Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic High five-star Blaine Bradford ranks as the No. 1 safety in America heading into his senior campaign with the LSU Tigers putting all hands on deck in their recruiting push.
The top-ranked defensive back in the 2026 Recruiting Cycle has LSU, Ohio State and Texas all in the mix for his services, but has also checked in with Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks in 2025.
Bradford has the “Who’s Who” of college football battling for his services, but it’s the LSU Tigers that have an “edge” given it’s the hometown school.
Another critical component is Bradford’s older brother, Jacob, signed with the LSU program in December and will enroll this summer.
On Saturday, the priority LSU target made his way to campus with the chance to soak in the scenes of Spring Camp for the Bayou Bengals.
He was seen on the sidelines with the LSU staff as he continues taking a closer look into Brian Kelly’s program in Baton Rouge.
It’s been an important offseason for Bradford, but it’s set to ramp up even more this summer with visits on deck.
The Louisiana native has set three official visits for this summer with a commitment timeline in mind.
– Texas Longhorns: June 6-8
– Ohio State Buckeyes: June 13-15
– LSU Tigers: June 20-22
LSU will get the final visit of Bradford’s process where he will be surrounded by multiple top targets from Louisiana that weekend.
The Tigers have locked in official visits with the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana, Lamar Brown, alongside the state’s top-ranked wideout, Jabari Mack. The duo will be on campus alongside Bradford for official visits.
Bradford will be on campus for a multi-day stay towards the end of June, but his tentative commitment date is shortly after.
The coveted prospect told On3 Sports’ Chad Simmons that he will “likely commit before July.”
It’s a significant development for the hometown Tigers with Bradford set to be on campus alongside multiple priority targets with a commitment timeframe now looking to be cemented.
LSU is also hosting another critical target this weekend for a visit to Baton Rouge…
The Priority Offensive Line Target: Darius Gray
Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher School four-star offensive lineman Darius Gray continues traveling across the country this offseason as he searches for his college destination.
Gray, the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in America, has a myriad of schools in his ear following an impressive 2024 campaign, but a few are standing out among the rest.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pounder is rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in Virginia with five schools taking charge in his recruitment.
Gray is set to officially visit Clemson, Tennessee, LSU, Penn State and South Carolina this offseason with Tigers offensive line coach Brad Davis looking to swing for the fences in his recruiting process. Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports first reported the visit schedule.
The Visit Schedule:
•Clemson: May 31-June 2
•Tennessee: June 7-9
•LSU: June 14-16
•Penn State: June 17-19
•South Carolina: June 21-23
LSU has already traveled to check in with Gray twice this offseason with position coach Brad Davis visiting the coveted prospect while offensive coordinator Joe Sloan also made the trip to Virginia just days later.
It’s no secret the Bayou Bengals think highly of Gray’s services as they prioritize the fast-rising Richmond (Va.) native.
Now, after a pair of in-person visits in January, LSU will have Gray in town this weekend for an unofficial visit. He arrived on Friday to begin his stay.
