Ohio State is returning in 2025 as the National Championship title defenders. That glittering label is proving successful in OSU’s recruiting in future classes, given the scope and legacy of the program. Ohio State has attracted some star talents in the current cycle, and houses 2 elite players in their 2026 class. However, an SEC program just made away with one of Ryan Day‘s key assets, which is a major dent in the Buckeyes’ recruiting machinery. This, in turn, sets the stage for this program potentially flipping one of those elite commits.

LSU pulled off a major recruiting move, hiring OSU’s Director of Player Personnel, Sam Petitto. The seasoned recruiter is heading back home to his native state, Louisiana, after spending only a year at Ohio State. Prior to Columbus, Petitto spent the majority of his career at Alabama, under Nick Saban, and has also spent 2 years in Georgia before that. LSU is also in a hiring spree, with Petitto being their third splash-making hire. He will join Ole Miss’ Kelvin Bolden and USC’s Jeff Martin. Petitto might keep a quiet profile, but he has landed some of the best players for his associated programs.

And now that he is moving away to LSU, Ryan Day stands to lose a major asset from their 2026 class. Locked On LSU’s Matt Moscona says in a July 11 episode, “If I were to ask you… Who is the top player in Louisiana [who] is not committed to LSU? Well, it’s Blaine Bradford, the safety out of Catholic High in Baton Rouge. And earlier this spring, Blaine Bradford committed to Ohio State. I’m not telling you the sole reason that Bradford committed to Ohio State was Sam Petitto. But boy, was it a big part.” Blaine Bradford is the No. 3 prospect out of Louisiana. Apart from Chris Henry Jr., he is OSU’s only other 5-star commit.

Bradford was a target for many programs, and LSU was in the mix for him, but the match somehow couldn’t materialize. This is despite Bradford being a Louisiana native and having a family connection to LSU (his brother, Jacob Bradford, will debut as a CB on LSU’s 2025 roster). To gauge Petitto’s impact, here are two names he has recruited: DeVonta Smith and Caleb Downs. Alabama and OSU’s teams without these two players seem unfathomable. And now that Petitto’s LSU move is confirmed, the community is rife with rumors that all signs point towards Bradford also following suit.

Ryan Day has relatively been on the safe side in the 2026 cycle, steering clear of any major decommitments. But losing his Director of Player Personnel is going to be a major blow for the HC and his hopes of recruiting more elite talent. Top LSU commit Lamar Brown pushed for his fellow Louisiana player to “[come] home.” Given how Bradford’s timeline shapes up until he packs up for college, there could be a way LSU gets the safety to flip.

Here’s how LSU can plan to steal Blaine Bradford from Ryan Day

The most important factor to note in this developing storyline is that Bradford will still be in high school for some time. “What I do know is that at Catholic High, they do not allow players to graduate early,” Moscona said, later revealing that the school is his alma mater. “So Blaine Bradford, even if he signs with Ohio State in December, is not gonna be on Ohio State’s campus in January… He would be in Columbus in June.” This gap of a year or so might push the LSU front office, with Petitto in tow, to get Bradford to consider LSU once again.

“Maybe a best case for LSU is to say, ‘Hey man, look, play your senior year. Just don’t sign in December. Don’t sign in December. Wait till February. Ohio State’s still gonna have a spot for you. But take an official visit [to LSU]. Get on campus. Meet our staff, our new staff, our support staff. Let us explain for you what our vision is,’ and re-recruit – not that they’ve ever stopped – but re-recruit Blaine Bradford,” Moscona said, laying out the plan. LSU’s 2026 class currently sits in the No. 6 position according to On3, one place above Ryan Day’s 2026 squad.

When Lamar Brown, the No. 1 Louisiana prospect, tried poaching Bradford, OSU also didn’t hold back. CB Jermaine Matthews came to Ryan Day’s (and maybe Bradford’s) defense, leaving a message under the Hayes Fawcett post that was stoking the fires of the safety’s potential flip. “Stop what you doin Hayes 😭😭,” it read. To that, Bradford also had a comment of his own, essentially his statement so far on the flip rumors. “ong,” he wrote, meaning ‘On God.’

It has only been 3 months since Bradford committed to Ryan Day’s 2026 squad. But now that LSU has everything possible to lure him to Baton Rouge, will the star safety follow Sam Petitto back home?