Indiana's top football prospect, Warren Central DE Damien Shanklin, commits to LSU

The state’s top high school football prospect is headed to bayou country for college.

Warren Central defensive end Damien Shanklin , ranked as the No. 48 prospect in the country by 247sports and the No. 5 defensive end, announced his commitment to LSU on Friday on his Instagram page. The 6-5, 245-pound picked LSU over Alabama and Ohio State. He took official visits to those three schools and Tennessee before making his decision.

Shanklin led Warren Central with 66 tackles as a junior, including 17 for a loss and three sacks. For his high school career, he has 97 tackles, 22 for a loss, six sacks and one interception.

Prior to Shanklin’s commitment, LSU had the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the country by On3 and No. 10 by 247sports. LSU has a commitment from the No. 1 prospect in the country in Mississippi quarterback Bryce Underwood.

The early signing period for football is Dec. 4-6. If Shanklin signs with the Tigers, he is believed to be the first Indiana native in an LSU recruiting class since 1991 when defensive lineman Bryan Madden, a Broad Ripple graduate, signed with LSU out of Garden City (Kan.) Community College (after starting out at Purdue). Lawrence Central defensive end Joshua Mickens was committed to LSU in the 2023 class but ended up signing with Ohio State.

Warren Central coach Mike Kirschner has coached Shanklin since he was an incoming freshman.

“He was a lot skinnier at that age, obviously,” Kirschner said. “But he was 6-2 or 6-3 already and I was impressed by his physical ability and the way he ran to the ball for an eighth grader. He’s very easy to coach. He shows up every day and you don’t have to worry about him.”

Top 20 in-state prospects by On3:

1. Damien Shanklin, DE, Warren Central: LSU
2. Mark Zackery, CB, Ben Davis: Notre Dame
3. Mariyon Dye, DE, Elkhart Central: Tennessee
4. Brock Schott, TE, Leo: Miami (Fla.)
5. JonAnthony Hall, WR, Fishers: Stanford
6. Mason Alexander, CB, Hamilton Southeastern: Pitt
7. Tyrone Burrus, DE, Warren Central: Louisville
8. Eugene Hilton Jr., WR, Zionsville: Wisconsin
9. Nizyi Davis, TE, Lawrence Central: Wisconsin
10. Cameron Gorin, OL, Hamilton Southeastern: Purdue
11. Cameron Herron, OL, Warren Central: Iowa
12. Lebron Hill, WR, Hammond Morton: Purdue
13. Davion Chandler, WR, Lawrence North: Indiana
14. Isaiah White, DL, Ben Davis: Illinois
15. Israel Oladipupo, DE, Noblesville: Boston College
16. Benny Patterson, DL, Castle: Cincinnati
17. Jimmy Sullivan, QB, Carroll (Fort Wayne): Iowa
18. Landon Brooks, DE, Delta: Purdue
19. Jaron Thomas, RB, Concord: Purdue
20. Enoch Atewogbola, DE, Avon: Minnesota

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649 .

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana's top football prospect, Warren Central DE Damien Shanklin, commits to LSU