Brian Kelly & Co. given a major lift as LSU adds another asset to No. 1 recruiting class in college football

Modified Mar 24, 2025 17:15 GMT

NCAA Football: Texas Bowl-Baylor at Louisiana State - Source: Imagn — Brian Kelly & Co. given a major lift as LSU adds another asset to No. 1 recruiting class in College Football - Source: Imagn

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers got a shot in the arm as they added a valuable player to their recruiting class.

LSU currently has the top-ranked 2026 recruiting class, according to On3, and has now landed another star receiver. According to college football insider Zack Nagy, LSU has gained the services of former No. 1 WR in Louisiana, Jabari Mack.

Mack is a four-star recruit and the 15th-ranked receiver in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports. The Tigers have landed one five-star and seven four-star already in the Class of 2026.

LSU's top-ranked player in the Class of 2026 is Tristen Keys, who is the top-ranked receiver and the eighth-ranked player.

Brian Kelly and company have also landed the likes of Mack, defensive lineman Richard Anderson, safety Aiden Hall and offensive tackle Brysten Martinez.

The Tigers had the ninth-ranked class in 2025, so Kelly and company have done much better with the 2026 class.

Brian Kelly and LSU are also active in the transfer portal

Not only have Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers been active in recruiting, but they have also been active in the transfer portal.

Kelly and LSU have added 16 transfers ahead of the 2025 season, and the coach says that is because people want to win a championship.

"You can’t just have a massive turnover without solid infrastructure,” Kelly said, via LSUreveille. "There has to be a culture that can stand bringing in new people. These guys are here to win a championship … they take their craft seriously, they go to work, it’s fun."

Kelly and LSU are coming off a disappointing year as they went 9-4 and failed to make the playoffs. In his three years at LSU, Kelly is yet to lead the Tigers to the playoffs.

LSU has begun spring practices and Kelly is pleased with what the Tigers have done so far in spring practice.

"But this focus has been much more about their overall preparation. It's been trusting your teaching so that when it's time to go, you can just let it go. I think the practices I've set up have been much more focused on 'You worry about your job and being technically sound. And it's time to play. Let it go...' I think that they've done a pretty good job so far," Kelly said, via 247Sports.

LSU will open its 2025 college football season against Clemson on August 30.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat