LSU football making early impression on elite class of 2026 cornerback

With 11 four-star or better commitments already within the 2025 cycle, LSU football recruiting has been on quite the hot streak, and it doesn’t appear as though they’ll slow down heading into the future. Earlier this week, class of 2026 cornerback Dorian Barney named the Tigers as one of 12 remaining schools in contention for his talents.

Class of 2026 cornerback lists LSU as one of his top remaining schools

And so the defensive backfield rebuild continues under head coach Brian Kelly. Since the moment the veteran coach stepped on campus in Baton Rouge, it’s almost felt as though he’s playing a game of catchup in trying to rebuild his secondary.

In year one, he had an almost entirely transfer portal built group, and year two in 2023 wasn’t much different. However, as we move into the 2024 season, we’re slowly starting to see LSU recruited players stepping into the spotlight including safety Jordan Allen and cornerbacks Ashton Stamps and Javien Toviano.

With that said, the rebuild in nowhere near over, and the Tiger coaching staff will need to continue recruiting the position at a high level if they have any hope of competing in an increasingly difficult SEC.

Luckily, so far so good as it pertains to the class of 2025 and class of 2026 efforts. Already, the purple and gold have a commitment from high four-star defensive back Jaboree Antoine and were just recently included among the top-12 for class of 2026 cornerback Dorian Barney.

NEWS: Four-Star CB Dorian Barney is down to 1️⃣2️⃣ Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 170 CB from Suwanee, GA is ranked as the No. 3 CB in the 2026 Class (per On3)

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/VLUMciAnYb pic.twitter.com/hzsoQu3BlG

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 3, 2024

Officially listed at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, Barney immediately has ideal size for an SEC cornerback and has the skills to match. With smooth hips and solid speed, it takes a lot to get past him deep downfield.

Additionally, with an impressive willingness to tackle and basketball athleticism, he’s more than capable of doing just about anything asked of him from a defensive standpoint.

In turn, it should come as little surprise that the Suwanee, GA, product is rated among the very best players in the country. According to 247Sports, he’s listed at No. 33 nationally and No. 5 among cornerbacks.

Barney is yet to take any visits to Baton Rouge, but as we’ve seen with so many recruits over the last few months, getting him on campus could end up being a difference maker in how this recruitment ultimately pans out.

For now, though, things are pretty open for the four-star corner, as Alabama, Clemson, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC are among the many schools still in contention.

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