Five-Star LSU Football Target, No. 1 Athlete in America Reveals Top Schools

La Mesa (Calif.) Mount Migel five-star athlete Brandon Arrington remains one of the most prized prospects in America as he becomes a household name following a dominant junior campaign.

Arrington, the top two-way recruit in the 2026 Recruiting Class, has reeled in nearly 40 college offers with the LSU Tigers entering the mix in January.

The NCAA Dead Period was lifted in January where college coaches could officially have face-to-face contact with recruits.

Arrington quickly became a hot commodity on the recruiting scene with USC's Lincoln Riley dropping in to see the prized recruit, but LSU then entered the mix alongside others after extending a scholarship.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder is one of the fastest prospects in America where he also shines in track and field during the spring time. He recently won state in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.

Arrington has dominated at both the wide receiver and cornerback positions during his prep career to this point.

He’s hauled in 48 receptions for 953 yards (19.9 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns while turning heads on offense. On the other side of the ball, Arrington has logged 51 tackles, three pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery across the last two seasons.

LSU knew they would have ground to make up in this one with Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC, among others, all swinging for the fences in his recruiting process.

But it's clear Brian Kelly's program had his attention early.

Arrington revealed his Top-12 schools on last month with the LSU Tigers making the cut alongside Alabama, Michigan, USC, Florida State, Penn State, Texas A&M, UCLA, Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Now, he's revealed a Top-6 schools with LSU now out of contention.

Arringon listed the USC Trojans, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions as his finalists.

The top-ranked athlete in America, Arrington is a player that will continue having the "Who's Who" of college football battling until the buzzer during the Early Signing Period in December.

For LSU, the 2026 Recruiting Class is off to a hot start with the group up to five commitments to this point. The class is ranked in the Top-5 for next year's cycle as it currently stands.

The Quick Hits: LSU's 2026 Commitments [6]:

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.

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.

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.

Jakai Anderson: 4-star Wide Receiver

Anderson is another elite-level wide receiver out of Louisiana who recently earned 4A All-State honors after an impressive junior season. He logged 57 catches for 972 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season, but a Swiss Army Knife that does it all. Anderson also rushed for 151 yards and four scores on 16 carries.

The prized prospect is rated as the No. 8 overall player in Louisiana and a Top-200 overall prospect in America.

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.

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