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LSU and coach Brian Kelly secured the program's first top 300 pledge in more than two months Wednesday night when the Tigers beat Florida and Texas to the commitment of four-star defensive end Trenton Henderson, No. 61 in the 2026 ESPN 300. Henderson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass rusher from Pensacola, Florida, is ESPN's No. 8 defensive end prospect in the current cycle. The 12th-ranked recruit in Florida in 2026, Henderson took official visits with each of his finalists, along with Auburn and Michigan, this spring before narrowing his recruitment to LSU, Florida and Texas last month. He joins the Tigers as the sixth top 100 pledge and ninth ESPN 300 commit in the program's 2026 class, which currently sits at No. 15 in ESPN's latest class rankings for the cycle. Before Henderson's decision, LSU had remained quiet on the recruiting trail in recent months, landing only a pair of pledges -- both outside the ESPN 300 -- since four-star cornerback Havon Finney Jr. (No. 72 overall) announced his commitment to the Tigers on April 28. Henderson trails only five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys (No. 10) as the program's top-ranked pledge in the current cycle, leading a defensive class that already includes top 300 recruits in Finney, defensive tackle Richard Anderson (No. 93), safety Aiden Hall (No. 126) and cornerback Dylan Purter (No. 223). A versatile edge rusher capable of playing multiple positions, Henderson emerged among the nation's top defensive prospects at Florida's Pensacola High School. He recorded 39 tackles with four sacks as a sophomore in 2023 before making a significant leap in his junior season last fall, closing the 2024 campaign with 50 tackles, 10 sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. If Henderson signs later this year, he'll mark the Tigers' highest-ranked defensive end addition since pass rusher Da'Shawn Womack arrived as the nation's 49th-ranked recruit in 2023. Henderson's pledge could be the start of a productive stretch on the recruiting trail for LSU. The Tigers continue to battle Texas A&M, as well as Florida State and Miami for No. 1 prospect Lamar Brown. The coveted defensive tackle from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is set to announce his commitment decision on July 10. Four-star cornerback target Chauncey Kennon (No. 48 overall) will announce his commitment Sunday, while LSU is working to edge SEC rivals South Carolina and Tennessee to the pledge of top 75 offensive lineman Darius Gray later this summer.
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