Now at LSU, Jimmy Lindsey is pursuing JaReylan McCoy

LSU defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey‘s prior coaching stop came at South Carolina.

While serving as the defensive line coach for the Gamecocks, Lindsey was the first college coach to reach out to an under-the-radar prospect who was just beginning high school in Mississippi.

JaReylan McCoy, who just wrapped up his freshman year at Tupelo High, had not picked up any college scholarship offers until Lindsey dialed up his head coach with news of USC’s interest.

“I have known Coach Lindsey a while, and he gave me my first offer at South Carolina when I was in 8th grade,” McCoy said. “I think he found me by watching my film. He had gotten with my coach at Tupelo, then they went over what I can do and he told him that he wanted offer me.

“He’s a good d-line coach. He will show you anything you need. He’s just that coach.”

McCoy gets an offer from LSU following OL/DL Camp

When McCoy stepped foot on the LSU campus, he quickly turned heads.

At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, McCoy was one of the most physically imposing prospects in attendance.

Toss in the reality that he just finished his freshman year of high school, and it’s no surprise Lindsey and LSU defensive coordinator Matt House wasted little time giving McCoy an offer from the Tigers.

“It was fun,” McCoy said. “I had never been down to LSU before. Plus, that’s a dream college.

“For me to go out there and put the work in and see the outcome, I know I did well. And I put on for my school and Mississippi. I did what I had to do to get what I deserve. You got to put in what you want to get.

“Coach House gave me the offer (during camp). He was coaching me up and telling me different techniques. I put it to use out there and had a good day.”

As for the mark left by the LSU staff, it’s safe to say the Tigers rolled out the red carpet in a way that left a lasting impression on one of the top names in the Southeast for the 2026 recruiting cycle.

“I will most definitely be going back to LSU a couple more times before I make a decision,” McCoy siad. “From the time I got out of the car, I was on a golf cart. When I left, I was on a golf cart. It was love from the time I got out of the vehicle to when I got back into it.

“The whole time, it was love. That set my expectations really high. Now, I know how it feels to be treated well.”

The early offer from Lindsey kickstarted a roller coaster recruitment

For most college recruits, offers often start rolling in after sophomore seasons. Other times, the wave of offers come after junior seasons.

For McCoy, an offer from Lindsey while still in 8th grade sparked his recruitment long before he envisioned it taking off.

Now, SEC offers are in from LSU, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Auburn and Kentucky. McCoy also has verbal scholarships from Penn State, Tulane, Utah, UAB, Alcorn State, Austin Peay and Faulkner.

“I didn’t expect it,” he said. “When my coach told me in (middle school) that I could get every offer in the book if I do my schoolwork, go to practice and be a part of the team, I still didn’t see this coming. I am a humble person. It’s really a blessing from God to have 15 offers and all that as a freshman.”

Following numerous stops at Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and most recently a camp visit at LSU, McCoy will now head to Tennessee this week for another SEC visit.

“I will be at Tennessee the 8th,” he said. “They have shown a lot of love. They offered me, too. I will go and see what they are about and show them they had a reason to offer me and not just on film.”