LSU 5-star+ commit Lamar Brown is (now) the highest-ranked recruit in America

There is a new No. 1 overall prospect on the Rivals Industry Recruiting Rankings: 5-star+ prospect and LSU commit Lamar Brown.

This week, the updated Rivals 300 was released, and with the new rankings came plenty of shuffling to the Rivals Industry Rankings for the current 2026 recruiting cycle.

The most notable shuffle: Brown not only staying put as the No. 1 ranked athlete in America, but moving into the top spot on the list for No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class, regardless of position.

All 32 5-star prospects in the rankings are committed, but it’s LSU that holds a commitment from the highest-ranked recruit.

Brown, who could go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 athlete on Rivals, is set to play defensive line for the Tigers after committing to LSU in July. Brown picked the Tigers over a double-digit offer list that saw the University High standout come down to a final group that also included programs like Texas A&M, Texas, and Miami.

“The rare prospect with five-star ability on either line of scrimmage. A true jumbo athlete,” Rivals National Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power said in his evaluation of Brown. “Measured in at around 6-foot-4, 285 pounds before his senior season. Has a plus length with arms around 34 inches. A mega athlete in the camp setting, posting some of the best testing numbers on the national camp circuit for a lineman. Lines up at right tackle and defensive end for his high school.

“Elite athleticism and movement skills show up on both sides of the ball. Fires off the snap from his right tackle position. Flashes outstanding twitch in pass protection and working to the second level. Can take defensive linemen for a ride once engaged. 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.

“Touts a strong background as a thrower in track and field, winning an indoor state title in the shot put (56-2.75 feet) and an outdoor gold medal in the discus (151-6 feet) as a junior.”

With 16 total commitments for the 2026 class, LSU has 14 commits ranked in the new Rivals 300.

As for the impressive haul in the trenches, the Tigers not only have a Top 10 EDGE rusher committed in Trenton Henderson, but also have a pair of Top 10 defensive linemen on board – not including Brown, who is ranked as an athlete, but would also be ranked as the No. 1 defensive linemen in the class.

Fellow 5-star and LSU commit Richard Anderson checks in as the No. 2 defensive lineman on the Rivals Industry Rankings, while LSU commit and Top 100 prospect Deuce Geralds is also ranked among the Top 10 defensive linemen in the updated rankings.

Note: The Rivals Industry Ranking is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all three primary recruiting media services. This system is the industry’s most advanced, complete, and unbiased measurement. It equally weights the primary recruiting media services. For football, the algorithm is weighted as follows: Rivals (33%), 247Sports (33%), and ESPN (33%).