Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers land elite in-state ATH Braylon Calais

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin. Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers land elite in-state ATH Braylon Calais

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 8:17 PM ET

Lane Kiffin wants to hit the ground running as the new head coach of the LSU Tigers.

His 2027 recruiting class won't play a huge role in the here and now for LSU as the Tigers prepare for the 2026 season, but Kiffin is undoubtedly trying to build for continued success in Baton Rouge.

That makes this recruiting class very important for him because this is where he and his staff are going to set the tone.

That also makes LSU's latest commitment, from four-star athlete Braylon Calais, vital for the Tigers.

Not only is Calais one of the top athletes in the 2027 class, but he's one of the very best recruits from the state of Louisiana.

That's why he's been a priority for Kiffin and the Tigers.

“They’ve definitely been on me,” Calais told Rivals. “Knowing I’m the top athlete in Louisiana, I’m high on their board. The pressure on me has been drastically increasing with Coach Lane Kiffin hitting me up. They’re showing love all over the place.”

That recruiting love resulted in a commitment on Monday. Miami, Texas A&M and Ohio State were also in the running.

BREAKING: Four-Star ATH Braylon Calais has Committed to LSU, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’2 200 ATH chose the Tigers over Miami, Ohio State, and Texas A&M⁰⁰“Who wouldn’t want to go to LSU with arguably the best coach in college football?”https://t.co/hsmdDjm7vS pic.twitter.com/qm30inWhOZ
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 20, 2026

LSU Tigers beat out Ohio State, Miami and Texas A&M for in-state target

Winning in-state recruiting battles is massive, especially in the NIL era, when programs that never used to be competitors, like Indiana, can draw recruits away with bigger deals.

Calais is from Carencro, Louisiana, and plays high school ball for Cecilia High School. He can play running back or wide receiver on offense, and he's a safety on defense. Throw in the ability to be an elite returner on special teams, and Calais has definitely earned his athlete designation, though LSU reportedly likes him as a wide receiver at the next level.

He checks in at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, and he's also a track star, so he'll be bringing that explosiveness to the wideout position for LSU.

That's something he's excited about, and he's clearly already bought into the Kiffin era at LSU.

“Bringing LSU back to what it’s supposed to be on and off the field,” he said on what excites him about the Tigers.

Calais is ranked as the No. 8 athlete in the country and the No. 6 recruit from the state of Louisiana, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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