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SEC Powerhouse Named 'Dark Horse' For Nation's No. 3 Recruit Before Key Visit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated May 28, 2025 8:16 PM ET

Few recruits are drawing as much hype as five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho ahead of his August commitment date.

Iheanacho (6-foot-6.5, 350 pounds) is a standout protector for Georgetown Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland. The elite recruit did not allow a single sack as a junior in 2024.

With five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell – the nation's top tackle and overall recruit – committed to Miami, it's Iheanacho that remains as the best uncommitted player at the position.

Iheanacho is considering Oregon, LSU, Penn State and Auburn before announcing his decision on Aug. 5.

Recruiting experts from On3, 247Sports and Rivals project the Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning to make up for losing Cantwell by signing Iheanacho.

However, Oregon will have to hold off Iheanacho's other contenders as he takes official visits over the summer.

A potential dark horse in Iheanacho's recruitment is LSU, which will host the nation's No. 3 player over the weekend, according to On3's Shea Dixon.

"LSU might be the dark horse here as arguably one of the two or three other teams that's really in the mix," Dixon said Wednesday.

Head coach Brian Kelly's Tigers will host Iheanacho before he takes other official visits to Auburn (June 6), Penn State (June 13) and Oregon (June 20).

And Iheanacho won't be the only blue-chip recruit in Baton Rouge. Over 10 elite players are expected to be at LSU, including four-star quarterback Bo Bentley.

"LSU getting an OV is huge," Dixon said. "And having him (Iheanacho) on campus with double-digit other guys. I think nine or 10 of the 12 rank in the top 200. So, this is kind of a who's who of visitors coming from outside the state. And, certainly, they'll roll out the red carpet for him. He's the highest ranked of them all."

The Tigers will need to make a big impression on Iheanacho to win him over before his other trips. It wouldn't be a surprising victory, though, as Kelly and Co. currently sit first nationally in the 2026 cycle.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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