Frisco RB Brennen Lacey pledges to LSU after Baton Rouge visit

LSU is adding another early piece to its 2027 recruiting class. Brennen Lacey, a three-star running back from Frisco, Texas, announced his commitment to the Tigers on Sunday after an official visit to Baton Rouge. According to Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman, Lacey said LSU stood out among the programs still in the mix, with TCU and Notre Dame also discussed as finalists. The pledge lands in the middle of the typical official-visit period, when in-home meetings and weekend campus trips often become the deciding factor for prospects choosing between multiple high-major programs.

LSU’s pitch, as Lacey described it, emphasized both belief and development. In the same report, Lacey said the coaching staff “see[s] something” in him and that running backs coach Kevin Smith wants to “extract that talent out and dominate.” Lacey also expressed confidence in LSU’s ability to develop him into the kind of back he wants to become. Smith’s role matters in this recruitment because the assignment is not only to recruit running backs, but to create a clear plan for how a prospect’s strengths translate into the college game.

On the field, Lacey has already shown the production and versatility that often make running backs attractive targets for spread-and-physical offenses in the SEC. MaxPreps lists him at 6-foot-1 and tracks a junior season in which he rushed for 537 yards and eight touchdowns on 59 carries, while also adding 10 receptions for 160 yards and two receiving touchdowns. MaxPreps also credits him with 812 all-purpose yards in that span. That blend of rushing volume and scoring as a receiver fits the profile of a back who can influence game plans beyond just between-the-tackles carries.

Recruiting rankings place Lacey as a prospect LSU believes it can grow. On3, via Rivals’ industry ranking framework, lists him as the No. 908 overall prospect and the No. 78 running back in the 2027 cycle, and as the No. 117 recruit in Texas. He joins a class that LSU has been building aggressively under head coach Lane Kiffin. LSU officially announced Kiffin as its head football coach on Nov. 30, 2025, and the staff transition has been paired with a recruiting push aimed at replenishing depth across positions and accelerating high-school recruiting pipelines.

Lacey’s commitment also reflects how quickly LSU can stack visits and decisions during the summer. In the report, LSU’s staff is described as in the flow of commitments tied to official visits, and On3 noted that Lacey was the second commitment of the day for Kiffin and his staff, joining Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson four-star edge rusher K.J. Green. By Sunday, the Tigers were described as having six commitments in the 2027 class, with five labeled as blue-chips. Those numbers matter in recruiting because early class momentum can reduce uncertainty at positions while simultaneously pressuring other finalists to re-evaluate their recruiting boards.

For LSU, the added running back room-building is also a matter of fit with the offensive staff’s approach. Smith’s official role at LSU is Assistant Head Coach and Running Backs, giving LSU a consistent message to recruits about how it intends to develop their skill sets. If Lacey continues to show he can produce both as a runner and as a pass-catching threat, the Tigers can view him not just as a carry-getter, but as a piece that can widen formations and create matchups in the run game and the passing game.

As with every high-school pledge, this commitment is still a snapshot in an evolving recruiting process. Prospects sometimes revisit decisions as they move through the final part of their senior season, and LSU’s recruiting priorities can shift as other prospects commit or change their timelines. Still, Lacey’s choice, coming after an in-person weekend trip to Baton Rouge and a direct message from the position coach, gives LSU a clear target in the 2027 class and sets up the next step, which is how he performs under the spotlight as Frisco plays out the rest of his final year of high school football.