ESPN Names Team With The Nation’s Best Incoming Class Of Transfers, Recruits

On Wednesday, ESPN analysts Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker ranked the top 25 groups of newcomers -- recruits and transfers combined -- based on who could see the most impactful immediate returns for 2026.

At the top of their list was the class Lane Kiffin put together at LSU.

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1. LSU Tigers

Top recruits: DT Lamar Brown, DT Deuce Geralds, DT Richard Anderson, WR Jabari Mack, CB Havon Finney, OT Brysten Martinez, WR Corey Barber, S Aiden Hall

While Lane Kiffin leaned heavily on the portal, LSU still signed high school prospects who can keep the roster young at premium spots while also infusing the roster with immediate contributors. Brown, the No. 1 overall player in the SC Next 300 could eventually make an impact on either side of the ball. An agile big man that is powerful and runs well, Brown looks poised to start out on defense and play a role somewhere in the trenches, even in Year 1. Also on defense, Geralds is a quick, penetrating interior player, while Anderson is a stout, 300-plus pounder with good initial burst who can both anchor and disrupt with penetration. On the perimeter, Mack is a polished in-state wideout and strong route-runner who projects as an outside target capable of working all three levels, while Barber brings more of a slot/space profile with run-after-catch value. Martinez is a long, 6-foot-6 tackle who will likely be groomed as the successor at left tackle but is talented enough to work his way into the mix as the Tigers look to fill their right tackle position. In the secondary, Hall is a long, physical safety who can run, fill alleys and eventually grow into a back-end centerpiece.

Transfers: OT Jordan Seaton, Edge Princewill Umanmielen, QB Sam Leavitt, S Ty Benefield, WR Eugene Wilson III

Kiffin landed several plug-and-play players with instant-impact potential. Seaton, a former five-star, allowed just five sacks in 22 career starts at Colorado. He should lock down the left tackle job and stabilize the pass protection. Wilson is a wide receiver with SEC experience with 107 career receptions for 1,043 yards and 10 touchdowns. He brings the separation and run-after-catch ability Kiffin's offense is built around. Leavitt was Kiffin's first big portal win and arrives from Arizona State with 24 games played, 4,652 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. On defense, Umanmielen is a proven SEC pass rusher. In the secondary. Benefield from Boise State (41 games played, 233 tackles, 11 pass breakups, five INTs), should immediately inject a steady presence.

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Full Rankings:
1. LSU Tigers
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Texas Tech Red Raiders
4. Texas Longhorns
5. Indiana Hoosiers
6. Ole Miss Rebels
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9. Texas A&M Aggies
10. Oregon Ducks
11. Miami Hurricanes
12. Michigan Wolverines
13. USC Trojans
14. Tennessee Volunteers
15. Oklahoma Sooners
16. Virginia Tech Hokies
17. Georgia Bulldogs
18. Auburn Tigers
19. Missouri Tigers
20. West Virginia Mountaineers
21. Penn State Nittany Lions
22. Florida State Seminoles
23. Kentucky Wildcats
24. South Carolina Gamecocks
25. Oklahoma State Cowboys