Five-Star LSU Football Commit, Nation's No. 1 Athlete Pushing for Elite Tigers Target

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have dominated the recruiting trail this offseason with the program flaunting a Top-10 class in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle.

After hosting double-digit official visitors to campus in June, Kelly and Co. carried the momentum into July with multiple blue-chip commitments.

With multiple highly-touted recruits pledged to the Bayou Bengals, Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab five-star Lamar Brown highlights the class for the LSU program.

Brown, the No. 1 athlete in America, made the move to stay in the Bayou State over the likes of Texas A&M, Texas and Miami after committing on July 10.

“Being a kid from the area, not everyone has the opportunity to stay home and play for the home team,” Brown told Rivals about the decision.

“To have the chance to play for the home team, to be able to shine on Saturdays … it’s a dream and it means a lot for any Louisiana kid.”

Now, with Brown committed to the purple and gold, he's spearheading the push for one of the top uncommitted prospects in America: Darius Gray.

The Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher School five-star offensive lineman is winding down his recruitment process with the LSU Tigers firmly in the mix.

Gray, the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in America, has trimmed his list to five schools with Brian Kelly's program sitting alongside South Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee and Ohio State.

For the Tigers, offensive line coach Brad Davis has prioritized Gray as he intensifies his pursuit for the elite prospect out of Virginia.

“Definitely Coach Davis. Coach Davis is one of the greatest humans that I’ve ever talked to. He gives off a father figure. He hopes the kids grow as men, and that is very important with me coming into college at 18, so to have someone like that to help you develop as an NFL player, but also as a great human being, a great husband, a great father, and that is just something I want," Gray said.

"LSU kind of speaks for itself. It’s a winning program. They do everything to develop linemen perfectly, so that’s good and they check all the boxes.”

LSU remains in the race for Gray as his recruiting process winds down after revealing finalists, but the 2026 Recruiting Class is beginning to vocalize their desire for Gray to join the haul and it starts with Brown.

#DGtotheboot!!!!
— Lamar Brown (@lamar1brown) August 9, 2025

#DGtotheBOOT‼️ https://t.co/UwSk57Qb5p
— Lamar Brown (@lamar1brown) July 26, 2025

#DGtotheBOOT‼️
— Lamar Brown (@lamar1brown) July 26, 2025

Brown has taken to social media on multiple occasions to to vocalize his pursuit for the five-star interior offensive lineman.

Gray is down to the LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes and Tennessee Volunteers, but two schools are pulling away.

LSU and South Carolina have emerged as the two teams to watch, according to a source familiar with Gray's recruitment.

Now, with a decision date locked in for August 22, all eyes are on Gray as he begins the final stretch of his recruitment process.