Brian Kelly strikes big with major commitment from 6’7 285-pound OT as Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss loses race in 2026 recruiting cycle 

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers secured a big commitment for the recruiting class of 2026. As they continue preparations for the 2025 season, the Tigers' coach is utilizing the offseason to recruit top players for the future.

This time, Kelly and his team managed to secure the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Emanuel Tucker. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound athlete plays football, basketball and track and field for New Albany.

On Thursday, Sports Illustrated's Zack Nagy shared a post on X/Twitter about the four-star offensive lineman's commitment:

"BREAKING: #LSU has landed a commitment from the No.1 offensive lineman in Mississippi: Emanuel Tucker. The 4-star, Top-1o prospect in Magnolia State pledges to the Tigers over Ole Miss down the stretch. (Tigers OL Coach) Brad Davis lands the 6'7, 285-pounder with the program striking again."

In February, Emanuel Tucker announced his commitment to Mississippi State. However, he decommitted from the program on June 2. The four-star OL announced his decision through a tweet on X:

"I would like to announce that I'm no longer committed to Mississippi State University."

Apart from Brian Kelly's LSU, Tucker also had an offer from Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels. After his official visit with Ole Miss, he opened up about his positive experience during an interview with On3 Sports:

"It was great. My favorite thing was how they ran their offense. It's something I'm really interested in and would love to be a part of."

Emanuel Tucker is not the only offensive lineman to commit to the Tigers' 2026 recruiting class. Apart from him, LSU also has commitments from four-star OT Brysten Martinez and three-star OL Jalen Chapman.

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CFB analyst opens up about expectations from Brian Kelly and LSU Tigers in 2025

Since taking over the program in 2022, Kelly has led the Tigers to three consecutive bowl victories. They competed for the SEC title once during the 2022 season and have yet to make a playoff run under his reign.

College Football analyst Josh Pate believes that Kelly will have to take it up a notch this upcoming season with the program. On Thursday's episode of his show, he said the Tigers should emerge as a contender in the 12-team playoffs.

"Brian Kelly's in year four, and if you look at the records, they've won 10 wins, 10 wins, nine wins," Pate said. "But it still feels like kind of a prove it year for him, because, defensively, you were so bad.

"You sort of washed away Jayden Daniels' year, and now we get to this year where you're two years into a new defensive staff. So you should see big improvement, and you've got Garrett Nussmeier, who is a proven returning quarterback... They need to do that this year," he added.

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The LSU Tigers begin their 2025 campaign with a season opener against the Clemson Tigers in August.

Can Brian Kelly's Tigers emerge as a playoff contender in his fourth season in Baton Rouge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.