2026 No. 1 safety Blaine Bradford down to five schools

The top junior defensive back in the nation has taken a big step in his recruitment.

Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic four-star safety Blaine Bradford, On3’s No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 safety in the 2026 cycle, tells On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he’s down to five schools: Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon.

Bradford has visited each of his five finalists, most recently logging his first trip to Oregon at the end of July. He also made his way back to Notre Dame last month.

“We plan on seeing games at Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama,” Bradford’s father, Stacey, recently told On3. “We will definitely check out a couple of Houston games since his brother (Jacob) committed. He has also mentioned Oregon.”

Back in March, Bradford told On3 that the hometown Tigers had already solidified their status as a contender in his recruitment. Bradford is one of three top-10 junior prospects in the state of Louisiana.

“I am super interested in them,” Bradford told On3. “They are the hometown team. They have a program that is built up. That 2025 class coming in is great too and LSU has real potential. I have been there so many times and they are so consistent. The staff wants what is best for their players and their legacy is strong.” 

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder is also the No. 1 safety in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks No. 13 overall and No. 3 in the state of Louisiana.

Blaine Bradford Scouting Summary

On3’s Charles Power writes this of Bradford as a prospect:

“Blaine Bradford checks in as the top safety in the 2026 On300. Though he missed a chunk of his sophomore season at Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic, Bradford is a clear top talent at the position given his instincts, physicality, closing speed and range in coverage. He’s had the look of an advanced safety prospect dating back to his freshman season and the glimpses we saw from him as a sophomore only furthered that belief.”