LSU’s 2026 freshman class doesn’t come with a lot of mystery at the top of the board. Three defensive linemen arrive with the kind of talent that usually forces a coach’s hand, and all three look like candidates to play enough to lose their redshirts.
The group starts with Lamar Brown, Deuce Geralds and Richard Anderson, the three headliners in LSU’s No. 11 recruiting class. Brown is expected to work at edge, while Geralds and Anderson project on the interior.
Brown and Anderson were both the No. 1 recruit at their positions and ranked inside the top eight nationally. Geralds checks in at No. 4 at his position and No. 68 overall, but he may be the one who gets on the field the fastest.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker is going to need help from all three in 2026, and Brown may be the most important name in that mix. He was the biggest retention for head coach Lane Kiffin during the coaching change, and he brings one of the rawest, most promising skill sets in the class.
The Baton Rouge native has been around LSU for years through University Lab School, but because he couldn’t enroll early, he missed spring practice. Fall camp should give a much clearer picture of what he can do.
Brown also lands in a defensive end room that needs help. Gabriel Reliford was expected to start at edge alongside Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen, but Reliford tore his ACL in the spring. That opens the door for Brown to pick up more snaps right away, and he should get early-game reps against LSU’s non-power conference opponents before the SEC schedule tightens up.
Geralds looks like the freshman most likely to start when LSU opens against Clemson on Sept. 5.
He turned heads in spring practice and climbed to the top of the depth chart with his physical play and quickness. Lane Kiffin was clearly impressed.
“Deuce has done a phenomenal job, [he’s had a] major impact,” Kiffin said in the spring. “For him to come in and play at the level he plays at, but practice the way that he does, it says a lot about his coaching in high school, it says a lot about his upbringing with his parents. He’s gonna be a great player here.”
That kind of spring surge caught plenty of people off guard, especially with Anderson in the same freshman group. But Geralds is almost certain to play in more than four games, which means the redshirt is probably gone.
Anderson didn’t get quite the same spotlight in spring ball, but he’s still going to matter once the season starts. He’s one of the more interesting freshmen to watch in fall camp, and Kiffin made it clear he likes what he sees.
"Richard Anderson. Phenomenal prospect.
This guy's going to be a great player," Kiffin said in the spring. "It's just a matter of time until that happens.
Love how physical he is. Love how hard he's worked early.
These guys really are seniors in high school."
LSU’s thin defensive line depth should help Anderson get opportunities early, and that means he’ll be tested against some of the best offenses in the country. Even if he doesn’t arrive as a full-blown game-wrecker right away, he figures to play enough to keep his redshirt out of reach.
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Leavitts place on the list also says something about the conversation around LSUs quarterback room and where he fits nationally. SI still viewed him as one of the sports better proven starters, even with the injury interruptions that cost him some ground, and the company he keeps near the top only sharpens the debate. Ole Misss Trinidad Chambliss came in at No. 1, with Ohio States Julian Sayin and Notre Dames CJ Carr ahead of him, leaving Leavitt in a tier that feels close enough to matter and high enough to raise expectations. [Read more 🡒]