Ole Miss Football, Ohio State Buckeyes and Washington Huskies Battling for Elite EDGE

Duncanville (Tex.) four-star edge rusher Landon Barnes has narrowed his focus to three programs with a commitment date locked in as his recruiting process winds down this month.

Barnes, a consensus Top-25 EDGE in America, is coming off of a dominant junior campaign that quickly put his name on the map as one of the top defensive prospects in the Lone Star State.

Now, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder has become a household name in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle with his finalists set and a decision date cemented.

Barnes is shifting his focus towards the Ole Miss Rebels, Ohio State Buckeyes and Washington Huskies after cutting the LSU Tigers, Arizona State Sun Devils and SMU Mustangs, among others, from contention.

He's changed up multiple pieces of his process in June after altering official visit plans and now locking in a trio of finalists.

The Lone Star State native was expected to be in Athens (Ga.) two weekends ago for an official visit with Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs on a multi-day stay, but then changed course.

Barnes canceled his trip to Georgia and instead took a trip to Baton Rouge for an official visit with Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers.

He took a visit to LSU for a multi-day stay in June then wrapped up his official visit schedule last weekend with a trip to see the defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

Now, the final three are locked in with Ole Miss making the cut alongside Ohio State and Washington with a decision coming on Monday, June 30.