LSU Football Defensive Lineman, Louisiana Native Turning Heads Early in Fall Camp

Originally posted on LSU Tigers on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 9:00 AM ET

LSU defensive lineman Dominick McKinley continues his emergence this offseason as a Tiger ready to wreak havoc in 2025.

Brian Kelly knew the sophomore stud was ready to breakout prior to Fall Camp with McKinley attacking the weight room this offseason.

Kelly has praised the Louisiana native after an impressive offseason stretch in the strength and conditioning program.

“We ran out of weights for him to max squat,” Kelly said. “It’s a 650 pound max squat. I throw that out to you to show how powerful he is. He’s such a great kid. He’s grounded every single day and he has elite strength and he’s going to play a major role in what we do.

"He’s still learning. Coach Williams is on his hip every single day, but he’s enjoyable to coach.”

McKinley, a former five-star prospect in the 2024 Recruiting Cycle, has showcased his power across the first two days of Fall Camp in Baton Rouge.

#LSU defensive tackle Dominick McKinley turned heads this offseason after transforming his body.

The 6’6, 308-pound sophomore has been explosive in the weight room with Brian Kelly impressed with the Louisiana native.

“He’s going to play a major role in what we do.” pic.twitter.com/s91n16gOFu
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) July 30, 2025

During his true freshman campaign, McKinley logged three sacks, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in 10 games played.

After working his way back from a turf toe injury suffered during Fall Camp in 2024, McKinley looked the part towards the backend of the season.

"He's had a bit of a setback with turf toe and it's been fairly significant. He's getting scarring down on that joint which is allowing him to do much more. He's on our demo squad right now and he's doing a nice job. He's a young man that we have an eye towards playing this year but we gotta get him healthy first," Kelly said last September.

"There's a lot of things going on in your first year. He's playing college football, he's going to class and now he's dealing with an injury for the first time. His future is bright but it's gonna take a little bit longer to get him there," Kelly added.

Now, he's transformed his body with the 6-foot-6, 308-pounder looking to make a significant impact heading into the 2025 season.