"Sark lockered by Brian Kelly": Fans in disbelief over 2026 class DL Darryus McKinley's decision to pass on Texas for LSU

LSU made another in-state addition to its class of 2026 on Friday with the commitment of Darryus McKinley. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive lineman entered his commitment day as the highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in his position from the state of Louisiana.

McKinley garnered offers from multiple reputable college football programs during his recruiting process, but had trimmed the list down to four SEC schools before his “Decision Day.” He gave his commitment to Brian Kelly’s program ahead of Texas, Florida and Tennessee.

LSU had the opportunity to convince Darryus McKinley in the final days of his commitment process. The defensive lineman made an official visit to Baton Rouge this summer, spending a couple of days. This allowed Kelly and his staff to leave a lasting impression.

“They make everyone feel at home, and if you can’t feel that at a college, then you shouldn’t be there,” McKinley told Rivals. “The staff has treated me like I’m already a player over there … I already know a lot of them and they’re all great people.”

Darryus McKinley's brother, Dominick, is entering his sophomore season with the Tigers, and the former five-star is set to earn this starting role. This has connected Darryus to LSU for more than a year.

McKinley's commitment to LSU has generated a lot of reactions online, with many fans trolling the other SEC schools that lost his commitment race.

"SARK LOCKERED BY BRIAN KELLY LMAOOOOOO," a fan wrote.

Here are other reactions from fans:

LSU class of 2026 after Darryus McKinley's commitment

Darryus McKinley became the 17th commit to LSU in the class of 2026. He comes on the heels of the Tigers securing two five-star commitments last month in DL Lamar Brown and EDGE Trenton Henderson.

LSU currently ranks No. 8 overall for the class in the Rivals industry ranking, and No. 5 in the SEC. The program is believed to be in the race for the No. 1 spot in the cycle.

Here's a look at the Tigers' 17 commits:

#1, Lamar Brown, ATH, Louisiana

#2, Tristan Keys, WR, Mississippi

#3, Trenton Henderson, EDGE, Florida

#4, Richard Anderson, DL, Louisiana

#5, Jabari Mack, WR, Louisiana

#6, Havon Finney, CB, California

#7, Brysten Martinez, OT, Louisiana

#8, Dylan Purter, S, Alabama

#9, Aiden Hall, S, Louisiana

#10, Kenny Darby, WR, Louisiana

#11, Emmanuel Tucker, OT, Mississippi

#12, DeAnthony Lafayette, EDGE, Florida

#13, Dezyrian Ellis, CB, Louisiana

#14, Isaiah Washington, S, Louisiana

#15, Bryson Cooley, OT, Mississippi

#16, Darryus McKinley, DL, Louisiana

#17, Jalan Chapman, IOL, Louisiana

About the author

Farouk Yusuf is a journalist who covers College Football and College Basketball at Sportskeeda and previously worked with the NBA and NFL departments.

A lover of history, Farouk loves throwbacks, but he also likes pondering what the future might hold for the college sports landscape.

Farouk's favorite college players of all time are Johnny Manziel and Reggie Bush, while his favorite teams are Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan and Georgia. Tua Tagovailoa's game-winning touchdown pass to Devonta Smith in the 2016 national championship game remains his favorite college sports moment.

Aside from writing, Farouk is also a visual artist, web developer, UI/UX designer, graphic designer, photographer, and crafter.

Know More

LSU Tigers Fan? Check out the latest LSU Tigers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Brad Taningco