“It’s going to be 2019 repeat”: Four-star safety Jacob Bradford vows to restore LSU's championship glory

By Maliha

Modified Oct 13, 2024 16:03 GMT

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Four-star safety Jacob Bradford from Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has committed to LSU's 2025 recruiting class. He initially committed to Houston on June 23 but made the decision to decommit on Thursday and pledged his commitment to LSU on Saturday, ahead of the No. 13 Tigers' 29-26 victory over the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels.

Bradford’s commitment to Brian Kelly's program was not without fanfare. Following his commitment decision, he confidently declared to On3's Hayes Fawcett:

“It’s going to be 2019 repeat."

This reference is to LSU’s historic 2019 season, where the Tigers went 15-0 and won the national championship. That year, the Tigers fielded a dominant team led by Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, alongside standout wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. They capped off their perfect season with a victory over Clemson, breaking the Tigers' 29-game winning streak.

This might be a bold statement but not unrealistic at all, as Bradford’s commitment bolsters LSU’s already strong 2025 class, which is ranked No. 3 by the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting rankings. With Bradford as the No. 27 member of the class, he joins a formidable group that includes 19 four-star prospects and three five-star recruits.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Jacob Bradford is known for his versatility and physicality. Though he is ranked as a safety, he has primarily played cornerback in high school. LSU safeties coach Jake Olsen has expressed interest in utilizing his skills at either cornerback or nickel.

Houston's recruiting class update following Jacob Bradford's decommitment

Jacob Bradford's decommitment from Houston is a big blow for the school, as he was the second-highest-ranked recruit in the Cougars' 2025 class. He is ranked by the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 388 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 36 safety in the 2025 class and the No. 14 recruit in Louisiana.

The Cougars' recruiting class has dropped to 18 commitments and has also fallen out of the top 40 nationally, now sitting at No. 44 overall and No. 7 in the Big 12.

Houston's 2025 class now has only one blue-chip prospect: four-star interior offensive lineman Demetris Dean. Some notable prospects in this cycle are edge rusher Reshad Sterling, cornerback Kyle Johnson, defensive lineman Travis Buhake and wide receiver Zaylen Cormier.