Brian Kelly and the LSU football staff have landed a commitment from Lufkin (Texas) four-star defensive lineman Zion Williams, he announced via social media on Thursday.
The coveted defensive tackle joins a star-studded 2025 cycle with Bo Davis securing a pledge from one of the top prospects in the Lone Star State.
A 6-foot-4, 300-pound menace up front, Davis and his recruiting team circled Williams as a major priority down the stretch with the Tigers coming out on top for his services.
Both Davis and defensive coordinator Blake Baker have been pursuing Williams heavily since joining Kelly's staff in Louisiana months ago.
Now, their recruiting efforts have paid off after landing a verbal pledge from the sought after prospect.
The four-star Texas native is viewed as a gem by the LSU staff with this program rolling out the red carpet during his official visit last month. Williams made his way to Baton Rouge in early June for a multi-day stay.
The Texas native had the TCU Horned Frogs squarely in the mix, but fresh off of an official to LSU, he set his commitment date for July 4th. LSU felt they were in the lead here with the clock ticking until a decision is made with the program ultimately coming out on top.
Williams chose LSU over TCU and Texas, among others, with the Bayou Bengals dipping into the Lone Star State for another elite-level talent.
The commitment from Williams is the first of what the LSU staff expects to be many in the month of July.
The Tigers will see a pair of defensive linemen reveal their college decisions on Friday, July 5th with LSU trending for the premier targets.
Who could be next?
A look into two recruits set to announce decisions in the next 24 hours:
Damien Shanklin: No. 1 EDGE in Indiana
The four-star EDGE took a visit to Death Valley in early June with defensive line coaches Bo Davis and Kevin Peoples making a major move.
The No. 1 prospect out of Indiana, LSU is going out of their southern region recruiting realm, but they have quickly circled Shanklin as one of their top EDGE prospects in the 2025 cycle.
Now, with a visit to Baton Rouge wrapped up, LSU is surging for the coveted Indiana native.
On3 Sports recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong logged a prediction for LSU to win out for Shanklin's services with his recruitment process ramping up.
For LSU, they've now hosted Shanklin for a much-needed official visit with the four-star talent still set to visit other programs. The Tigers will have to fend off Ohio State, among others, but appear to be the team to beat here.
Shanklin has locked in a commitment date for July 5th.
The Flip Target: Brandon Brown
Four-star defensive lineman Brandon Brown, a Texas Longhorns commitment, arrived in Baton Rouge for an official visit in June where he had the chance to soak in the scenes of Death Valley alongside several prized 2025 targets.
In town for official visits that weekend included DJ Pickett (No. 1 CB), Kaliq Lockett (No. 2 WR) and Jaime Ffrench (No. 4 WR).
For Brown, he had the chance to build relationships with the top targets on LSU's radar and hear the pitch the LSU program had for him.
Now, with an LSU official and other visits to top programs in the rearview mirror, the dust has begun to settle.
The Bayou Bengals have begun separating themselves from the pack, trending for the current SEC commitment.
We saw On3 Sports recruiting analyst Billy Embody log an expert prediction for LSU to flip Brown from his Texas pledge weeks ago.
Now, with a decision nearing, another prediction has been placed by On3 Sports' Shea Dixon.
LSU is trending to flip the current Texas commitment with a source telling LSU Country that he could make his official decision in the next 24 hours.
The Tigers are making noise, but Brown has other programs pressing for his services.
He's taken visits to LSU, Tennessee and Oklahoma this summer with the Sooners getting the last crack on the final weekend of June.
Brown was accompanied by his family during June's visit to Baton Rouge where a source then felt the Tigers were trending.
Now, the Bayou Bengals are continuing to gain traction in his recruitment.
It'll be a battle for LSU down the stretch in order to flip the coveted defensive lineman, but defensive line coach Bo Davis and Co. have done their due diligence in this one.
For now, LSU has begun trending in the right direction in order to flip the four-star defensive lineman with expert predictions beginning to be logged.
Other LSU News:
History Made: Angel Reese Sets WNBA Record, Rewriting History Books
LSU Football Recruiting Review: Tigers Secure Several Commitments in June
Ex-No. 1 Pick JaMarcus Russell Fired as Coach, Faces Lawsuit
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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.
ZACK NAGY
Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics.
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