No. 1 Safety in Alabama, Coveted LSU Football Commit Shuts Down Recruitment

The Tigers' top safety pledge shuts down his recruitment, locked in with Brian Kelly's program.
Courtesy of Dylan Purter's Instagram.
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Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington four-star safety Dylan Purter is fresh off of an official visit to Baton Rouge this past weekend after a multi-day stay with the LSU Tigers.

Purter, the No. 1 safety in Alabama, went public with a decision to pledge to LSU in March over a myriad of other programs that have extended offers his way.

The 6-foot, 165-pounder has reeled in scholarships from the likes of the Florida Gators, South Carolina Gamecocks and Auburn Tigers, among several others, during his recruitment process.

But it's the LSU Tigers that hold the commitment after locking in the Alabama native earlier this year.

Purter arrived in Baton Rouge on Friday to begin his three-day stay in the Bayou State where the program once again rolled out the red carpet.

"It was amazing! Everything I thought it would be," Purter told LSU Tigers On SI.

Now, after taking the official visit, Purter has elected to shut down his recruitment and will not take trips to other programs this summer and into the fall.

He's bought in on what Brian Kelly is building in Baton Rouge.

"LSU is where greatness is made and that's where I want to be," Purter said.

LSU will continue keeping a foot on the gas for the talented Alabama defensive back following another successful trip to Baton Rouge.

The Bayou Bengals holds the No. 2 overall 2026 Recruiting Class and the No. 1 class in the Southeastern Conference to this point.

Which prospects are in the 2026 Recruiting Class to this point?

The Quick Hits: LSU's 2026 Commitments [11]:

Tristen Keys: No. 1 WR in America

Kelly and the LSU Tigers gained a commitment from Keys, the top-ranked wideout in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle, after revealing a decision in March.

The coveted prospect is coming off of an impressive junior campaign where led his Hattiesburg High School squad to a 13-1 record in 2024 after logging 58 receptions for 1,275 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Keys is rated as the No. 1 wide receiver and a consensus five-star prospect with LSU locking down the program-changing recruit.

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.

Anderson is rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in Louisiana and the No. 23 overall prospect in America.

Emanuel Tucker: No. 1 Offensive Lineman in Mississippi

New Albany (Miss.) four-star offensive lineman Emanuel Tucker committed to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in June after a rigorous recruitment process.

Tucker, the No. 1 rated offensive lineman in Mississippi, narrowed his focus to LSU and the Ole Miss Rebels down the stretch in his recruitment with the Tigers ultimately winning out for his services.

The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder recently backed off of a commitment to the Mississippi State Bulldogs and quickly hit the recruiting scene.

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.

Hall is rated as the No. 4 overall player in Louisiana and a Top-75 prospect in America.

Jabari Mack: No. 1 WR in Louisiana

Mack, the No. 1 rated wideout in Louisiana, is ranked as a Top-10 receiver in America with Kelly's crew winning out for his services.

LSU earned the pledge over the likes of the Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas A&M Aggies.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder remains one of the most sought-after prospects in America with the Bayou Bengals landing the pledge.

Havon Finney: Top-10 Defensive Back in America

Sierra Canyon (Calif.) cornerback Havon Finney Jr. committed to the LSU Tigers in April after pledging to the program over the USC Trojans.

Finney, a Top-10 cornerback in America, recently reclassified into the 2026 Recruiting Cycle where he will skip his junior campaign.

Finney is coming off of a big-time sophomore season where he finished with 37 tackles, 16 pass break-ups and four interceptions.

Now, the 6-foot-2, 170-pounder has made his move after electing to pledge to the Bayou Bengals prior to his senior campaign.

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.

Martinez is rated as the No. 6 overall prospect in Louisiana and a Top-160 prospect in America.

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.

Darby is rated as the No. 7 overall prospect in Louisiana and the No. 2 wide receiver.

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.

Gavin Higgins: Louisiana Kicker

Baton Rouge (La.) Parkview Baptist kicker Gavin Higgins committed to Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in June, he revealed via social media.

Higgins, who received an offer from the Bayou Bengals last week, wasted no time in going public with the program and making a commitment decision.

“I chose LSU because I grew up a tiger fan and I have been to countless games,” Higgins told TigerBait.com. “Walking into that stadium is a different type of feeling than walking into other stadiums.

“It gives me the chills, and knowing it could be reality is a very cool feeling.” 

The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder from Louisiana held offers from other prominent programs with the hometown school ultimately winning out after dishing out a scholarship.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver Donating NIL Money Back to High School for Title Rings

LSU Football Holds Commitments From a Pair of Top-10 Wide Receivers in America

Brian Kelly's Take: LSU Football Searching for Ideal Starting Offensive Line Rotation

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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.