ON3: Takeaways from spring football in Louisiana

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5-star DL McKinley ‘can’t be blocked’
Five-star DL Dominick McKinley is the top-rated player in The Boot in this 2024 cycle, a versatile defensive lineman that measures in at 6-foot-6.5 and 280 pounds with insane testing numbers for a player of his stature. McKinley also boasts an 80-plus-inch wingspan, and as On3 Director of Scouting Charles Power puts it, has all the tools to be in the first-round conversation.

“McKinley is one of the more physically-gifted defensive linemen we’ve evaluated in the 2024 cycle,” Power said. “He has a big frame and elite length at 6-foot-5, 270-280 pounds with 34.5-inch arms. McKinley pairs those high-end dimensions with plus athleticism, which we see manifest on Friday nights.”

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On3 Industry Ranking four-star LB Kolaj Cobbins was among the most productive linebackers in The Boot as a sophomore and a key cog on the high-flying Destrehan (La.) defense that captured a state championship last year.

Cobbins has always been an impactful difference-maker off the edge and roaming sideline to sideline in the second layer of the defense, and this spring, the LSU commitment was used as a stand-up rushing off the edge and closer to the line of scrimmage more frequently.

This spring, Cobbins checked in at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. He was explosive flying off the line during the spring game with multiple sacks and multiple pressure, and even more flashes down the line and pursuing the football. Cobbins seems primed to have an even more productive senior campaign as the star in a loaded Destrehan defensive front.

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It’s Year 2 of the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge, and after inking a top-five class last cycle the Tigers are primed for another strong finish this year.

Part of LSU’s ascension in the rankings last cycle was due to the national scope of their class. The headliners included five-star EDGE Dashawn Womack and elite Florida WR Jalen Brown and Texas DB Javien Toviano. In 2024, the Tigers are looking to build their class from Louisiana on out, and so far they’re trending that way in a convincing fashion.

A string of spring commitments has vaulted the Tigers just outside the top 10 at No. 11 nationally on the On3 Industry Team Rankings. Kelly and co. have secured commitments from five of the state’s top-10 recruits and are leading the pack on the RPM for the remaining blue-chip dominoes still on the board.

LSU locked in commitments from On300 standouts Trey’Dez Green, Dashawn McBryde and recently flipped the script on one-time Colorado pledge Ju’Juan Johnson. The Tigers are also in strong positions with Louisiana’s top uncommitted recruits, namely McKinley, four-star DB Wardell Mack, four-star S Joel Rogers, four-star LB Tylen Singleton and three-star WR Koby Young.

By this summer, look for two and possibly three more of those names to come off the board, and this analyst feels strongly about his current RPM selections to hit.

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