The New Orleans area is home to plenty of talented prep football recruits, and the Class of 2026 appears loaded with talent.
LSU has made an effort under Brian Kelly to keep Louisiana’s top prospects in-state and has succeeded recently as evidenced by the number of LSU commitments in the Class of 2025, and Kelly’s staff already has offered several 2026 recruits.
There are five 2026 New Orleans area football prospects who have received offers from LSU and other high-profile Division I schools after impressive sophomore seasons and will look to boost their stock even more this fall as juniors.
TOP 2026 RECRUITS
Jahkeem Stewart, St. Augustine
Position: Defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 270 pounds
Ranking: No. 2 in Louisiana (4 star)
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio St., Florida St., Texas and others
Stewart is not only the No. 1-ranked defensive player in Louisiana in the Class of 2026, he’s the consensus top defensive prospect in the nation and has a lengthy list of offers from Power Five programs. The freakishly talented Stewart was a first team All-Metro selection as a sophomore and is a multisport athlete who recently qualified for state track and field in the shot put.
Aiden Hall, Edna Karr
Position: Safety
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds
Ranking: No. 4 in Louisiana (4 star)
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Florida St., Texas, USC and others
Hall continues a long line of Edna Karr top recruits as the No. 2-ranked defensive back in Louisiana’s Class of 2026 and has picked up several Power Five offers this past week. Hall currently has his choice of top SEC programs and will look to build upon his successful sophomore season in which he was a first-team All-Metro selection.
Jabari Mack, Destrehan
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-0, 192 pounds
Ranking: No. 7 in Louisiana (4 star)
Offers: LSU, Michigan, Florida St., Texas, Oregon, Tennessee and others
Mack is the No. 1 wide receiver in Louisiana in the Class of 2026 and headlines an elite Destrehan receiver room that also includes highly recruited Class of 2025 speedster Phillip Wright. Mack put up strong receiving numbers as a sophomore and should continue to improve as a junior.
Richard Anderson, Edna Karr
Position: Defensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 340 pounds
Ranking: No. 9 in Louisiana (4 star)
Offers: LSU, Alabama, Florida St., USC, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others
Anderson has elite size as an imposing presence in the middle of the Edna Karr defensive line and has begun receiving serious recruiting attention, much like his teammate Aiden Hall. Anderson is the No. 3 defensive lineman in Louisiana in the Class of 2026 and was also a first-team All-Metro selection as a sophomore.
Jalan Chapman, Warren Easton
Position: Interior offensive lineman
Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 275 pounds
Ranking: No. 16 in Louisiana (3 star)
Offers: LSU, Alabama Georgia, Tennessee, USC, Oregon and others
Chapman is the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in Louisiana in the Class of 2026 and has drawn the attention of major programs despite not having a four-star rating. Elite guard and center prospects are rare, but Chapman appears to be one as he looks to build upon an All-Metro sophomore season.
Height, weight, offers, rankings and star value info courtesy of 247Sports.