LSU added the top prospect in the state of Louisiana to its signing class on Wednesday with the addition of Acadiana High School five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley.

LSU added the top prospect in the state of Louisiana to its signing class on Wednesday with the addition of Acadiana High School five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley.

McKinley joins the Tigers after a dominant prep career, one that saw him lead Acadiana to the Louisiana Division I Select State Championship Game in 2023. A consensus five-star prospect, McKinley earned the state’s top rating and has been listed as high as No. 13 overall nationally and No. 3 at his position.

A first-team 5A All-State selection as a senior, McKinley recorded 71 tackles, 15 quarterback hurries, and 11 tackles for loss for the 11-3 Rams. He had 86 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2022.

“Adding Dominick to this class really tops it off for us,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said. “He’s the top player in the state of Louisiana and we are excited about him joining our program.”

The addition of McKinley to LSU’s class means the Tigers signed eight of the top 10 players and 12 of the top 15 players in the Class of 2024 in the state of Louisiana. LSU signed 27 players (26 high school, 1 junior college transfer) during the early signing period in December.

Kelly also announced that the program added six players from the transfer portal. The six transfer additions to the team includes three players on both sides of the ball. Offensive transfers are wide receiver Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State), wide receiver CJ Daniels (Liberty) and quarterback AJ Swann (Vanderbilt).

On the defensive side, the Tigers added defensive back Austin Ausberry (Auburn), cornerback Jyaire Brown (Ohio State) and safety Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M).

“It’s very strategic when looking at the (transfer) portal,” Kelly said. “We looked at it in terms of fit and need, but fit first. We are going to develop and build this program with high school players and then be very strategic with the portal.

“It’s no coincidence that four of the six players are from the state of Louisiana. Two are from Baton Rouge and U-High and two are from New Orleans.”

Thomas, who prepped at John Ehret High School in New Orleans caught 40 passes for 503 yards and a touchdown last year. He’s also a return specialist who returned both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns at Mississippi State. He earned Freshman All-America honors as a return specialist in 2022.

Daniels caught 55 passes for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns for a Liberty team that won Conference USA and went 13-1 overall, losing only to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. He has seven career 100-yard games and has 106 receptions for 1,954 yards and 21 touchdowns during his college career.