LSU Country

The Buzz: The Latest on a Five-Star LSU Football Target, No. 1 Safety in America

Brian Kelly and the Tigers a contender for the nation's top-ranked safety, looking to keep the Louisiana native home.

Zack Nagy

Courtesy of Blaine Bradford's X/Twitter: @Blaine1307.
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Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic High five-star Blaine Bradford ranks as the No. 1 safety in America heading into his senior campaign with programs across the country pushing for his services.

The longtime LSU Tigers target has Brian Kelly's program in the mix as he begins navigating a rigorous recruiting stretch this offseason.

Bradford, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder right down the road from LSU, has the Tigers heavily in the mix alongside the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns.

Now, with spring vastly approaching, the top-ranked safety will see his recruitment process begin to heat up with the trio of Power Four schools swinging for the fences.

Kelly and Co. have proven they will build a wall around Louisiana on the recruiting trail and the 2026 cycle is no different.

LSU has already reeled in commitments from five of the Bayou State's Top-10 prospects with the program trending for others as well.

That includes Bradford.

The No. 1 safety in America has LSU, Ohio State and Texas all in the mix for his services, but has also checked in with Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks in 2025.

Bradford has the "Who's Who" of college football battling for his services, but it's the LSU Tigers that have an edge given it's the hometown school. Another critical component is Bradford's older brother, Jacob, signed with the LSU program in December and will enroll this summer.

The Louisiana native has now set three official visits for this summer with a commitment timeline in mind.

- Texas Longhorns: June 6-8
- Ohio State Buckeyes: June 13-15
- LSU Tigers: June 20-22

LSU will get the final visit of Bradford's process where he will be surrounded by multiple top targets from Louisiana that weekend.

The Tigers have locked in official visits with the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana, Lamar Brown, alongside the state's top-ranked wideout, Jabari Mack. The duo will be on campus alongside Bradford for official visits.

Bradford will be on campus for a multi-day stay towards the end of June, but his tentative commitment date is shortly after.

The coveted prospect told On3 Sports' Chad Simmons that he will "likely commit before July."

It's a significant development for the hometown Tigers with Bradford set to be on campus alongside multiple priority targets with a commitment timeframe now looking to be cemented.

Kelly and the LSU Tigers currently hold a Top-3 Recruiting Class in the 2026 Cycle with the No. 1 class in the Southeastern Conference.

With the foundation set, the next handful of months will be critical in piecing together what has the makings of being a program-changing class on the recruiting trail.

Which pledges make up the rising-senior class?

The Quick Hits: LSU's 2026 Commitments [6]:

Richard Anderson: No. 2 DL in America

Richard pledged to the Tigers in 2024 with the program continuing to keep a foot on the gas for his services. He's fresh off of a monster junior campaign at Edna Karr after leading his program to a state championship victory.

The coveted lineman earned 5A All-State honors after tallying 44 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, two interceptions and a touchdown in 2024. He's the top pledge in LSU's 2026 Recruiting Class to this point.

Aiden Hall: No. 4 Safety in America

Hall committed to Kelly and Co. during his junior campaign where he joined his teammate, Richard Anderson, as LSU pledges in the 2026 class.

The coveted defensive back rounded out his junior season with 38 tackles, including 12 for loss and four sacks, plus four interceptions, 11 pass break-ups, four blocked punts and two fumble recoveries. One of the top safeties in America, LSU will be battling down the stretch for his services.

Brysten Martinez: 4-star Offensive Tackle

Gonzales (La.) East Ascension four-star offensive tackle Brysten Martinez has verbally committed to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers, he announced on Feb. 13. He is rated as the No. 8 rated offensive tackle in America and is a Top-75 overall prospect in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle.

The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder selected the Tigers over a myriad of SEC programs including the Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies and Georgia Bulldogs, among several others.

Kenny Darby: 4-star Wide Receiver

Darby is fresh off of a junior campaign where he landed on the 5A All-State team after logging 100 receptions for 1,764 yards and 24 scores. One of the most prolific receivers in Louisiana, Darby is a player the program remains high on heading into his senior season.

The 6-foot, 175-pounder is a speedy, twitchy wideout that burst on the scene in 2024 with LSU extending an offer. Darby wasted no time in pledging to the program.

Jakai Anderson: 4-star Wide Receiver

Anderson is another elite-level wide receiver out of Louisiana who recently earned 4A All-State honors after an impressive junior season. He logged 57 catches for 972 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, but a Swiss Army Knife that does it all. Anderson also rushed for 151 yards and four scores on 16 carries.

Jalan Chapman: Coveted Offensive Lineman

Chapman, a three-star prospect out of New Orleans (La.), pledged to the Tigers last summer over Alabama, USC, Georgia and Tennessee, among others.

He currently stands at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds following his junior year for New Orleans (La.) Warren Easton High after gaining national attention following his sophomore campaign in 2023.

More LSU News:

The Breakdown: LSU Football Holds No. 1 Recruiting Class in the SEC

LSU Football "Firmly in the Mix" for Coveted Oregon Ducks Quarterback Commitment

Three Observations From LSU Baseball's Opening Weekend Sweep

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Zack Nagy
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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