LSU lands a commitment from 2026 4-star DL JaReylan McCoy: 'Baton Rouge is a great place to be'

Tupelo (Miss.) defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy has well over 20 offers and national schools have been in pursuit of the 2026 four-star, but at the Under Armour All-America game, he committed to LSU over Tennessee and USC.

“I’m locked in,” McCoy told On3. “It was tough. I like USC a lot and Tennessee is a great school too, but LSU is the school for me. The program has great history, the team has great coaches and they made me feel like a priority.”

The decision came down to this week. McCoy told On3 that he made the final decision on Dec. 31. The people at LSU played a big role in that.

“Coach Peoples, coach Kelly and coach Tate are great people. The relationships we have are strong and I have really gotten close to the staff this year. They have communicated with me a lot, they have always been transparent with me about the Transfer Portal, recruiting and what is going on, so I have trust in them.

“LSU started recruiting me in the 8th grade. There have been some changes, but the relationships have always been strong. The new defensive staff came in and made a big impression on me.”

The relationships and history at LSU were factors for McCoy

Donovan Tate was key. Behind the scenes, he and McCoy grew quite close. Kevin Peoples came over from Missouri with defensive coordinator Blake Baker and he hit the ground running with the No. 124 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.

“Coach Peoples told me I was the first prospect he called when he got to LSU,” McCoy said. “Coach Peoples has been on me hard from day one. I like him a lot. He is chill, he is laid back and he puts guys on the field who want to be there and compete for LSU. Coach Peoples loves guys who push and work hard and that is me.”

LSU finished off the season 9-4 after a 44-31 win over Baylor in the Texas Bowl Tuesday. McCoy is excited about his future in Baton Rouge.

“I love the brotherhood there. They communicate with each other, they keep it real and they put their players in a position to have success. LSU has a great history and coach Kelly is going to keep that going. I have been to LSU four or five times and it just feels like a place I can call home.”