It was supposed to be a story about growth, grit, and game-changers. But it turned into a viral eyebrow-raiser for all the wrong reasons. LSU kicked off fall camp with the usual excitement. But this time, the buzz didn’t come from a QB or flashy NIL drama. Instead, it’s the Tigers’ strength and conditioning program that looked like it hit a new gear. It’s about a 650-pound move, a perplexed Brian Kelly, and a crowd of curious people. So let’s see what happened at Tuesday’s fall camp in Baton Rouge.
Matt Moscona’s X post on July 30 has every reason for LSU fans to feel hopeful for 2025. “Brian Kelly said they ran out of weights when Dom McKinley was attempting to max squat. He got up to 650 pounds. Big expectations for the sophomore former 5-Star,” the tweet read. But not everyone stuck to the real story. One person wrote in the comments section, “Ran out of weights ” Because well, LSU, the same program with a national title pedigree, the same program that pours millions into player development apparently ran out of weights when sophomore DT Dominick McKinley went full Hulk-mode in the gym.
Brian Kelly said they ran out of weights when Dom McKinley was attempting to max squat. He got up to 650 pounds.
Big expectations for the sophomore former 5-Star.@1045espn @LASportsDotNet
— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) July 30, 2025
Dominick McKinley, the 6’6, 308-pound defensive lineman out of Acadiana High, isn’t just lifting expectations. He’s literally out-lifting the LSU facility. A former 5-star recruit and the top-ranked player in Louisiana in the Class of 2024, he didn’t waste time making a name for himself. Seven tackles and three sacks last season, including a two-piece on Oklahoma, earned him notice. But this offseason, he’s become a weight room legend.
Coming off a 9-4 season and a leaky defense that gave up over 364 yards per game, LSU needs bodies. Dom McKinley is shaping up to be the guy for that turnaround. “He’s forced our athletic development staff. Our training staff, athletic training and weight training. We ran out of weights for him to max squat. He was 650 pounds for max squat,” Brian Kelly said. “I just throw that out to you as how powerful he is, and he’s such a great kid… He’s gonna play a major role in what we do.” The HC added he’s still learning, with new DL coach Kyle Williams glued to his side. Still, his statement, intended as a testament to his player’s raw power, landed like a grenade on social media. And the internet didn’t hold back.
Brian Kelly’s comment invites heat on LSU weight room
The Peterson-Roberts Weight Room, unveiled in 2016, is LSU’s pride and joy. It’s a high-tech, multi-sport hub of strength and conditioning. Built to accommodate Tigers from baseball to football, it boasts everything from jump bars to high-performance tracking tech. But on Tuesday, it found itself on the wrong end of Twitter.
LSU’s facilities are considered top-tier in the SEC arms race. So this person is as surprised as anyone else saying, “Run out of weights? At LSU? ” Well, no Power Five weight room should ever cap out on leg day.
Some fans think the whole story sounds like a recruiting fable. Like this person who wrote, “You mean to tell me a program like LSU doesn’t have 14 plates laying around? I’ll take ‘s— that didn’t happen for 1000, Alex’” Standard Olympic plates are 45 lbs each. This isn’t a high school gym, it’s the SEC.
Then, the ‘poverty program’ jokes came out swinging. “… tells me that the LSU weight room isn’t well equipped. What kind of poverty brag is this?” another person commented. A weight limit shouldn’t exist at a place like LSU. Or should it?
Others overlooked the facility jab to highlight Dom McKinley’s emergence. “DUKE! It really is beginning to smell like victory in Baton Rouge,” wrote a hopeful fan clinging to hope on the D-line. That defense needs a savior.
LSU finished 61st in total defense last year. “Not really surprised he looks like a physical freak. I’d like to see a vid,” another Tiger faithful wants proof of dominance. Visual evidence might silence skeptics.
If Dom McKinley translates those 650 pounds of raw power into production, the Tigers might finally look like a Playoff team again. And what better way to kick things off than a season-opener at Clemson? But LSU better get more weights. Or more wins. Preferably both.
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