LSU Football lands in top 10 DL in America Richard Anderson

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have secured the signing of Richard Anderson, defensive lineman for Edna Karr of New Orleans, Louisiana, as he announced on social media on Friday evening.

Anderson, the most promising young player in Louisiana according to On3 Sports, just returned from a visit to Baton Rouge for the Tigers’ Friday Night Lights camp.

While on campus, the 6-foot-4, 315-pound player opened up his recruitment and revealed his commitment to defensive line coach Bo Davis and the LSU program.

This is an impressive commitment for Davis and Co. The Tigers secure their first signing for the 2026 cycle while also keeping one of the Bayou State’s best players at home.

Edna Karr’s journey to LSU continues with Anderson’s promise. We’ve seen several talented prospects from one of New Orleans’ top schools take their talents to LSU.

Now Anderson is the next to keep the trend alive.

The coveted defensive tackle chose LSU over a number of the country’s top programs. After a stellar sophomore season, the scholarships started pouring in, with verbal offers from Miami, Oregon and USC, as well as several others.

When Davis arrived in Baton Rouge to take over as LSU’s defensive line coach, there was a desire for the program to begin recruiting top talent for the trenches.

After failing to get through a handful of top players in the NCAA Transfer Portal, Davis persisted and began dominating the high school ranks.

Anderson is the first target for the defensive line this summer, as LSU has several 2025 candidates on its radar and is ready to announce decisions in the coming weeks.

Names and commitment dates to note (2025 cycle):

Damien Shanklin: 29 August

The four-star EDGE team visited Death Valley in early June, with defensive coaches Bo Davis and Kevin Peoples making an important move.

LSU, Indiana’s most promising prospect, may be leaving the southern recruiting area but has quickly targeted Shanklin as one of its top EDGE candidates for the 2025 cycle.

Now, with the visit to Baton Rouge under their belt, LSU is determined to sign the coveted Indiana native.

Steve Wiltfong, recruiting expert at On3 Sports, predicted that LSU would seek Shanklin’s services as the recruiting process ramps up.

LSU has now invited Shanklin on a much-needed official visit, with the four-star prospect set to visit other programs. The Tigers have to beat Ohio State, among others, but appear to be the team to beat here.

Zion Williams: July 4th

The coveted defensive player is considered a gem by the LSU staff, and that program rolled out the red carpet for him during his official visit this month. Williams arrived in Baton Rouge in early June for a multi-day stay.

The Texas native has his sights set on the TCU Horned Frogs, but after an official conversation with LSU, he has settled on July 4 as the date. LSU believes it has the lead here, and the clock is ticking until a decision is made.

Bo Davis and his recruiting team have circled Williams, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound threat, as a top priority on offense as the Tigers most covet her services. Both Davis and Blake Baker have been courting Williams heavily of late.

Xavier Ukponu: 29 June

LSU has been at the top of Ukponu’s list for the past few months, and the Tigers are scheduled to make an official visit this weekend.

LSU and Arkansas have recently been vying for the services of the 6’2″, 290-pound player, but as of now, the Tigers have one final visit before Ukponu ends his recruitment.

Davis is a native Texan and continues to pursue the top talent in the Lone Star State.

LSU has continued its trend on several of its top targets, with Shanklin, Ukponu and Williams considered priority targets for the closing stages. Could they emerge next? Time will tell.

More LSU news:

Recruiting Roundup: The latest news from LSU’s official visit weekend

LSU Football: America’s best quarterback visits LSU

LSU Baseball: Two top transfer pitchers announce commitment to LSU

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU-Land: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage of the LSU program.