Five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray's decision day is looming. Gray is slated to make his college decision this Friday, August 22, and the LSU Tigers are firmly in the mix.
Gray, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman from the St. Christopher School in Richmond, VA, is set to choose between the LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Clemson Tigers.
Gray could be Brian Kelly's newest OL star
Gray is the the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle. Needless to say, he is a highly-coveted recruit who would be a huge get for the Tigers. Brian Kelly takes pride in his development of offensive linemen, and Gray has the potential to be Kelly's next big star.
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 hail from Kelly-led programs.
This spring, Campbell became the highest-drafted offensive lineman in LSU history when he went No. 4 overall to the New England Patriots. When Emery Jones Jr. was selected 91st overall by the Baltimore Ravens, the Tiger teammates became the first pair of LSU offensive lineman to be selected in the first three rounds of the same NFL Draft. Guards Miles Frazier and Garrett Dellinger followed later in the Draft.
That's the kind of development that is enticing to recruits like Gray. "LSU kind of speaks for itself," Gray told Tennessee Volunteers on SI in July. "It’s a winning program. They do everything to develop linemen perfectly, so that’s good and they check all the boxes.”
That quote is certainly exciting to see for Tiger fans, but nothing is certain ahead of Friday's long-awaited decision day. As the recruiting battle comes down the stretch, reports indicate it appears to be a fight between LSU and South Carolina for Gray's services. Columbia, SC is much closer to Gray's hometown of Richmond, VA than Baton Rouge, which could be playing a role in his decision-making process.
Gray's decision will make headlines on Friday, and until then, Tiger fans remain hopeful he chooses to don the purple and gold.