LSU Tigers and Brian Kelly lose a critical battle for top Louisiana football recruit but still boast a stacked 2026 class
The LSU Tigers and Brian Kelly finally lost a critical recruiting battle.Not "finally" as in some strange sigh of relief, but rather a complete surprise given how dominant the Tigers have been on the recruiting trail dating back to late last fall for the 2026 recruiting cycle.However, this loss does come with a bit of […]
The LSU Tigers and Brian Kelly finally lost a critical recruiting battle.
Not "finally" as in some strange sigh of relief, but rather a complete surprise given how dominant the Tigers have been on the recruiting trail dating back to late last fall for the 2026 recruiting cycle.
However, this loss does come with a bit of a sting given that it was a Louisiana football recruit living in LSU's backyard. Still, the Tigers are on pace for a top five or six recruiting class even after this off-field loss to the SEC rival Texas Longhorns.
Hayward Howard Jr., Four Star Cornerback
Hayward Howard is a fast rising four star defensive back recruit who plays for the high school football powerhouse Edna Karr program. LSU had seemingly been trending towards adding him into the fold here this spring given one of his teammates (Aiden Hall) is already committed to the Tigers, but in the end he chose the Texas Longhorns.
Howard could have been the fourth defensive back commit to LSU for the 2026 recruiting class, but that's likely exactly why he may have chosen to go elsewhere. Havon Finney, Aiden Hall, and Dylan Purter–three Top 200 consensus recruits in the 2026 class–have already committed to LSU. Hayward would have likely put the finishing touches on the class for the Tigers in the defensive backfield, but it seems he's aiming for a clearer path to snaps seeing as he is the Longhorns first defensive back commit as of this writing in the 2026 class.
Losing an in-state talent may seem like a bad look on the surface, but the truth is that seven of the ten recruits already committed to LSU for next spring are from Louisiana. Six of them consensus Top 250 players. So yes, it may be a loss but LSU is still stacked.
Five star wide receiver Tristen Keys headlines the class (top five player in the nation). Richard Anderson is a 340-pound monster of a man who should be the face of the defense in the 2026 group (top forty player overall). Plus, LSU is still inside the "top five" options for over a dozen more recruits set to commit potentially here this summer.
There's still plenty of time for Brian Kelly and his staff to bring in yet another incredibly talented recruiting class. Just let them cook.
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