2027 is a clean slate for Lane Kiffin. The LSU Tigers’ new head coach is pushing hard to build a new class brick by brick. But the class is still light with only three pledges so far. So, Kiffin has made some noise, sliding an offer to a four-star prospect who had been Oklahoma-bound.

“Hours after dropping a TOP 5, Williamson DB Jaylen Scott receives an offer from LSU,” reported Qbcountry.com analyst Larry Rudolph. “Scott mentions LSU as his ‘dream school.'”

Jaylen Scott is one of the top safeties of the 2027 recruiting cycle, with college football programs taking a keen interest in him. The Mobile, Alabama native and Williamson High School star is rated as the No.10 safety and the No.112 player in the 2027 class. 

At first, Scott had kept Florida Gators, Kiffin’s Ole Miss, and the Texas A&M Aggies in his list of programs that stood a chance to land him. However, he soon shortened the list, dropping his top five schools. The latest list features Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Miami, and Florida State.

According to Rivals’ Chad Simmons, the standout safety has been to Florida State a few times. He hasn’t swung by Georgia recently and has yet to see Miami, which only offered within the past month. But amidst this, Kiffin’s target held a special place for Brent Venables’ Oklahoma.

Scott was moved by the energy in the Sooners’ camp as he visited during the Michigan matchup. 

“Atmosphere was crazy,” he said. “I love their fans. That, and the connection I have with the staff, stands out a lot.”

But that did not stop Kiffin from sliding an offer. Not just Oklahoma, the Volunteers also come off as a big threat for the Tigers. 

“Tennessee is another school that recruits me as hard as they can,” Scott said. “They’ve had some changes, but the staff has been great. Coach [Anthony] Poindexter is a new coach and he was down recently. I like him a lot. The staff and the fans at Tennessee stand out the most.”

Notably, they could be willing to go to any extent to land Scott as his production is a recruiter’s dream. The Williamson High junior logged 104 tackles, two tackles for loss, five interceptions, and 15 pass deflections, making him a prime target for Kiffin.

On3’s crystal ball puts Oklahoma at the top with 95.3% chance to land Scott, followed by Auburn at 4.2%. Along with Scott, Kiffin and Co. entered the race to land one of the most sought-after safety recruits, Honor Fa’alave-Johnson. While these commits are yet to finalize their next stop, the 2028 class is already keeping the Tigers awake. 

Lane Kiffin takes up the recruiting project seriously

New to Baton Rouge, Kiffin does not want to waste time procrastinating. He has already set his eyes on the 2028 target. LSU became the latest school to run the race to land Los Angeles (Calif.) IMG Academy five-star quarterback Jayden Wade.

The race to bring home the crown jewel of the 2028 recruiting cycle is not going to be easy for Kiffin. The No. 1 overall prospect in the country already holds offers from heavyweight programs like Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, and Ohio State. 

However, Kiffin is not giving up on his hope and is counting on his forte as the quarterback-whisperer. While the future recruitment class is hardly giving LSU a chance to catch its breath, its luck favored them when it came to the transfer portal win. 

Kiffin just landed a big one. Former Colorado left tackle Jordan Seaton is headed to Baton Rouge, bringing with him a résumé that includes being the Rivals industry’s No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2024 class and one of the highest-rated signees in Colorado history.

LSU may have landed a splashy transfer, but the real work is just getting started. With plenty of recruiting business left unfinished, can Lane Kiffin flip the momentum his way?