No. 2 Wide Receiver in Louisiana Shuts Down Recruitment, Locked in with LSU Football

Bossier City (La.) Airline wide receiver Kenny Darby continues his rise as a national prospect in the 2026 Recruiting Class with the top programs remaining in his ear.

Darby, a former Mississippi State pledge, received an offer from Brian Kelly and LSU Tigers in November where he wasted no time in joining the class in Baton Rouge.

A player who has burst on the scene as one of the top players in Louisiana last season, Darby has reeled in offers from Miami, Florida State and Tennessee, among several other programs.

Then, after receiving a scholarship from his dream school, the prolific wideout made his decision. He's an LSU Tiger.

Darby comes in as the No. 8 overall prospect in Louisiana with tremendous upside looking ahead.

A 6-foot-1, 178-pounder who's been on LSU's radar this season, Kelly and the Tigers extended an offer to the coveted Bayou State native ahead of the program's matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide in early November while on a visit.

Darby logged 100 receptions for 1,754 yards and 24 touchdowns on the year after putting America on notice.

With his junior season in the rearview mirror, he's begun locking in on his recruitment with visits to LSU, Alabama and Tennessee initially on the schedule this spring.

Darby was in Baton Rouge last weekend for a trip to check in with Kelly and the LSU Tigers. He remains committed to the program, but it isn't stopping others from turning up the heat.

The coveted wideout told LSU Tigers On SI that the initial plan was visit the Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend for a check in with Kalen DeBoer and Co. along with another visit to the Tennessee Volunteers for a multi-day stay in March.

But his plans have now shifted after making a critical announcement on Saturday evening.

Darby has shut down his recruitment and is locked in with the LSU Tigers, he told On3 Sports' Hayes Fawcett. He's doubled down on his commitment to the program.

News: #LSU WR commit Kenny Darby has shut down his recruitment.

The 4-star wideout from Bossier City (La.) had the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers pushing.

“LSU suits me the best & the best in the boot stay in the boot #WRTS,” he tells @Hayesfawcett3.

Boot Boy. pic.twitter.com/J8w1H4kqK8
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) January 26, 2025

The decision to shut down his recruitment comes on the heels of a visit with Brian Kelly and the LSU staff on Friday.

The shot-caller for the Tigers made sure to take the trip to northern Louisiana to check in on the rising star wideout.

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers staff travel to northern Louisiana to check in with four-star wide receiver Kenny Darby. | Courtesy of Kenny Darby's Instagram.

Kelly and Co. have checked in with several LSU commitments and targets this week with Darby being one of the top priorities as his rise as a national prospect grows.

Darby is one of six commitments in LSU's 2026 Recruiting Class that currently ranks Top-5 in America and No. 2 in the Southeastern Conference.

The 2026 Commitments (6):

Richard Anderson: No. 2 DL in America

Richard pledged to the Tigers in 2024 with the program continuing to keep a foot on the gas for his services. He's fresh off of a monster junior campaign at Edna Karr after leading his program to a state championship victory.

The coveted lineman earned 5A All-State honors after tallying 44 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, two interceptions and a touchdown in 2024. He's the top pledge in LSU's 2026 Recruiting Class to this point.

Aiden Hall: No. 4 Safety in America

Hall committed to Kelly and Co. during his junior campaign where he joined his teammate, Richard Anderson, as LSU pledges in the 2026 class.

The coveted defensive back rounded out his junior season with 38 tackles, including 12 for loss and four sacks, plus four interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, four blocked punts and two fumble recoveries. One of the top safeties in America, LSU will be battling down the stretch for his services.

JaReylan McCoy: No. 8 Defensive Lineman in America

The Top-100 recruit just wrapped up an impressive junior campaign and is currently in Orlando (Fla.) alongside America's elite prospects for the Under Armour All-American Game. McCoy committed to Kelly and the LSU Tigers over USC and Tennessee where he ultimately came to a final decision while in Orlando.

He's a player multiple programs were turning the heat up for after logging 120 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks across three seasons of high school ball. McCoy is a man amongst boys in the trenches. A 6-foot-7, 250-pounder with significant potential, he had the attention of the LSU Tigers down the stretch of his recruitment.

Jakai Anderson: 4-star Wide Receiver

Anderson is another elite-level wide receiver out of Louisiana who recently earned 4A All-State honors after an impressive junior season. He logged 57 catches for 972 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, but a Swiss Army Knife that does it all. Anderson also rushed for 151 yards and four scores on 16 carries.

LSU could also use him as a kick returner after hauling in a combined 518 yards and seven touchdowns on kick and punt returns in 2024. Anderson is a true do-it-all player.

Jalan Chapman: 3-star Offensive Lineman

Chapman, a three-star prospect out of New Orleans (La.), pledged to the Tigers last summer over Alabama, USC, Georgia and Tennessee, among others. He currently stands at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds following his junior year for New Orleans (La.) Warren Easton High after gaining national attention following his sophomore campaign in 2023.

*All Statistics Courtesy of On3 Sports*

More LSU News:

LSU Adds Commitments From Seven Top-100 Transfers in the Portal

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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