Top LSU football recruiting target to make college decision this week

Having completed his list of scheduled official visits, big-time class of 2025 edge rusher Damien Shanklin is now just days away from making his official decision between LSU football, Alabama and Ohio State.

LSU football recruiting in a battle with fellow national powers for elite edge rusher Damien Shanklin

Officially listed as having the third best group of commitments in the class of 2025, LSU football undoubtedly is recruiting at an elite level under head coach Brian Kelly. With that said, only three of their 12 current pledges reside on the defensive side of the ball – only one of which plays along the defensive line.

In short, the Tiger 2025 recruiting cycle is truly one of the best in the country, but it could use some serious work on the defensive side of the ball.

Luckily for fans of the program, the purple and gold completely revamped their defensive coaching staff over the offseason, and recruiting has in turn seen a major increase in production. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker is in charge of the group as a whole, while defensive line coach Bo Davis and edge rusher coach Kevin Peoples took over along the defensive interior, and they’ve since found themselves in the mix for some of the top interior defenders in the entire country.

One of those top recruits just so happens to be the top overall player in the state of Indiana, as elite edge rusher Damien Shanklin has been fairly involved with the program since first receiving an offer in late February.

Now, having taken two trips down to Baton Rouge, LA, over the last three months, it appears that he’s quickly approaching a final decision. Last week, the blue chip defender revealed that he’s moved his commitment date up and will now make his announcement on July 5, later this week.

🐘?🅾️? 🐯? pic.twitter.com/5SXQ5WIeZ9

— Damien “Dame” Shanklin (@D_shanklin42) June 30, 2024

Most recently having made the trip to Alabama on June 21 for an official visit, Shanklin will soon decide between the trio of Alabama, LSU and Ohio State – all of which are consistent national powers within the sport of college football.

Officially listed at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, the Indianapolis, IN product is rated as a high four-star recruit, according to 247Sports, sitting at No. 48 nationally and No. 5 among fellow edge rushers. Furthermore, in his past two seasons with Warren Central, Shanklin managed to total 97 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, six sacks, an interception and one forced fumble.

As we stand today, both 247Sports and On3 have LSU football sitting as the current favorite to eventually land the class of 2025 blue chip, but with him having visited both Alabama and Ohio State within the last month, there’s truly no guarantees in where this one ultimately ends up.

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