Bossier City (La.) Airline four-star wide receiver Kenny Darby revealed a commitment to the LSU Tigers last fall after making the decision to stay home to suit up for the purple and gold.

Darby, the No. 2 rated pass-catcher in Louisiana, went public with a commitment last November after receiving an offer from his "dream school" following a game day visit to Baton Rouge.

The 6-foot,1 175-pounder is one of the most prolific wideouts in the 2026 Recruiting Class where he's now set to make his way down to campus next year.

“I want to be a part of that and they put wide receivers in the draft every year,” Darby told On3 Sports after his commitment. “They develop receivers and they are WRU.

"I feel like I can have a lot of success at LSU and I feel like I fit the mode of an LSU wide receiver.”

Courtesy of Kenny Darby's X/Twitter: @kennydarby3_.

Despite a pledge to LSU, other schools remain in his ear down the stretch as he navigates his recruitment process this fall with one in particular standing out.

The program that has piqued his interest across the last few months is the Alabama Crimson Tide with DeBoer and Co. turning up the heat.

Darby took an official visit to Tuscaloosa in June where he soaked in the scenes of the Alabama program, but remained committed to the Tigers.

Now, with the LSU program in the midst of a coaching change, Darby is "locked in" with the LSU Tigers and has reaffirmed his commitment, according to Rivals.

Four-star WR Kenny Darby updates the state of his recruitment after LSU fired Brian Kelly

“My real relationship is with Coach Hankton ... I’m still locked in"

More: https://t.co/tXwp6kgC8r pic.twitter.com/i4hL8GRmua

— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) October 31, 2025

Darby is one of many LSU commitments in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle to double down on their pledges following the news of Brian Kelly being fired last Sunday.

No. 1: Dylan Purter - Top Alabama Safety

Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington four-star safety Dylan Purter remains locked in with the LSU Tigers despite a coaching change in Baton Rouge.

Purter, the No. 1 safety in Alabama, went public with a decision to pledge to LSU in March over a myriad of other programs that have extended offers his way.

The 6-foot, 165-pounder has reeled in scholarships from the likes of the Florida Gators, South Carolina Gamecocks and Auburn Tigers, among several others, during his recruitment process.

But it's the LSU Tigers that hold the verbal commitment after locking in the Alabama native earlier this year following a visit to campus.

Courtesy of Dylan Purter's Instagram.

"It was amazing! Everything I thought it would be," Purter told LSU Tigers On SI.

Now, despite Kelly being fired by the LSU Tigers program on Sunday, it hasn't swayed his decision in the slightest. Purter is locked in with the program in the Bayou State.

"It's just a sad reality that comes with college football. Coaches come and go which is why I chose LSU for the school and not so much the coaches," Purter told LSU Tigers On SI.

"Regardless of the coach, LSU has a standard that will always be upheld and I want to be a part of that."

More LSU News:

Elite LSU Football Commit Reaffirms Pledge Despite Ohio State, Ole Miss Pushing

Five Players LSU Football Must Keep After Brian Kelly's Firing, Including DJ Pickett

ESPN Insider Labels Lane Kiffin 'Top Target' for LSU Football, Florida Gators

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.