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LSU football has strengthened its defensive front with the recruitment of three highly-rated prospects in two days, led by Damien Shanklin. The four-star edge rusher announced on Friday his commitment to the Tigers, choosing LSU over Ohio State and Alabama. According to the 247Sports’ composite rankings, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior is rated as a top-120 national prospect and Indiana’s top player.
Shanklin is currently only out-ranked by two 2025 recruits committed to LSU — Bryce Underwood and Harlem Berry. The addition of Shanklin and the two other recruits pushes LSU’s 2025 class to the No. 6 slot in the 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Two other recruits, defensive linemen Zion Williams and Brandon Brown, pledged their commitment to the Tigers. Brown, a previous Texas commit, is a top-330 national prospect while Williams is a top-300 recruit, both ranking among the 40 best defensive linemen in the 2025 signing class.
In the previous recruitment cycle, LSU signed seven defensive linemen, including Dominick McKinley, a top-20 national prospect. LSU also secured transfers from Wisconsin’s Gio Paez and Grand Valley State’s Jay’viar Suggs to fill the roles left by Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo, who declared for the NFL draft.
The defensive front of the Tigers is further bolstered by Jesse Harrold, a 6-5 edge rusher from Florida who ranks among the nation’s 130 best recruits. Harrold committed to LSU two weeks ago.
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