Lane Kiffin, LSU Football Trending to Land Commitment From Top-10 Quarterback

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers navigated a strong first day of the Early Signing Period after 11 prospects ultimately put pen to paper with the school.

Despite Kiffin arriving in Baton Rouge on Sunday, and multiple moving parts across the last 96 hours, the coaching staff in Louisiana locked in double-digit signees on Wednesday.

From the No. 1 defensive lineman in America, Richard Anderson, to the top-ranked wide receiver in Louisiana, Jabari Mack, the program made a statement on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

But there are more pieces waiting to be signed, including the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 Recruiting Class, Lamar Brown, after delaying his decision sign with LSU on Wednesday.

Aside from the players committed to the LSU Tigers, there is a name to keep tabs on that is on "flip watch" this week: Landon Duckworth.

Courtesy of Landon Duckworth's Instagram [via Elite 11].

The Jackson (Ala.) four-star quarterback is verbally committed to Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks, but sources indicate to LSU Tigers On SI that the staff in Baton Rouge is intensifying its pursuit at the buzzer.

Duckworth, the No. 9 rated signal-caller in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, has emerged as a coveted target for Kiffin and the LSU coaching staff as they turn up the heat in their pursuit.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder has earned offers from a myriad of programs across his time on the prep scene, but it's Beamer's South Carolina Gamecocks that hold the verbal commitment.

Duckworth revealed a pledge to the SEC program over the summer with the Gamecocks ultimately beating out the Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers, among others, down the stretch.

But the commitment to South Carolina hasn't stopped programs from turning up the heat for Duckworth's services - including LSU - with the most of the Ole Miss offensive staff making their way to Baton Rouge after following Kiffin.

Now, they're beginning to make a push for Duckworth in the Bayou State.

LSU Tigers Football: Duckworth. — Courtesy of Landon Duckworth's Instagram [via: @courtsidebank].

Sources tell LSU Tigers On SI that the Bayou Bengals are positioning themselves well here with a significant push down the stretch, but with a verbal commitment to South Carolina, there is still work to be done.

Now, Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong has weighed in on the push with Duckworth to LSU becoming "very real" this week.

“LSU is a program that is in the mix for some guys down the stretch. They’re trying to flip five-star receiver Jase Matthews from Auburn. Jase tells me he won’t sign until Friday. They landed four star receiver Corey Barber this morning, he was an Ole Miss commit," Wiltfong said on a live show on Wednesday.

"Landon Duckworth is another, but he was supposed to have his Letter of Intent sent in at 7:05 this morning, but I don’t see anything on him signing yet.

"I think Landon Duckworth to LSU is very real, especially if he did not send in his LOI this morning as he had intended to. As we all know, they did not sign a quarterback in 2025.

"They were able to sign Michael Van Buren as a replacement for not signing Bryce Underwood, but they don’t have a commitment for 2026 and Duckworth has existing relationships with Lane Kiffin.”

As the Early Signing Period continues, Kiffin and Co. remain in pursuit of multiple top-ranked prospects with Duckworth emerging as a top flip target.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Hires Elite Offensive Coordinator, Five Assistant to Lane Kiffin's Staff

Three Takeaways From Lane Kiffin's Introductory Press Conference With LSU Football

Lane Kiffin Reveals How Nick Saban, Pete Carroll Influenced Decision to LSU Football

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