The Top-Five LSU Football "Must Have" Prospects in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers continue making their presence felt in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle with the No. 3 overall class to this point.

Kelly and Co. boast the Southeastern Conference's No. 1 class with six commitments rounding out the group as it currently stands.

But the LSU staff has simply laid the foundation with it being early in the rising-senior class.

The Tigers staff recently hit the road prior to the NCAA Dead Period with an opportunity to check in with priority prospects in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle for in-person visits.

LSU is "big game hunting" in next year's cycle with key prospects on their radar.

The Five "Must Have" Prospects in the 2026 Cycle:

The Louisiana Trio: Blaine Bradford, Lamar Brown and Jabari Mack

Blaine Bradford: No. 1 Safety in America

Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic High safety Blaine Bradford remains one of the most coveted prospects in America as he navigates a busy offseason on the recruiting trail.

Bradford, who's rated as the No. 1 safety in the 2026 Recruiting Class, has LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, Alabama and Ohio State firmly in the race for his commitment as he works through a rigorous process.

The top-ranked safety in America has a slew of potential suitors, but the hometown school is gaining momentum relatively early in the process.

Bradford has taken trips to each of his finalists with his most recent trip being to the LSU Tigers in January where he dropped in for the program's Junior Day event.

A Bayou State native, the Tigers are pushing hard for the coveted safety right down the road from Death Valley.

He's a player at the top of their 2026 "must haves" with defensive backs coaches Corey Raymond and Jake Olsen ramping up their push.

Lamar Brown: No. 1 IOL in America

Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab five-star interior offensive lineman Lamar Brown ranks as the No. 1 player in Louisiana as he gears up for his senior campaign.

The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder has cruised up the recruiting rankings as the top prep player in the Bayou State with a slew of elite programs pushing for his services.

Now, with the offseason in full swing, Brown has begun scheduling visits to check out college programs.

After checking out the Tulane Green Wave in late January, Brown visited LSU as well before the NCAA Dead Period kicked in.

Kelly and the LSU Tigers continue their pursuit of the top talent in the state and that includes the likes of Brown.

He's the top-ranked overall player in the Bayou State as well as the No. 1 offensive lineman in America.

Brown is also a candidate to play defensive line at the collegiate level as a talent that can handle business on both sides of the ball.

The No. 1 WR in Louisiana: Jabari Mack

Destrehan (La.) wideout Jabari Mack continues feeling the love from the likes of LSU, Texas and Texas A&M as his recruiting process ramps up.

The Boot's top receiver wrapped up a trip to Baton Rouge for a visit with Kelly and the LSU program on during the program's Junior Day last month.

Mack had one-on-one time with Brian Kelly, soaked in the scenes of Death Valley and had time to talk shop with other premier prospects during his recent stay on campus, a source tells LSU Tigers On SI.

For the top-ranked wideout in the Bayou State, he's seen premier programs turn up the heat, but LSU is certainly making a move in his recruitment.

The 6-foot, 192-pounder has released a Top-10:

Florida State Seminoles
LSU Tigers
Michigan Wolverines
Alabama Crimson Tide
Oregon Ducks
Tennessee Volunteers
Texas Longhorns
Texas A&M Aggies
Ohio State Buckeyes
Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Louisiana native will work through a big-time offseason leading up to his senior campaign with the Destrehan (La.) Wildcats in 2025.

The Border State Wideouts: Tristen Keys and Boobie Feaster

Tristen Keys: No. 1 WR in America

Hattiesburg (Miss.) five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys continues a meteoric rise up the recruiting rankings after wrapping up a standout junior campaign in 2024.

Keys, the No. 1 wide receiver in America, led his Hattiesburg High School squad to a 13-1 record after logging 58 receptions for 1,275 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder has an offer list with over 30 schools extending scholarships to the star pass catcher, but in January, he elected to trim his list.

Keys revealed a final 12 schools with Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers making the cut alongside Alabama, Auburn, USC, Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida and Miami.

It's a strong final 12 programs with LSU's work certainly cut out for them down the stretch, but Keys is enjoying the process to this point. The main goal right now is perfecting his craft.

“Everything I am good at, I want to be great at,” Keys told High School On SI. “I want to be faster, more explosive, better on my cuts, more in sync on my routes, loosen my hips more, and attack the ball more.

"I want to get better overall. I want to be a better route runner; I have gotten better at that, but I can get even better.”

Keys also revealed to High School On SI the schools that turned up the heat prior to the NCAA Dead Period.

“Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, and in-state schools like Mississippi, Mississippi State, and USM (Southern Miss) – there are a bunch of schools,” Keys mentioned. “Nebraska is another one. They are coming down sometime in January. Louisville, Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Mizzou, Oklahoma, and USC.”

LSU has officially made the cut as a finalist for the star wide receiver in the 2026 Recruiting Class after including Kelly and Co. among the 12 schools, but Alabama and Tennessee, among others, will be fighting for his commitment down the line.

Boobie Feaster: Former No. 1 WR in the 2027 Cycle

Desoto (Tex.) five-star wide receiver Ethan "Boobie" Feaster has quickly cemented his status as a blue-chip prospect in the 2027 Recruiting Class.

Feaster, the No. 1 wideout in the cycle, is fresh off of a dominant sophomore campaign where he put the country on notice after hauling in a myriad of offers.

LSU, Oregon, USC and Texas, among others, have Feaster's attention as he locks in an offer list full of the "Who's Who" of college football.

But Feaster is switching things up now.

The coveted wideout has elected to reclassify into the 2026 Recruiting Cycle and graduate high school a year early.

"For me, I've done so much in high school. My parents, my parents, and I felt like it was time to go to the next level," Feaster told Rivals of his decision. "Not only that -- I was ready. This is a big step for me. As long as I'm prepared and I'm ready, I'll be fine."

In addition to jumping up to the 2026 class, Feaster has also cut his national offer list down to 12 finalists: LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, Miami, USC, and SMU.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has been to LSU multiple times during his recruiting process with wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton taking a hands-on approach in his recruitment. Feaster will take an official visit before it's all said and done.

More LSU News:

The Breakdown: LSU Football Holds No. 1 Recruiting Class in the SEC

LSU Football "Firmly in the Mix" for Coveted Oregon Ducks Quarterback Commitment

Three Observations From LSU Baseball's Opening Weekend Sweep

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