Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have placed a heavy importance on recruiting this year, bringing in multiple top prospects to boost the program’s future.
Many of these recruits are defensive linemen, who hopefully set up future years of top tier defenses. Here are some of the recruits coming in.
To start, LSU went out and fought hard to bring in Louisiana native Lamar Brown. Brown was rated by ESPN as the best player in the entire 2026 class, while 247 Sports ranks him No. 5 overall and No. 1 defensive lineman. He committed to LSU in July.
Brown is a 6-foot-4, 285-pound freak athlete who has quickly become a fan favorite after being seen at football games in the student section and walking around LSU’s campus.
To go along with Brown’s size, he is also fast and has an extremely quick jump off the line. Brown did track and field all throughout high school as well, winning state in both discus and shot put for University Lab High School. Brown truly is an all-around talented athlete who is considered to have all the intangibles to make him a top player in the NCAA.
Brown has had an interesting journey to becoming the best player in the nation. Brown played as a two-way player as an offensive tackle and edge rusher. He has expressed wanting to play on the defensive line at the next level, but many scouts say he would’ve been a five-star no matter what position he chose.
247 Sports considers Brown to be the second-highest rated recruit ever to sign for LSU, and fans should definitely be excited to see the legacy he leaves in Baton Rouge.
Following up on Brown on the defensive line is four-star edge rusher recruit Trenton Henderson. Henderson played at Pine Forest Highschool in Pensacola, Florida, where he rose through the national rankings to become a top-30 prospect.
Henderson is seen as a premier speed rusher who has an elite quick first step to get around the edge and to the quarterback. In his junior and sophomore years, Henderson posted multi-sack seasons while switching between edge rusher and outside linebacker.
Henderson has a smaller frame than Brown, coming in at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, making it questionable whether LSU is looking to utilize him more on the defensive line or in the linebacker core.
Scouts see Henderson as a unique rusher who may not have all the intangibles of a top-caliber prospect, but if he’s developed well and his speed is utilized, he could be a major playmaker for the Tigers.
Kelly did a great job bringing in top defensive tackle talent as well, including two of the highest-ranked prospects Richard Anderson and Deuce Geralds.
Richard Anderson is another Louisiana native from the highly regarded Edna Karr High School. Anderson is a four-star recruit, but is ranked as the second-best defensive tackle in the nation according to Rivals.
Anderson is best known for his strength and bust coming out of the middle of the line. At 6 -foot-3, 335 pounds, Anderson can shed tackles with ease. He showed this off during his junior year, racking up 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. These numbers are extremely impressive for a nose tackle, making Anderson look like he could be a future stud for LSU.
Garlands is another highly regarded interior defensive lineman from Suwanee, Georgia. He was a stat sheet stuffer while at Collins Hill High School.
During his freshman year, Garlands made the absolute most of his varsity minutes and totaled 66 tackles, including 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. He followed those stats up with a sophomore campaign of 81 tackles, including 30 tackles for loss and 14 sacks, and a junior year of 114 tackles, including 30 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
These numbers are absolutely insane for a defensive lineman and show elite versatility in getting to the quarterback while also stuffing runs and getting tackles for loss.
Geralds is slightly smaller than other typical defensive tackle recruits at 6-foot-2, 275 pounds, but this slimmer build helps him make plays due to his speed off the line when blitzing the quarterback. Garlands will be an exciting player to watch and see how LSU develops the prospect into something special.
Overall, this class of defensive linemen is a coach’s dream. LSU is bringing in four exciting guys who have all the skills to be able to find their place in the squad and be playmakers. After the amazing defensive squad from this year moves on to the next level, the Tigers will look for new ballers to pass the torch onto, and these prospects can be those guys.
