LSU Football Honors Senior Center Braelin Moore With Its 21st Treasured No. 18 Jersey For 2026 Season

By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Here is a LSU football number story without controversy.

LSU starting senior center Braelin Moore has been given the honorary No. 18 jersey for the 2026 season. LSU’s No. 18 has been given out since the 2003 season to a player who best displays leadership and perseverance by coming back from adversity, such as an injury, and/or leadership on and off the field.

The Tradition of 18 | Braelin Moore joins the exclusive group and the second offensive lineman to wear the 18 patch pic.twitter.com/kPnw8OknoJ

— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) August 26, 2026

Moore transferred to LSU before the 2025 season from Virginia Tech and has been a leader on the offensive line ever since.

THE HISTORY OF LSU’s NUMBER 18

He will start at center for the second straight season.

Who Else? LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier Gets Coveted, Treasured, Honored No. 18

Running back Jacob Hester became the first No. 18 after the national championship season in 2003 with coach Nick Saban. Quarterback Matt Mauck wore the 18 in 2003 before it became an LSU tradition. Hester wore it from 2004 through 2007 when he helped lead the Tigers to the national championship in his senior year of 2007.

LSU recently went through a number controversy as new coach Lane Kiffin gave sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett the No. 5 after he wore No. 3 in the 2025 season. Pickett wore No. 5 in high school in Zephyrhills, Florida, and was promised No. 5 during his recruitment by then-LSU coach Brian Kelly. But Kelly later reneged and gave Pickett No. 3 because former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels wore No. 5 in the 2023 season when he won the Heisman Trophy. And LSU’s two previous Heisman winners – Billy Cannon (No. 20) in 1959 and Joe Burrow (No. 9) in 2019 – have not had their numbers worn by another player.

Jayden Daniels Crunching Number Decision By Lane Kiffin, Who Gave Heisman Winner’s No. 5 To DJ Pickett

Moore will not wear the No. 18 as his jersey number during games. He will remain with No. 61, but will wear 18 as a patch on his uniform.

Here is the complete list of LSU’s No. 18 players:

RB Jacob Hester (2004-07)

TE Richard Dickson (2008-09)

RB Richard Murphy (2010)

S Brandon Taylor (2011)

DT Bennie Logan (2012)

LB Lamin Barrow (2013)

WR Terrence Magee (2014)

CB Tre’Davious White (2015-16)

DT Christian LaCouture (2017)

and RB John David Moore (2017)

TE Foster Moreau (2018)

LB K’Lavon Chaisson (2019)

and OL Lloyd Cushenberry III (2019)

RB Chris Curry (2020)

LB Damone Clark (2020-21)

LB BJ Ojulari (2022)

DL Mekhi Wingo (2023)

LB Greg Penn (2024)

and TB Josh Williams (2024)

QB Garrett Nussmeier (2025)

C Braelin Moore (2026)