Nothing but chaos has surrounded the LSU Football program since the firing of Brian Kelly on October 26. Along with the pressures of finding a new head coach, LSU has navigated significant turnover in notable leadership positions over the last few weeks. Wade Rousse enters as the next university president, and Verge Ausberry takes over as the athletic director following Scott Woodward's departure. Throw in Louisiana governor Jeff Landry's comments, and there have been non-stop fireworks in Baton Rouge over the last two weeks.
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When a coach is fired in the middle of the season, not only does a program have to worry about finishing out the season, but keeping recruits on board remains vital. Since the minute Kelly was fired, fans began wondering what would happen to LSU's 2026 recruiting class. According to 247Sports, LSU has the 12th-best recruiting class in the country for 2026. Amid a coaching change, will commits stay true to LSU, or will some jump ship and look to play college football elsewhere?
LSU in danger of losing 4-star 2026 recruit
The good news is that several high-profile LSU commits have already publicly stated their steadfast commitment to LSU. However, some prospects are still in contact with other schools. Among those testing the waters is 4-star commit Darryus McKinley. He has been committed to LSU since August 1, but is set to take an official visit to Ohio State this weekend. Thus, he is officially on flip watch for LSU.
🚨NEWS🚨 LSU 4-star DL commit Darryus McKinley will take an official visit to Ohio State this weekend, @mickdwalker reports🌰
— Rivals (@Rivals) November 14, 2025
Read: https://t.co/0favy5To4C pic.twitter.com/2cfYcmlWO5
McKinley received an offer from Ohio State just a few weeks ago on October 30. He initially chose LSU over the likes of Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, and Texas, among others.
McKinley is a Louisiana product hailing from Lafayette. He is a 6'3" 270-pound defensive lineman who is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 19 player in Louisiana and the No. 69 defensive lineman prospect in the country.
Because of his Louisiana roots, it would be a bit surprising to see McKinley flip away from LSU. However, Ohio State is coming on strong in his recruitment and certainly seems to be in the mix. The No. 1-ranked Buckeyes are set to host UCLA on Saturday at Ohio Stadium with McKinley in attendance.