LSU in strong contention for 2026's top IOL recruit

The LSU Tigers have to be feeling very good about where they're at after hosting five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray for an official visit this past weekend.

Gray is a blue-chip recruit. He's a five-star interior offensive lineman prospect from Richmond, Virginia. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class and the No. 16 recruit overall.

He told Steve Wiltfong of On3 that his official visit in Baton Rouge went "fantastic", and he specifically mentioned LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and offensive line coach Brad Davis as reasons why he's high on the Tigers. The ability to play for a coach like Coach Davis and Coach Sloan excites me the most, while winning a national championship for the fans!”

Gray claimed that LSU is one of the top schools in his recruitment, which is no small deal because he has 45 offers to his name. Again, he's a big deal as a recruit.

The Tigers' winning history and everything that comes along with Death Valley seem to be going in their favor with the 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman.

What sticks out to him about LSU, other than the coaching staff?

“The ability to follow the footsteps of many greats that came here before," he said.

While the Tigers are in a strong position, this is going to be a big-time recruiting battle. Gray has already taken official visits to Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Auburn and Ohio State, and he has officials still scheduled with Penn State and South Carolina.

Whichever program lands Gray will have an elite recruit on its hands, without a doubt.