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USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything LSU fans need to know before five-star Lamar Brown reveals commitment
LSU football's top 2026 recruiting target will commit on Thursday. Five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown is set to decide between LSU, Texas A&M, Texas and Miami. Brown is a Louisiana native who plays high school football in LSU's backyard at University Lab. This is a big one. Brown is among the top recruits in Baton Rouge history. According to 247Sports' historical ratings, Brown is the best defensive line recruit to come out of Louisiana in the modern recruiting era. He sits just a sliver of a percentage point ahead of Marcus Spears, who excelled at LSU before a lengthy NFL career. Overall, Brown is Louisiana's No. 12-ranked recruit of the modern era. ESPN considers Brown the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, putting the Louisiana product in rare territory. LSU typically doesn't miss on Louisiana recruits of Brown's caliber. Brown's commitment is slated to be televised on ESPN2 at 12:15 p.m. CT. Here's everything LSU fans should know before Brown goes public with his pledge. LSU and Texas A&M are considered the favorites These days, there's no shortage of insider scoops in the recruiting world. Beat writers are pretty good at gauging where a prospect will go, but there's legitimate suspense with Brown. There are predictions, but nobody is confident. However, insiders do feel LSU and Texas A&M are the clear favorites. Miami and Texas are both included in Brown's finalists, and Miami was well-positioned at one point, but for most of the recruitment, this was a race between LSU and A&M. The Tigers and Aggies have been here before. Every year, several elite prospects in between New Orleans and Houston narrow the race down to LSU and Texas A&M. In the class of 2024, LSU got the best of A&M after five-star Louisiana DL Dominick McKinley decommitted from the Aggies in favor of LSU. On3/Rivals Prediction Machine: LSU has the edge According to the Rivals' prediction page, LSU has an 86.5% chance of landing Brown. Texas A&M sits No. 2 at 11.1%. 247Sports Crystal Ball: A&M is the favorite On June 16, the 247Sports Staff entered a Crystal Ball prediction for Texas A&M. So far, their predictions are 55/57 in the 2026 cycle. That's a strong hit rate and potentially bad news for LSU fans. Brown is projected to play defensive line at the next level Brown is a two-way star on the high school field and for much of his recruitment, sites listed him as an interior offensive lineman. But over the last six months, Brown has expressed a preference to play the defensive side of the ball. Brown now projects to be a defensive tackle in college. What does the scouting report say? Here's what scouts in the industry have to say about Brown. "Initial suddenness and heavy-handedness translate to defense, where he's experienced inside and on the edge. Shows surprising pursuit range thanks to excellent functional athleticism," Gabe Brooks wrote. Brooks added that Brown could be a "high-impact player" on offense or defense and has "legitimate high-round NFL Draft potential." Here's what On3's Charles Power said: "Shows disruptive ability as a big defensive end. Has the power to hold his ground and sift through the trash to make plays in the backfield. Can close quickly on the quarterback," wrote Power. Brian Kelly and LSU can't afford a miss here No recruit is bigger than the program and the term "can't miss prospect" is overused. But Brown is close to it, especially for a non-quarterback. Brown attends University Lab High School, just miles away from Tiger Stadium. LSU has recruited Brown for years. LSU already missed on one five-star this cycle when safety Blaine Bradford committed to Ohio State. Losing Brown would be a tough look for this staff. LSU has a chance to finish with No. 1 overall class Brian Kelly and LSU have a chance to finish with the No. 1 overall-ranked recruiting class, but to do that, LSU must land Brown. LSU sits No. 8 right now, according to Rivals' rankings. But LSU's average recruit rating of 92.07 ranks No. 2 nationally. Once LSU has the volume to match other top classes, LSU will be in the thick of the race for No. 1. LSU's defensive tackle class can be elite LSU already has one five-star defensive tackle committed in Richard Anderson. Signing Brown would make this LSU's best defensive tackle haul in some time. Kyle Williams has only been LSU's defensive line coach for a few months. With this being Williams' first collegiate coaching job, there were questions about how he'd fare as a recruiter. Signing Anderson and Brown is one way to answer that.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football gains momentum for 4-star CB Dorian Barney after Victors Weekend visit
Wolverines recruiting couldn't be any hotter at the moment, with Michigan football having secured a few big commitments in the past few days (the latest being four-star defensive tackle Titan Davis) while also hitting it out of the park on Victors Weekend with some top names. Five-stars Carter Meadows and Calvin Russell appear to have moved the maize and blue up their list, sparking curiosity if they'll end up choosing to wear a winged helmet when their time comes to make a decision. But one recent visitor who didn't appear Ann Arbor-bound might just be if the latest prediction holds true. The Wolverines have been strongly after some big-time prospects in the state of Georgia, but 2026 Carrollton (Ga.) four-star cornerback Dorian Barney appeared to be close to a lock for Penn State. However, it appears that his official visit this weekend went very well -- so good that The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb put in a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction indicating that Barney will end up choosing the Wolverines when he makes his decision. Barney is set to make his commitment on July 5, so there's still some time before he has to come to a final decision on where he'll end up. Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Georgia Tech were also in contention. Rated a four-star cornerback, Barney is highest rated on Rivals, where he's the No. 75 overall player in the country, regardless of position. He's also the ninth-best corner in the class, per Rivals. Should the Wolverines land him, it would take the sting out of Khary Adams picking Notre Dame last week. Michigan does have one cornerback committed, albeit tenuously, in Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star Brody Jennings. Here is the current list of Michigan football commits in the 2026 class:
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football earns recruiting predictions for 4-stars Travis Johnson and Andre Clarke
Michigan football earns recruiting predictions for 4-stars Travis Johnson and Andre Clarke Michigan football is closing up its penultimate recruiting weekend of the late spring and early summer and with so many heavy hitters on campus, it's not surprising that the Wolverines are making moves with some of them. With 10 commitments thus far in 2026, the maize and blue are looking at building out the class even more, and appear poised to do so in short order (though the Sherrone Moore batsignal isn't out just yet to indicate anyone has joined the fold at this juncture). Still, the June 13 recruiting weekend appeared to be a big success, so much so that two recruiting sites put in predictions for two separate prospects who were on campus this weekend. Chesapeake (Va.) Oscar Smith four-star wide receiver Travis Johnson The Wolverines have been targeting a handful of top-flight wide receivers in the 2026 class. Four-star Zion Robinson visited Ann Arbor in May, and five-star Calvin Russell is set to visit for Victors Weekend. But another mainstay in terms of targets has been Travis Johnson, a four-star from the DMV region. Johnson visited Ann Arbor this weekend and it apparently went quite well. The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb and Steve Lorenz both put in 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for the Wolverines to land him, and On3's Steve Wiltfong and EJ Holland did the same on their site. Johnson is also considering Virginia Tech, Penn State, South Carolina, and Indiana. He's listed highest by ESPN, which has him as the No. 109 player in the country. Richmond (Va.) Heritage four-star CB Andre Clarke Johnson isn't the only visitor this weekend from the DMV that Michigan football made a move with. The Wolverines are looking at several top-flight cornerbacks, with Khary Adams and Andre Clarke being two of the top targets. Adams visited last weekend while Clarke visited Ann Arbor this week, and it appears that it went well for the latter. Sam Webb put in a 247Sports Crystal Ball while EJ Holland put one in on On3. Kentucky had been considered the favorite, while SMU and Miami have also been pushing. He's also listed highest on ESPN, which has him as the No. 100 player nationally. Clarke has visited Ann Arbor four times -- more than any other school by double.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football prepares for a key 2026 CB prospect visit on June 6, named in top 5
Michigan football prepares for a key 2026 CB prospect visit on June 6, named in top 5 In just days, Michigan football recruiting for the summer will heat up in a big way with May 30 marking the start of the official visit slate to Ann Arbor. With that, the Wolverines will look to considerably grow its 2026 class, which currently sits at seven commitments. It'll be just over a week, but the maize and blue are expected to host one of their top targets on campus, though there is considerable competition for his services. Thus, getting him to Ann Arbor could play a significant role determining whether or not he ends up as part of the class or if he heads elsewhere. Khary Adams sets visit date, top five schools Michigan football is in strong consideration for 2026 Towson (Md.) Loyola Blakefield four-star cornerback Khary Adams, a 6-foot-2, 175-pounder who is looking at some of the top schools across the country. Rated the No. 36 player in the country according to 247Sports' proprietary rankings, he has a top five of Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. He is set to make his way to Ann Arbor for an official visit on June 6. Penn State currently has the edge according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball as well as the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Scouting report The scouting report on Adams via 247Sports: Debuted in the initial 2026 Top247 rankings in April 2024 before receiving a football scholarship offer. Freakshow track athlete with personal bests of 21.50 (2.1) in the 200, 10.74 (3.0) in the 100, and 6.45 in the 55-meter dash at a verified 6-foot-2, 175 pound billing. Three-phase playmaker who made a noticeable jump in production on both sides of the ball as a junior. Owns the physical specs to erase receivers in man coverage, along with the top-end speed to recover and make plays on the ball at the catch point. Much more comfortable as a junior in zone coverage; will frequently dart into passing lanes and close quickly on ball carriers. Consistently creates chunk plays with the ball in his hands in the return game and at receiver. One of the higher-upside prospects from the DMV in a loaded 2026 cycle. Should be viewed as a toolsy prospect with Round 1 NFL Draft traits who is baking into a potential difference maker for a College Football Playoff contender. Michigan currently has one cornerback tentatively committed in the 2026 class in Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star Brody Jennings. However, Jennings has had a wandering eye in recent months and it's unclear whether or not he'll end up in the class.
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michigan football offers 4-star RB Carsyn Baker, visits Savion Hiter for 2026 class
Michigan football offers 4-star RB Carsyn Baker, visits Savion Hiter for 2026 class For a long while, it appeared that Michigan football would end up with two top 10 running backs in the 2026 class. Now the Wolverines are still wooing their top target, but the other -- Forney (Tx.) four-star tailback Javian Osborne -- ended up committing to Notre Dame over the maize and blue earlier this month. It's clear that the Wolverines are looking for two backs this cycle, and are still in the thick of it for a few prospects. But the board is expanding, and a new offer for a four-star prospect in the 2026 recruiting class went out on Tuesday. Michigan offers a new four-star RB in the 2026 class Though other pursuits continue (more on that later) the Wolverines are not sitting by idly. Per his X account, Michigan offered 2026 Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes four-star running back Carsyn Baker. Though 247Sports' proprietary rankings have Baker as a three-star, the other recruiting services are higher on him. He's listed highest by On3, which has him at No. 136 overall and the 10th-best running back. He's rated No. 181 overall according to the 247Sports Composite. Though he has no 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions as of yet, Ohio State is the perceived favorite for Baker at this time. Also a track star, Baker ran the 100-meter dash in 10.65 seconds. Michigan visits its top target on Tuesday Wolverines running backs coach Tony Alford is quite busy now that Michigan's self-imposed recruiting restrictions have come to an end. Just one day after coaches hit the road, Alford was spotted at Mineral (Va.) Louisa County to visit five-star tailback Savion Hiter, who has long been seen as the big fish and top overall target in the 2026 class. Michigan has been in hot pursuit of Hiter since Alford defected from Ohio State last year, but the Buckeyes are still working hard for him to come to Columbus. The Wolverines are also targeting Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek four-star Amari Latimer, but Wisconsin has a prediction according to the 247Sports Crystal Ball.
