LSU has now passed the Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle Team rankings. The Tigers trail only the USC Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas A&M Aggies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish with the programs rounding out the top-five.

Michigan’s 2026 class adds 13 commits, climbing rankings, but can they outpace rivals like Georgia and LSU for top talent?

The No. 1 recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, according to ESPN’s rankings, is off the board. The five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown is committing to his home state school, LSU. “For the next three or four years, I will be committing to Louisiana State University.” Brown said as he put on the LSU cap on Thursday. “Go Tigers.”

LSU has been an early winner in July on the recruiting scene alongside the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines, among several others. For Dan Lanning and the Ducks, the program sits with the No. 7 overall class with LSU one slot below them at No. 8, according to the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings.

On Thursday, defensive lineman Lamar Brown chose the Tigers over Texas A&M, Texas and Miami during a live broadcast of his decision on ESPN2. It's a significant recruiting win for Brian Kelly, especially since he was going up against some of his program's SEC rivals.