The 2026 recruiting cycle is winding down, with most of the nation’s top prospects already committed. But with the 2025 college football season underway, teams are now focused on flipping those commitments. LSU and head coach Brian Kelly are making a major push for one of the class’s best players, who is currently committed to the Tigers’ SEC rival.
LSU and Brian Kelly Target Top 2026 Recruit Committed to SEC Rival
LSU has done very well in the 2026 cycle, currently holding the No. 11 class in the country according to Rivals. Still, Brian Kelly and the Tigers aren’t getting complacent as they look to flip one of the nation’s top recruits.
Kelly and his staff are making a strong push for KJ Edwards, a consensus four-star recruit ranked by Rivals as the No. 3 running back and No. 50 overall player in the 2026 class.
Edwards has been committed to Texas A&M since June 17. He is a Texas native and plays at Carthage High School in Carthage, Texas. While he’s committed to the Aggies, he won’t be officially locked in until Early National Signing Day in December, giving programs like LSU a chance to keep pushing for him.
BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB KJ Edwards has Committed to Texas A&M, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 5’11 195 RB from Carthage, TX chose the Aggies over Texas, LSU, & Alabama
He’s ranked as the No. 3 RB in ‘26 (On3)
“All glory to God!! AggieLand I’m home.”https://t.co/49ZErrAyXJ pic.twitter.com/4PSU22XrPm
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 17, 2025
The Tigers were in the mix during Edwards’ initial recruitment, offering him in the spring and hosting him on an official visit on June 6, 2025. The young running back recently told Rivals that LSU and running backs coach Frank Wilson have been the only ones to really keep pursuing him since his commitment to Texas A&M.
“LSU is the only school that’s really just been making it known that I’m the missing piece to their puzzle and they still want me,” Edwards told Rivals.
The Tigers could certainly use Edwards, as they don’t have a single 2026 running back currently committed. LSU is hosting him in Baton Rouge this weekend for their game against the Florida Gators, hoping to strengthen their push for the talented prospect.
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Depending on how the visit goes, there’s a real chance Edwards could flip as soon as this weekend. He told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong that during his initial visit to LSU back in June, the relationships he built with the staff helped the Tigers gain serious ground in his recruitment.
“Relationship is something I’m big on, and although LSU came late, they have been making up the best they can and showing the love to the family,” Edwards told Wiltfong.
While Edwards is still committed to the Aggies, there seems to be a real chance Brian Kelly and LSU could pry him away. It’s a situation to keep an eye on throughout the weekend and all the way up to Early National Signing Day.