Texas Longhorns finalist for LSU legacy who will announce his commitment August 1
Acadiana (La.) defensive lineman Darryus McKinley will make his college commitment public August 1. His finalists are LSU, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 270 pound prospect is ranked as the 556th overall prospect in the country, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He is the 70th-ranked defensive lineman in the nation and Louisiana’s No. 19 rising […]
Acadiana (La.) defensive lineman Darryus McKinley will make his college commitment public August 1. His finalists are LSU, Texas, Florida and Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 270 pound prospect is ranked as the 556th overall prospect in the country, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He is the 70th-ranked defensive lineman in the nation and Louisiana’s No. 19 rising senior.
McKinley’s older brother, Dominick McKinley, was a five-star prospect who signed with LSU in 2024. He is currently enrolled in Baton Rouge and going through fall camp.
As of this writing, all the momentum is around the LSU Tigers. The family pull is big, but he has also taken far more visits to Baton Rouge than any of his other finalists.
Darryus McKinley was a key cog for Acadiana as a sophomore.
McKinley and his teammates finished with an 11-3 record and a Louisiana Division I Select state runner-up finish. During the 2023 season, the 2026 prospect finished with 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries, and four sacks.
Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman gave his thoughts on the decision coming in a few days.
“The Louisiana DL made several visits to Baton Rouge during older brother Dom McKinley’s recruitment and built strong connections with several coaches in the building. Those relationships have continued to flourish as McKinley braces for his senior season,” Spiegelman said. “My prediction is on the Tigers keeping McKinley in-state — and have been leaning in that direction for some time.”
McKinley spoke with Rivals about his recruiting process and what has gone into the decision.
“It’s a very good learning experience and getting to know coaches and learning how to be coached. Seeing from my brother and how he’s doing and learning how to get it right and be the best person has been big,” McKinley previously told Rivals. “To do it all over again for myself — it was great. It was even better this time around.”
Where do things stand with Texas on the defensive line in the 2026 class?
Steve Sarkisian’s group already has commitments from four-stars EDGE Richard Wesley, Vodney Cleveland, James Johnson, and Dylan Berymon on the defensive line. Sources believe the Longhorns staff have one more piece on the board: IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star EDGE Jake Kreul.
The 6-foot-3, 230 pound recruit is the 63rd overall prospect in 247Sports’ Composite rankings. He’s the 9th-ranked EDGE in the nation and Florida’s No. 9 prospect. Kreul has a Top 3 of Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas. Most believe he will decide at some point in the fall.
Most believe this has now become a two-team race between the Longhorns and Sooners. All the buzz was around the Red River Rival, but Texas has seemingly closed the gap considerably the last month.
247Sports’ director of scouting Andrew Ivins has seen Kreul quite a bit. Here’s his scouting report on the blue chip prospect:
“Polished pass rusher that can win early or late with his technique and hustle. Might not blow you away off the hoof with his build, but game tape paints a different picture as he dips, rips and swipes his way through and around obstacles. Has proven to be an extremely efficient mover that can plant and redirect with little waisted motion. Owns a near complete menu of moves and is quick to cycle them as he likes to keep opponents guessing. Not one that has been asked to really anchor or hold up traffic, but tends to make plenty of effort-based stops in pursuit as he charges down the cleat line and gets ball carriers on the ground. Overall, should be viewed as an extremely advanced edge defender for his age. Easy to wonder how much more can be squeezed out of the player after he spent the past few years honing his craft at the NFL factory that is IMG Academy, but testing profile (1.65 split in the 10-yard dash, 4.18 in the short shuttle) and competitive drive signal that he’s got what it takes to make an impact at the Power Four level and then eventually become a pro. Likely to stick on the corner, but could always move closer to the ball depending on scheme and maturation.” – Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
