LSU in a 2-team battle with Ohio State for 4-star New Orleans WR

It's no surprise that LSU is one of the top schools for 2027 wide receiver prospect Miguel Whitley. The Tigers have a high success rate when it comes to landing top in-state receiving prospects. 

But what's keeping Whitley, a standout at New Orleans powerhouse program St. Augustine, from pulling the trigger for the Tigers? It might be the fact that his other top school is also known for producing top wide receivers at a high rate — Ohio State.

If there's any school in the country that can keep a top Louisiana wide receiver from immediately jumping into the fold with the Tigers, it's Ohio State. The Buckeyes currently take a back seat to no one when it comes to wide receiver lineage. 

Ohio State has become a bit of a thorn in Brian Kelly's side. It's bad enough that the Buckeyes seem to be in a solid position to hold on to 5-star defensive athlete Blaine Bradford, a Baton Rouge native that currently plays high school football up the street from LSU, but if Ohio State starts tapping into the wide receiver pool in Louisiana, there will be problems. 

Expect the recruiting battles to continue

Whitley told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals/On3 that LSU and Ohio State are "both his favorite schools", but this weekend is an opportunity for LSU to make an early move in his recruitment. The 6-foot, 175-pound pass catcher will be on campus with several of his teammates to watch the Tigers take on South Carolina. 

Expect several LSU commits from the 2026 class, like 4-star wide receivers Jabari Mack and Kenny Darby, to catch up with Whitley and tell him how important it is for the in-state prospects to represent the home school.

Whitley has LSU and Ohio State out in front of a host of offers, including Tennessee, Auburn, Florida State and Colorado. It's not known if the 2027 prospect will try to make an early decision or take his time.