Louisiana home to a trio of Top 5 overall recruits
Louisiana is one of high school football’s most talent-rich states in America, and the 2026 class is already proving to be elite.
One week ago, Southern Cal quarterback commitment Julian Lewis announced his decision to reclassify from the 2026 class into the 2025 class.
Lewis had debuted as the No. 1 overall prospect on the On3 Industry Recruiting Rankings, but his decision to jump into the 2025 class shakes up the rankings for the 2026 cycle.
Now, three Louisiana natives are ranked inside the Top 5 nationally – regardless of position.
It’s good news for an LSU football program that is looking to make a big splash in the Bayou State across the coming years.
The Tigers currently have the No. 1 recruiting class for the 2025 cycle. Can the momentum carry over into the 2026 cycle?
Here’s the breakdown on the trio of 2026 Louisiana prospects inside the new-look Top 5.
Jahkeem Stewart – No. 1 overall prospect, No. 1 defensive lineman … St. Augustine’s star defensive lineman turned in a massive sophomore season on the gridiron, and Stewart heads into the offseason as the top-ranked recruit in the country. The New Orleans native has offers in from colleges from coast-to-coast, and LSU and Alabama are running neck-and-neck on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). The good news for the Tigers: the hire of Bo Davis – one of the top defensive line coaches in college football – should bring another boost to LSU’s efforts, which have been spearheaded so far by LSU associate head coach and New Orleans native Frank Wilson. Stewart is using the coming months to make campus visits, which will include at least one stop in Baton Rouge.
Blaine Bradford – No. 4 overall prospect, No. 1 safety … The Catholic High defensive back is one of two 2026 prospects from Baton Rouge who cracked into the Top 5 of the national rankings with sophomore seasons now complete. Bradford has been a mainstay around LSU’s campus, and the Tigers got the CHS standout in for camp this past summer, as did Georgia, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. Bradford eclipsed double-digit college offers before his freshman season ended, and he’s used the month of January to visit Texas first, then LSU this weekend. LSU holds the On3 RPM lead, but plenty of out-of-state schools will battle the Tigers for the top safety in America.
Lamar Brown – No. 5 overall prospect, No. 1 interior offensive lineman … Brown joins Bradford as the two Baton Rouge recruits sitting inside the Top 5 of the rankings after he shined at University High the past two seasons. At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Brown is being recruited by colleges on both sides of the line, and he currently checks in as the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class. Brown attends high school on LSU’s campus, and more than double-digit visits over his recruiting process has the Tigers holding a big lead on the On3 RPM with two seasons of high school football in front of him.
