No. 1 Athlete in America, Five-Star LSU Football Commit Pushing for No. 1 IOL

Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher School five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray 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 a team to beat 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.

The Tigers reeled in a commitment from Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab five-star prospect Lamar Brown on July 10 after going public with a decision.

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.

“Being a kid from the area, not everyone has the opportunity to stay home and play for the home team,” Brown told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman about his 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, Brown is vocalizing his desire to have Gray in the 2026 Recruiting Class.