Ohio State Holding on as SEC Powerhouse Looks to Flip Highly Touted Recruit

Ohio State Holding on as SEC Powerhouse Looks to Flip Highly Touted Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

It's clear that after coming off a national championship season, the Ohio State Buckeyes impressed a lot of recruits, as their 2026 class ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 9 in the nation.

However, in this day and age of college football, a simple commitment is not enough, as teams are constantly looking to flip players, with one example being safety Blaine Bradford out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

He originally committed to the Buckeyes on March 31, but with Rivals Industry Rankings placing him as a four-star prospect, the No. 5 safety and the No. 47 player in the nation, he's still garnering a lot of attention.

Ohio State Receiving Pressure from SEC Team

In an article from Rival's Chad Simmons, where he lists "10 prospects on flip watch this fall," he reveals that the LSU Tigers have been in hot pursuit of Bradford.

"Blaine Bradford committed to Ohio State over LSU earlier this year, but the Tigers, the program in his backyard where his brother plays, is not giving up. ... We know the elite safety at Catholic will be inside Tiger Stadium for games this season and LSU will work hard to the end to keep him home," Simmons wrote.

Seeing the Tigers still in hot pursuit doesn't come as a major surprise, though, as they, along with the Texas Longhorns, were named the two other finalists for the safety before he landed with the Buckeyes.

LSU Recruit Attempted to Persuade Bradford

It's not as though LSU's coaching and recruiting staffs have been the only ones trying their hand at Bradford either, as athlete Lamar Brown, who committed to the Tigers on July 10, has even joined in.

Brown, also from Louisiana, tagged the safety in an X post, saying "Come Home!!!! @Blaine1307," in an attempt to convince Bradford to join his hometown team.

Ohio State Can't Afford to Lose Bradford

Obviously, losing any recruit would be a hard pill to swallow, but that is especially true when it comes to the possibility of Bradford flipping.

Not only is he the second-highest-rated player the team brought in for this year's cycle, but he's also just one of two safeties. If he were to find a new home, Ohio State would be left with only four-star Simeon Caldwell at the position.

Related: LSU Facing Trouble as SEC Rival Named 'Top Competition' to Flip 5-Star WR

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.