Five-Star LSU Football Commit Looking to Flip No. 1 Safety From Ohio State Buckeyes

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers are in the midst of a critical stretch this offseason with the program navigating both off-field hires alongside efforts on the recruiting trail.

Across the last 24 hours, Kelly and Co. have made a pair of splash hires to the program's front office while adding the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana to the 2026 Recruiting Class.

Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab five-star athlete Lamar Brown revealed a pledge to the LSU Tigers on Thursday with the decision sending shockwaves across the college football recruting scene.

Brown, the No. 1 athlete in America, selected the Tigers over the Texas A&M Aggies down the stretch in his process with the pair of SEC schools battling until the buzzer.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder will remain home with the recruiting efforts of the LSU Tigers staff separating the program from the pack.

"It just feels good to play for my state and city. Not just for three or four years but for years after football life. I'm just blessed to be in this position and ready to play in Tiger Stadium," Brown said on Thursday.

"Frank Wilson. He's been on me since the first day. The whole staff, I have a relationship with the whole staff, everybody on the staff that helped for this moment."

Now, Brown is beginning to do is own fair share of recruiting despite only being pledged to the LSU Tigers for 24 hours.

But there's a reason for it.

On Friday, news broke that Ohio State Director of Player Personnel, Sam Petitto, will depart the Buckeyes and make his way to Baton Rouge as LSU Football’s Director of Scouting and Personnel Strategy.

It's a move that immediately sent shockwaves across college football with LSU adding one of the sport's most respected front office figures.

BREAKING: LSU has hired Ohio State Director of Player Personnel Sam Petitto.

Petitto, an Amite native, spent nearly a decade with Nick Saban as Alabama's Director of Personnel Operations.

More on the new front office hire by LSU's Austin Thomas:➡️ https://t.co/tpL6nmmw7o pic.twitter.com/K3kJ6Y1Mu2
— Shea Dixon (@Sheadixon) July 11, 2025

Petitto, a Louisiana native with an impressive track record, spent nearly a decade working under Alabama head coach Nick Saban prior to heading to Ohio State.

Prior to his time in Tuscaloosa, Petitto was the Director of Player Personnel at Georgia for two seasons.

After assisting in building a dynasty with the Crimson Tide, the Amite (La.) native will make his way back to his home state.

Petitto's track record speaks for itself after stints with the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes with LSU General Manager, Austin Thomas, spearheading the push to hire him to the off-field staff.

But there's a critical piece here: Ohio State currently holds a commitment from Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic High five-star safety, Blaine Bradford.

Bradford, the No. 1 safety in America, revealed a commitment to the Buckeyes this offseason with Petitto playing a critical role in his decision to pledge to the program.

Petitto has emerged as a weapon for program's on the recruiting scene where he also assisted in the Alabama Crimson Tide signing Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver, DeVonta Smith, years ago.

Now, with Petitto making his way to Baton Rouge, attention will certainly shift towards Bradford, the No. 1 safety in the 2026 Recruiting Class, and his commitment to the Buckeyes.

LSU's latest five-star commitment took to social media on Friday morning to begin intensifying his push to get Bradford into the Tigers' class.

Come Home!!!!🐯@Blaine1307
— Lamar Brown (@lamar1brown) July 11, 2025

The No. 1 safety in America announced a pledge to Day and Co. in March after a rigorous recruiting battle.

“It has been about consistency with Ohio State,” he told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I have had a lot of good conversations with coach Ryan Day and I can talk about anything with coach G (Matt Guerierri).

"They won a national championship this season, they can put people into the NFL every year and they have great people around the program.”

But the LSU Tigers could be back in the conversation with Petitto now on staff in Baton Rouge with the program looking to get in the race.

Kelly and Co. currently hold the No. 5 rated class in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle with seven Top-100 pledges.

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The Buzz: LSU Football Trending for Multiple Targets on the Recruiting Trail

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LSU Football Beats Out Texas Longhorns and Florida Gators for Five-Star EDGE

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