Ohio State flips LSU legacy Darryus McKinley from the Tigers

COLUMBUS – The Buckeyes have added another blue-chip defensive lineman to their 2026 class.

Ohio State has flipped three-star Lafayette (La.) Acadiana defensive lineman Darryus McKinley from LSU. McKinley is the younger brother of current LSU defensive lineman and former five-star prospect Dominick McKinley. Ohio State and Larry Johnson fell just short of landing the older McKinley in the 2024 class.

Darryus McKinley is the No. 468 overall prospect and No. 52 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Rivals ranks McKinley as the No. 39 defensive lineman and No. 14 prospect in Louisiana this cycle.

The Buckeyes now have six offensive linemen in the 2026 class after flipping McKinley. The headliner is four-star Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra defensive lineman Khary Wilder who Rivals has ranked as a five-star. Four-star Buford (Ga.) EDGE Dre Quinn committed to the Buckeyes following his official visit for the UCLA game. The former Clemson commit pairs perfectly with Wilder at defensive end.

Four-star Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep defensive lineman Damari Simeon, four-star Bessemer City (Ala.) defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin, three-star Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville defensive lineman Jamir Perez and McKinley make up the Buckeyes interior defensive line class.

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