By KACE KIESCHNICK
Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Football recruiting is in a Dead Period through Aug. 31 with No. 13 LSU opening the season on Sept. 5 at home against No. 23 Clemson (6:30 p.m., ABC).
But that does not mean that LSU coach Lane Kiffin and his staff are not preparing now for the Evaluation Period that runs from Sept. 1 through Nov. 29 for off-campus recruiting and going to high school games.
The Tigers have targeted a slew of the nation’s top recruits for the class of 2028 and some key additions to the well developing 2027 class that is ranked No. 10 with 16 commitments. That ’27 class includes two five-star prospects by 247sports.com – No. 2 edge and No. 5 overall prospect KJ Green (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) of Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and No. 1 tight end and No. 3 Louisiana prospect Ahmad Hudson (6-6, 239) of Ruston High in Ruston.
Five-star Brother Martin wide receiver Easton Royal (5-foot-11, 214 pounds) of New Orleans is the name LSU fans will be obsessing over likely all season. One of the top prep receivers in the nation for the class of ’27, Royal committed to Texas in November of 2025 and has the Longhorns’ class at No. 5 in the nation. Once Kiffin and Co. arrived in Baton Rouge, they made flipping the in-state prospect a top priority. His recruitment will likely go down to the wire. A scheduled visit to Death Valley for the LSU-Texas game on Nov. 14 could be the decider.
Among the 2027 LSU commitments, quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston and wide receiver Braylon Calais, who is in the athlete category, have already pledged to attend every Tigers home game this season to assist with recruiting future classes.
Meanwhile, here are some big names for the class of 2028 to keep an eye on this season:
Prince Che (6-3, 305) is the No. 2 defensive lineman in the nation. The Thomasville, Georgia, native has scheduled his first official visit to LSU for the opener against Clemson on Sept. 5. He has a slew of other SEC visits lined up, including multiple Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma games this season.
Maddox Davis (6-0, 190) is a four-star wide receiver out of Cartersville, Georgia. He made two unofficial visits with Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss last season before Kiffin departed for LSU, and he likes his potential role in coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.’s offense.
Jaylen Addai (5-11, 165) is the No. 2 wide receiver in the nation and No. 1 prospect for ’28 in Texas by 247sports.com from Shadow Creek High in Pearland, Texas, in the Houston area. He is the son of former LSU star running back Joseph Addai (2001-05), who played at Sharpstown High in Houston. The elder Addai played for Kiffin mentor Nick Saban at LSU from 2001-04 as was a key runner and expert blocker on the Tigers’ 2003 national title team (520 rushing yards, 114 carries) and rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior for SEC West champion LSU in 2005 with 20 catches for 180 yards. A first round pick of Indianapolis, he was a Super Bowl XLI champion in the 2007 season with quarterback Peyton Manning. Jaylen Addai also plays basketball and runs track at Shadow Creek. Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alabama are also recruiting.
Grayson Williams (6-4, 280) of Southeast Raleigh High in Raleigh, North Carolina, is the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the country. The four-star has taken unofficial visits to Ohio State, Clemson and other ACC schools.
Tyzon Swann (6-4, 245) of Lackey High in Indiana Head, Maryland, is ranked as a top three defensive lineman in the 2028 class. The four-star attended a defensive line camp with LSU defensive line coach Sterling Lucas this summer, but Lucas will have to fight off Alabama, Florida, Auburn and a slew of other top programs contending for his pledge.
Antonio Thomas Jr. (6-3, 240) ranks as a top 15 prospect nationwide and top five edge rusher. The four-star from Carrollwood Day High in Tampa, Florida, has strong in-state connections with Florida and Florida State, but LSU is expected to be in the mix, thanks to Lucas.
Xevien Brinson (6-6, 235) is a four-star tight end prospect at Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia. With LSU’s success recruiting top tight ends like in-state products Trey’Dez Green and 2027 commitment Ahmad Hudson, Brinson could look to become the next in that line. Georgia Tech and Auburn currently lead the way.
Dalen Powell (5-11, 190) is teammates with class of 2027 commitments Ahmad Hudson and Jayden Anding at Ruston High. That could come in handy as he is the top prospect in Louisiana and the No. 2 running back nationwide with strong ties to LSU. But he has also logged an unofficial visit to Auburn.
Noble Williams (5-11, 200) of Alexandria Senior High received his LSU offer after attending an elite camp in Baton Rouge over the summer. A four-star recruit, he is the No. 10 running back in the nation and No. 3 prospect in Louisiana.
Shamar Evans (6-2, 205) is another Ruston High player that LSU is recruiting. The four-star linebacker moved to Louisiana from Mississippi this year and is the No. 5 player in state and No. 9 linebacker.
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