By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU’s 2026 recruiting class was ranked in the top 12 in the nation by major recruiting platforms. Of the 19 true freshmen the Tigers welcomed to campus, 11 made appearances in No. 11 LSU’s 63-14 rout of McNeese State. Coach Lane Kiffin said that was the plan when he began to pull the starters at the end of the first half when the Tigers were up 28-0.
“The goal was to get up, but then to evaluate these guys because they’re going to need to play with injuries that we have and down the stretch – got seven conference games in a row,” Kiffin said during his postgame press conference. “101 plays of offense, a lot of snaps for backups to get in there and do some things.”
While some of the freshmen’s outings consisted of just a few snaps, others thrived in their increased opportunity.
Wide receiver Corey Barber Jr. led the Tigers with seven catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. The former four-star out of Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Alabama took more snaps than any other receiver in the offense and did a lot of his damage with the first unit.
“Corey’s done a great job,” Kiffin said. “Winnie dropped two easy touchdowns, and so we put Corey in. And Corey stepped up and did a really good job.”
Defensive tackle Deuce Geralds continued the stellar start to his college career. The Collins Hill High School (Suwanee, Ga.) product recorded his fifth sack of the early season (just 2.5 behind Harold Perkins Jr. for the freshman record), and punched in a 1-yard run for a touchdown.
Geralds has started all five games for LSU this season, and Saturday night he was joined by two more talented classmates. Defensive end Lamar Brown and D-tackle Richard Anderson have each played substantial rotational roles for the LSU defense, but all three got to share the defensive front for a brief series against McNeese.
“Right before we took the field, we were talking about it on the sideline how crazy it was that we all were about to be on the field at the same time,” Geralds said after the game. “So, it was like a real surreal moment, and I was glad to share that with my guys.”
Brown, ESPN’s No. 1 recruit out of University Lab, finished the game with just one tackle, and Anderson, who was rated as a five-star prospect from Edna Karr in New Orleans, did not record any stats. The pair each played 23 defensive snaps.
“That’s the future right there,” Geralds said. “When this is all said and done, this is gonna be our D-line. This is gonna be our defense one day, and it’s just something that we all really talked about, even when we was committed here as recruits. We just couldn’t wait for the day where this was our stuff. We all dreamed to be at LSU. It was all our dream schools growing up. We all Louisiana kids at heart.”
Also playing a big role on the defense was safety Isaiah Washington. The former three-star from Haynesville did not record any statistics, but he tied with redshirt freshman safety Faheem Delane and redshirt sophomore Michael Turner Jr. for the most snaps taken by an LSU defender.
Four-star corner Havon Finney Jr. was also a regular in the defensive backfield. Finney was the top cornerback in the class of 2027, but he reclassified to come to campus a year early. He made one tackle in 19 snaps against the Pokes.
The most snaps for any freshman, however, did not go to a proven starter, the top recruit in the nation or any of the numerous blue chip prospects in the class. That responsibility went to former three-star offensive lineman Ryan Miret. The Miami Southridge High School product played 49 total snaps – third-most on the team – as he relieved Braelin Moore at center. East Ascension four-star prospect Brysten Martinez joined him on the offensive front, playing 21 snaps at left tackle.
With Brayden Allen and Jabari Mack also getting playing time alongside Barber, all three of LSU’s freshman wideouts saw the field. Mack, who committed to LSU as a four-star from Destrehan, played 14 snaps while Allen saw 13. Allen was rated a three-star out of Lafayette Christian Academy and could not haul in his only target.
The final rookie to make an appearance was former four-star tight end JC Anderson. The Mt. Zion, Illinois native was on the field for just eight offensive plays but got to see his first collegiate action against the Cowboys.
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