College Football recruiting has always been an interesting topic to follow as a player committing to a school doesn't officially mean anything until National Signing Day. That notion has only become more clear over the past few years in the NIL and Transfer Portal era as players are constantly flipping commitments and moving from school to school.
During the fall, LSU landed a commitment from In-State star Kenny Darby after he decommitted from Mississippi State. The Tigers landing the most productive wide receiver in the State was great news for the Tigers. When Darby "shut down" his recruitment in January, the news only got better for the Tigers as it calmed any concerns over a flip.
This week, when Kenny Darby set an official visit to Tuscaloosa, the concerns picked back up as the LSU commit had taken prior visits to Tuscaloosa under the radar. Leaving the weekend Darby spent in Alabama, he recruitment has taken a clear turn.
LSU Commit Kenny Darby sets "Final Decision" Date
While on his official visit at Alabama, LSU commit Kenny Darby told On3's Hayes Fawcett that he'll announce a final decision between LSU and Alabama on July 4th.
NEWS: Just spoke with LSU WR commit Kenny Darby, & he told me he’ll make a final decision on July 4th between LSU & Alabama
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 31, 2025
He’s currently at Alabama for his OV & will take one to LSU June 21st
“I love the coaching staffs a lot. It’s going to be hard.”https://t.co/27elTO36bR pic.twitter.com/nBF3oChri1
The news is surprising as Kenny Darby now will seriously consider Alabama and LSU while remaining "committed" to LSU. All of the sudden this has gone to a shutdown recruitment with a commitment to LSU to a recruitment that LSU may be trailing in despite holding the commitment.
On3's Industry Recruiting Rankings rank Kenny Darby as the 148th ranked player in the class, the 21st ranked wide receiver, and the 7th ranked player out of Louisiana.
Brian Kelly and his staff are now in an intriguing position as the Tigers will now host Kenny Darby for an official visit where they'll need to pitch him on sticking in this class. The Tigers already have a pair of wide receivers on board in Tristen Keys and Jabari Mack so losing out on Darby won't be the biggest loss in the world. The next month with Darby becomes a fascinating storyline to follow as LSU look to add to their class.