LSU inks 5-star Richard Anderson on Day 1 of Early Signing Period

Richard Anderson, a 5-star and the No. 1 defensive lineman in the Rivals Industry Rankings for the 2026 class, has ended his recruitment – this time for good.

On Wednesday, Anderson joined double-digit Edna Karr teammates to announce their college decisions.

The 5-star, who was last to the podium, revealed his decision to stick with LSU and not wait to sign until February. Instead, Anderson said he would sign Wednesday, meaning he’s officially part of the program in Baton Rouge.

The decision comes on the heels of an up-and-down few weeks as LSU went through a coaching change that brought with it uncertainty as to the future for staff members involved in his recruitment.

Anderson made an official visit to Texas last weekend, then returned to Baton Rouge for an unofficial visit on Wednesday.

Anderson was joined by Edna Karr teammate Aiden Hall in their decisions to sign with LSU on Wednesday.

While there was some concern Tuesday as to whether or not Anderson was ready to sign on the dotted line with unknowns still remaining with LSU’s staff under new head coach Lane Kiffin, a conversation with coaches, mentors and family led to the nation’s top defensive lineman feeling more than comfortable enough to put pen to paper.

Brown is one of two 5-star commitments for LSU in the 2026 class, joining Baton Rouge’s Lamar Brown, who is also a defensive lineman, but is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 athlete in the country.

The Scouting Summary: What LSU’s getting in “Big Rich”

Anderson added his fifth star amid another stellar season in the trenches for the Edna Karr Cougars.

The 5-star defensive lineman saw a ratings increase during the all-important senior season evaluation.

“LSU commit Richard Anderson (No. 18) adds his fifth star after two seasons of dominant play at New Orleans Edna Karr. Anderson is one of the better nose tackle prospects to come through high school football in the past few years, as he has a rare combination of size, on-field twitch, and ability to make plays in the backfield. At 6-foot-3.5, 350 pounds, he has an innate ability to locate ballcarriers while maintaining blocks. Anderson will need to trim down at the college level, but the movement skills and athleticism pop on film, as he shows the ability to track down plays in pursuit.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Rankings and Scouting