Already built like a bouncer with ballet feet, Darius Gray doesn’t so much block defenders as he redirects their reality. The five-star from St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA., is ranked as the No. 1 interior OL in the 2026 class. He’s one of those rare trench prospects who can bend the arc of a play with foot quickness and brute strength. Gray’s tape speaks complete dominance. He had his five favorites, but whispers rise from the southeast; there’s reason to believe his recruitment may be nearing a decisive shift. Somewhere around Death Valley, folks are grinning.
While Darius Gray has publicly trimmed his list to five—Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, South Carolina, and Tennessee—it’s the action behind the curtain that has recruiting insiders buzzing. “Rivals’ No. 1 interior OL is down to five finalists, and our eye is on Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina with the blue-chipper from Virginia,” said Rivals national analyst Sam Spiegelman. “The Gamecocks have been trending at the top with Gray for long stretches of this recruitment, but there has been sky-high confidence in Baton Rouge about the Tigers’ chances in this one. Brad Davis is a bona fide Recruiter of the Year candidate who could lock down the honor by landing Gray’s commitment.” That ain’t smoke; that’s a full-blown kitchen fire, and Davis is cooking.
The Gamecocks were early on Darius Gray and made him their primary target in their offensive rebuild, giving him the “priority treatment” often reserved for QBs or edge rushers. Vols, meanwhile, sees Gray as a plug-and-play force in their wide-zone-heavy scheme, a mauler with the lateral quickness to combo block and seal second-level defenders in tempo looks. But it’s the LSU Tigers that might just have the inside lane, thanks to Davis’ reputation and Gray’s fit in the Tigers’ new hybrid-zone run concepts. Baton Rouge believes they’re the pick. And frankly, there’s reason to.
At 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds with a basketball pedigree and verified 34-inch arms, Darius Gray has prototype guard traits with athletic markers that scream early-round NFL upside. He exploded onto the national radar with a breakout performance at the 2025 Navy All-American Bowl, where he anchored all week against defenders often older, heavier, and far more experienced. Scouts were taken aback by his ability to reset, recover, and punish with a finish. His pass sets remain clean thanks to synced footwork and timing, and his ability to punch with authority—while keeping his lower body engaged—makes him a technician and tone-setter.
247Sports called it like they saw it: “Athletic offensive lineman with a dense build that has the foot quickness to lead the way on long pulls or counters and the horsepower to hold the line of scrimmage or change it.” That kind of versatility is why evaluators see him not just as a Sunday-caliber guard, but potentially a cheat code in a zone scheme. His ability to shift his weight laterally and stay balanced through contact—what coaches call “hip hinge control”—is elite for a high schooler. Throw in his two-way snaps and competitive stamina, and it’s easy to see why his stock is soaring.
Of course, he’s still a 17-year-old OL, which means there’s room to grow—literally and tactically. He may need a year or two on a strength program to adjust to the speed of the SEC (or Big Ten), but make no mistake: Gray is a superstar in the making. He’s got that rare blend of edge and intelligence, the kind that doesn’t just survive in college football’s front lines but thrives. Where he lands could reshape a program’s interior for years to come.
Darius Gray’s area is shrinking, especially around Tennessee
If Tennessee fans were still holding out hope for Darius Gray, it might be time to look away. The Vols are fading fast in this high-stakes recruiting saga, with more smoke gathering around two familiar SEC neighbors. Following up on Rivals’ strong LSU lean, 247Sports’ Tom Loy added more fuel to the Baton Rouge–Columbia fire on Tuesday.
“As it stands now, the two from his finalist group that I’m watching closely are South Carolina and LSU,” said Loy. “The Gamecocks and Tigers both have immense optimism at this point in the process…In connecting with sources close to this recruitment, it seems most likely that he’ll eventually land at one of these two SEC programs.”
Tennessee may be officially out of the driver’s seat—and probably not even riding shotg–. While the Vols offered scheme fit and early playing time, the energy around Columbia and the confidence flowing from Baton Rouge continue to grow louder by the week. For a lineman who thrives on physicality and culture, it’s looking more and more like the trenches of either Death Valley or Williams-Brice will be his next stomping ground.
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