LSU Country

Nation's No. 1 EDGE Raves About Lane Kiffin and LSU Football As Program Surges

Kiffin and Co. sit at the top for the prized edge rusher, making an impact in his process early on.
Zack Nagy|
Courtesy of Jaiden Bryant's Instagram.

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Irmo (S.C.) four-star edge rusher Jaiden Bryant has blossomed into one of America's top prospects after a strong junior campaign with the LSU Tigers making their presence felt in his recruitment.

Bryant, the No. 1 edge rusher in the 2027 Recruiting Cycle, comes in as a Top-50 overall prospect with the South Carolina native continuing to generate significant buzz.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder has reeled in a myriad of offers with the likes of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Michigan Wolverines, LSU Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Florida Gators, among others, making up the double-digit scholarship sheet.

As a sophomore in 2024, Bryant logged 94 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, 7 pass breakups and four forced fumbles where he ascended into a national recruit with top schools extending scholarships.

Now, he has found himself as the No. 1 EDGE in America with the LSU Tigers catching his eye after a recent staff hire.

LSU Tigers Football: Jaiden Bryant.
Courtesy of Jaiden Bryant's Instagram.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin officially added defensive line coach Sterling Lucas to his staff in Baton Rouge last week with a formal announcement being made.

Kiffin and Co. poached Lucas from South Carolina where he was on Shane Beamer's staff in Columbia - now making the move to the Bayou State.

Lucas has emerged as one of the Southeastern Conference''s top defensive assistants, but also emerged as elite recruiter across his time on the college scene.

For Bryant, the top-ranked edge rusher in the nation, he had Lucas serve as his primary recruiter while at South Carolina.

Now, with Lucas joining the LSU Tigers staff, the program has emerged as the top school in his recruitment process, according to Rivals.

The 5A Defensive Player of the Year in South Carolina has schools across America in his ear, but it's clear the LSU Tigers will have an impact in his recruitment with Lucas now on staff in Baton Rouge.

Kiffin will be altering his recruiting strategy now that he's at LSU with the program looking to not rely on the Transfer Portal as much as he did at Ole Miss.

“We were aware of it,” Kiffin said of the state of the roster. “We played it the last few years. So we knew a lot about it, but we’re also now in a world of portal and free agency where a lot of the rosters change now every year. Then, you add people.

"At Ole Miss, no significant players on that offense — which is probably the best offense in college football — are from Mississippi. All those guys came in to be part of what we’re doing. So we need to keep the high school players here and then add players like we did before and then sky’s the limit.”

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver, Oklahoma Transfer Labeled 'Biggest Bust' in Portal

Lane Kiffin Pulls Off Historic Recruiting Feat Amid First Month With LSU Football

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

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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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