Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central edge rusher Damien Shanklin revealed his commitment to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in early July.

Then, just weeks after announcing his pledge to the Bayou Bengals, Shanklin doubled down on his commitment to Kelly’s program.

The four-star EDGE took to social media to announce he would be shutting down his recruitment entirely and remain locked in with LSU.

Shanklin will not entertain other colleges or college coaches with all focus shifting to the Early Signing Period in December where he will put pen to paper with LSU.

“I will be closing my recruitment,” Shanklin said. “I’m 1000% committed.”

LSU currently boasts America’s No. 3 recruiting class with 26 commitments in the 2025 cycle to this point.

Now, LSU EDGE coach Kevin Peoples has made his way to Indiana to check in with the state’s top prospect in Shanklin.

Peoples was on the sidelines watching his future edge rusher in person during the open date while on the road checking in with recruits.

The most recent commitments come in five-star prospects (DJ Pickett (No. 1 CB) and Derek Meadows (Top 10 WR), Aidan Anding (4-star CB), Kade Phillips (4-star CB) and more.

Pickett is rated as the No. 1 cornerback, according to both On3 Sports and 247Sports while Meadows is locked in as a five-star wideout in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.

It’s a talent-rich class with Shanklin serving as a major recruiting tool for the program. Once he verbally committed to LSU, he took to social media to become an advocate for the Tigers on “The Trail”.

Who makes up LSU’s 2025 recruiting class? A look into a few headliners:

Bryce Underwood: No. 1 Quarterback in America

Height: 6’4
Weight: 215 pounds

The Rundown, per On3 Sports: “Bryce Underwood made an immediate impact on the varsity level as a freshman at Belleville (Michigan) High School. Underwood threw for 2,888 yards and 39 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also added six rushing scores in his freshman season to lead Belleville to a state championship. Underwood was named the Michigan Associated Press Division 1-2 Player of the Year after the stellar first season. He then led Belleville to a perfect 14-0 record and another state title in 2022. Underwood threw for 2,762 yards and 37 touchdowns as a sophomore. To make things even more impressive, Underwood could technically be a 2026 prospect, but he’s completing school early as part of the 2025 class.”

Harlem Berry: No. 1 Running Back in America

Height: 5’10
Weight: 182 pounds

The Rundown, per On3 Sports: “St Martin’s Episcopal School coach Marcus Dizer isn’t shy about heaping on the praise for Harlem Berry. ‘In all my years, I have never coached or seen a better player than Harlem,’ Dizer said. Through his first two seasons of varsity football, Berry had 4,723 all-purpose yards and 67 touchdowns. He also won the Louisiana 1A state titles in the 100 (10.57) and 200-meters (21.43) during his sophomore year. As a sophomore, Berry rushed 193 times for 2,237 yards (11.6 yards per carry) and 37 touchdowns. During his junior season, he was named the Greater New Orleans Quarterback Club player of the month in September after rushing for 805 yards and 16 scores – in just four games. ‘He’s brilliant,’ Dizer said. ‘We do not win games without him.’”

DJ Pickett: No. 1 Cornerback in America

Height: 6’4
Weight: 180 pounds

The Rundown: Per 247Sports, “Lanky two-way playmaker that allows the mind to get pretty creative when it comes identifying potential roles, but warrants a look as a field corner given one-of-a-kind frame and quick-twitched lower half. Measured right around 6-foot-4, 180 pounds the summer before senior season, making him one of the tallest defensive backs to come out of the high school ranks in recent cycles. More notably, came in with a near 6-foot-8 wingspan. Has dominated rural Florida-based competition the past few years, making an impact as both a wide receiver and a deep safety. Has what it takes to emerge as a true game-breaker on offense with his size and foot speed, but ability to generate turnovers with his advanced ball skills while also mirroring in reverse makes him an intriguing option in both man and off-coverage.”

Derek Meadows: Five-Star Wide Receiver

Height: 6’6
Weight: 205 pounds

The Rundown: Per 247Sports, “Meadows is a jumbo receiver and one of the more intriguing players in the ’25 class. He has a rare combination of size, athleticism and body control and is only scratching the surface of how good we think he can be. At 6-6, 200 pounds and an 80” wingspan, he’s a matchup nightmare for smaller defensive backs and should be an immediate red zone threat. He can run as well and is one of the region’s top track athletes although a hamstring injury has limited him this Spring. He was the Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year as a sophomore and is one of the region’s top hurdlers. He has a big frame and it wouldn’t shock us if he eventually grows in to a pass catching tight end who would be lethal working against linebackers and safeties down the middle of the field.”

Carius Curne: No. 2 Interior Offensive Lineman in America

Height: 6’4
Weight: 320 pounds

The Rundown: Curne is a late bloomer on the gridiron after starting his playing career just three years ago in the ninth grade. Fast forward to the end of his junior campaign and he’s blossomed into the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the country with the chance to play defensive line if need be. Curne, the No. 1 player in Arkansas, is a game changer that will elevate the LSU offensive line for years to come.

Charles Ross: No. 10 Linebacker in America

Height: 6’0
Weight: 200 pounds

The Rundown: Ross is a fast-rising prospect in the 2025 cycle with an opportunity to continue elevating his status for the long haul. He’s launched from a player outside of the Top 300 to a Top 100 recruit due to his sheer speed and athleticism at the second level. The speedster is a dominant athlete on the track and it carries over to his game on the field.

Tyler Miller: Top 10 Interior Offensive Lineman

Height: 6’5
Weight: 315 pounds

The Rundown: Laurel High coach Ryan Earnest isn’t afraid to brag about Tyler Miller. “His size, his strength and he’s just freakishly athletic,” Earnest told the Hattiesburg American about Miller, who led Laurel to the Mississippi 5A title game in 2023. “He presents some problems for people on the other side of the ball. And we’re never afraid to say that we’re just going to run behind him and let him pave the way. That’s how talented he is.”

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each and every Saturday, WISH-TV highlights a local company together with our partners at Indiana Grown.

This week, Josh and Mindy Ellis from Modoc Gardens join News 8 at Daybreak!

Modoc Gardens, located in Modoc, an hour east of Indianapolis, is a small family farm that focuses on using environmentally friendly and sustainable practices to produce beautiful flowers and agricultural experiences available to the area.

The Ellises say the gardens offer many activities, including a sunflower trail, a petting farm, a pumpkin patch, play areas, and a pick-your-own flower garden.

Many events are open to the public, but the gardens also host private affairs such as weddings, birthday parties, and more. The Ellises say they are currently booking private events for the 2025 year, which can be done on their website.

To learn more, visit their Facebook, and enjoy the full interview above!

INDIANAPOLIS — Cole Swider wasn’t sure where he would be for training camp in 2024, yet he still knew he would be in a familiar situation.

During both of Swider’s first two seasons in the NBA, he had to fight to stick around on a roster through camp. His rookie year was in Los Angeles with the Lakers, and Swider was on a two-way deal at the time. Last year with the Miami Heat, Swider was impressive during preseason action and had his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal. He has exited training camp in a better spot than he entered it twice.

This year, Swider shared that he had a few teams that were interested in his services. Yet he chose the Indiana Pacers, and he hopes to repeat his early-practice success from past campaigns. The 25-year old has been with his new team for two months now, and he is starting to get acclimated to a new system and roster.

“Your conditioning has to be at a high level… Overall, just just getting adjusted to it,” Swider said of his adjustment to the Pacers high-paced style. That way of playing is actually what guided Swider to Indiana as opposed to another franchise — he believes he can fit in well in the up-tempo style. “It’s been great… Just learning how to play with each one of these guys, it’s going to keep on being a learning experience, but it’s been a good one.”

Swider’s high-level pitch to teams is that he’s an elite shooter. From beyond the arc, he’s lethal, and he is working on being a better shooter when moving. He plays a low-turnover style and keeps the ball moving while finishing well around the basket.

Head coach Rick Carlisle sees it the same way. “Cole’s a third-year guy who’s established himself as a specialist,” he said earlier this week. “[He’s] been a great addition. He’s a guy competing for the 15th [roster] spot. This is an opportunity.” Carlisle has already seen the 25-year old fitting in during training camp.

Prior to joining the Pacers, Swider had a few relationships with members of the team. Through his agency, he knows Jarace Walker and Kendall Brown somewhat, and he has been playing against Andrew Nembhard for years — since they were juniors in high school. He met more of his teammates throughout the summer and in the players-only minicamp held in Orlando. He’s starting to fit in well and has done work with assistant coach Jim Boylen as well as center Myles Turner after practices.

Swider, a Syracuse product, likes that he joined an established program. His entire career has been with teams in similar spots, and he’s found a way to fit in before. This isn’t much different. It’s just like his past camp experiences battling for roster spots.

“[Guys were saying] they have a solid core foundation. Rick’s been the head coach for a while

The Rhode Island native thinks his overall shooting ability will help him fit in with the team. In his view, he can replicate some of the things that Doug McDermott did for the Pacers last year as a movement shooter, though he will hope to be more accurate when letting it fly from deep. He hopes to be scrappy on the defensive end, too.

The outlook for Swider is fairly clear given his contract status. As Carlisle alluded to, he’s in the battle for the 15th roster spot. He and Kendall Brown are the obvious candidates for that slot, though in theory two-way contract players could sneak into the mix. The head coach noted that a few factors will influence who gets the final roster spot (if anybody), including general performance, compete level, how players manage game situations, and more. Someone will have to earn the final opportunity on the roster.

It could be Swider, who adds a shooting element hard to find at the back end of the team’s bench. He, and the rest of the players competing for roster spots, have been going hard in camp so far.

“I’ve been in this position every single year of my career. So this isn’t anything new,” Swider said of his battle to make the team. “Just want to continue to improve and try to earn my spot here.”

For his career, Swider has averaged 2.0 points per game. He has 25 appearances under his belt, He’s now angling to join his third team and knows exactly what it will take to be a part of the squad come opening night, and he will try to prove it across the rest of training camp and preseason play.