The top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle is nearing a decision. Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray is set to make his decision tomorrow, Friday, August 22.
The highly-coveted recruit is set to choose between the LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Clemson Tigers. With his decision looming, reports earlier this week indicated that Gray was going back and forth between LSU and South Carolina.
Now, recruiting experts are predicting that the 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman will head to Columbia over Baton Rouge.
NEW: Rivals’ @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for South Carolina to land 5-star IOL Darius Gray🤙
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 21, 2025
Gray is the No. 1 IOL in the class.
Read: https://t.co/1cfsgGhFzz pic.twitter.com/PPM7SIIrKS
Missing out on Gray would be a big disappointment for Brian Kelly
Hailing from the St. Christopher's School in Richmond, VA, Gray owns great athleticism, leg drive, and does a great job of creating movement at the line of scrimmage. Along with his quick lateral movement, 247Sports College Football analyst Smoke Dixon stated that Gray plays with a "nasty disposition." These attributes are what make him such a sought-after recruit.
Brian Kelly takes pride in his proven track record of producing offensive linemen that hear their names called early in NFL Drafts. Just last season, LSU's Will Campbell went No. 4 overall to the New England Patriots. When discussing this year's offensive line in a press conference last week, Kelly boasted about his development of offensive linemen throughout his career.
"Look, I’ve coached for a long time, had a lot of guys in the NFL, a lot of first round draft picks. I think I’ve got a pretty good eye for what an offensive line looks like. And this group is going to be really good."Brian Kelly
Kelly has developed five offensive linemen that have been drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. Zack Martin (2014), Ronnie Stanley (2016), Quentin Nelson (2018), Mike McGlinchey (2018), and Will Campbell (2025) are all first-round picks that played for Kelly.
Landing a five-star of Gray's caliber would be a big get for Brian Kelly and his staff. But if he goes elsewhere, it would certainly sting.
For their 2026 recruiting class, LSU has offensive line commits from four-star Brysten Martinez, four-star Emanuel Tucker, three-star Bryson Cooley, and three-star Jalan Chapman.