Eli LedermanJan 3, 2026, 07:40 PM ET
CloseEli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
Coach Lane Kiffin landed the highest-ranked pledge of his early tenure at LSU on Saturday with a commitment from four-star defensive end Jaiden Bryant, ESPN’s No. 37 overall recruit in the 2027 recruiting class.
Bryant, ESPN’s No. 5 defensive end in 2027, is a 6-foot-4, 245-pound defender from Columbia, South Carolina. He announced his pledge to the Tigers over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Miami and Texas A&M live on ESPN2 during the Under Armour All-America game in Deland, Florida.
Kiffin held on to the nation’s 14th-ranked recruiting class in the 2026 cycle during last month’s early signing period, only days after he arrived at LSU from Ole Miss on Nov. 30, 2025.
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The Tigers’ incoming class is headlined by five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown, the program’s first No. 1-ranked overall signee since Leonard Fournette in 2014. The gifted two-way standout from Baton Rouge’s University Lab School is one of eight ESPN 300 prospects who committed to ex-Tigers coach Brian Kelly and later signed with the program under Kiffin.
Bryant joins No. 2 pocket passer Peyton Houston (No. 84 overall) as the second pledge to join LSU’s 2027 class. Houston became the program’s first 2027 recruit when the in-state quarterback from Shreveport, Louisiana, announced his commitment over Oklahoma, USC, Texas and Texas A&M.
A multi-sport athlete at South Carolina’s Irmo High School, Bryant has been credited with 171 total tackles and 29.5 sacks over the past two seasons, earning South Carolina’s 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors in back-to-back campaigns. Bryant closed his junior season this past fall with 79 tackles and 11 sacks while leading Irmo to a state title game appearance.