What's Next For LSU Recruiting After Missing on A'Mir Sears?

After missing out on a priority target, where will the LSU Tigers turn to now on the recruiting trail?

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The LSU Tigers find themselves staring down the barrel of a critical season as brand-new head coach Lane Kiffin faces mounting expectations to return the program to its former days of glory at the top of the sport.

For Kiffin and his staff, though, they are prioritizing success for the upcoming season and beyond as well, including ensuring the recruiting classes for the current and next cycles are stocked with talent that can make an impact when they arrive on campus.

The latest recruitment battle resulted in the Tigers missing out on elite athlete A'Mir Sears, who reclassified to the 2026 class and chose the Miami Hurricanes. Looking to retain their top-10 class for the cycle, the Tigers will now turn their attention to flipping recruits and retaining their class.

Retaining Commitments Remains Priority No. 1

LSU Tigers Football: Ahmad Hudson. | Courtesy of Ahmad Hudson's Instagram.

The Tigers' class is headlined by the addition of Ahmad Hudson, a five-star tight end who is the No. 1-ranked recruit at his position. For Kiffin and his staff, landing Hudson, an in-state product from Ruston, Louisiana, was a massive accomplishment, and it put further emphasis on the coaching staff's desire to keep recruits from the Bayou State home.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they weren't the only program pursuing Hudson and the Nebraska Cornhuskers were making a strong push down the final stretch of his recruitment battle to land his commitment. While Kiffin and his staff may have come out on top, Hudson has said he is yet to shut down his recruitment through the process.

Retaining his commitment and staving off the Cornhuskers, who are willing to leave no stone unturned to land him, would serve as a huge win on the recruiting trail for Kiffin in year one, and keep the Tigers with a top-10 class.

Could the Tigers Flip Any Recruits?

Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American wide receiver Barion Brown (6) of LSU grabs a touchdown pass during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Tigers haven't added any new names to the class as of late, the staff is still making a push to increase the number of commits for the cycle, but now they have turned their attention to flipping some of the top prospects committed elsewhere.

The top two names on the board for the staff include top-five prospects in the cycle, Easton Royal and Jalen Brewster. Royal, who seems like the more likely of the two, has been crystal balled for a flip to the Tigers, but there are no further indications that it is happening, and while the Tigers are entertaining Brewster, he seems to stand pat with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

If the Tigers can land either one of them, they would be significant moves in year one under Kiffin and a big step to proving the Tigers are back as one of the major recruiting threats in the country.

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