As Brian Kelly and his staff continue to round out their 2026 recruiting class, one player they have had their sights set on is running back KJ Edwards. Hailing from Carthage, TX, Edwards is the No. 2 running back in the country according to 247Sports.
Edwards has been committed to the Texas A&M Aggies since June, but has kept his recruitment open. Despite his commitment to Mike Elko and the Aggies, the Tigers have remained in contact with the highly-touted recruit over the last several months. Edwards made a visit to LSU over the summer and was back in Baton Rouge for LSU's win over Florida in Week 3. Over the last few weeks, both Texas and LSU have been big threats to Texas A&M for Edwards' services.
However, on Thursday, LSU got the bad news that Edwards has decided to shut down his recruitment and stay committed to Texas A&M. The LSU coaching staff made a hard push for the four-star running back, but their efforts ultimately fell short.
Texas A&M 4-star RB commit KJ Edwards has shut down his recruitment, he tells @samspiegsš
ā Rivals (@Rivals) October 2, 2025
āIām all in with A&M since the day I committed.ā
Read: https://t.co/aB3Rlm6mQs pic.twitter.com/bnnFKygZdE
What Edwards' decision means for LSU's future RB room
Edwards' decision to stay with the Aggies comes just days after the LSU offense sputtered once again in a 24-19 loss to Ole Miss this past weekend. It seems likely that LSU's offensive troubles played a part in Edwards' decision. The LSU rushing attack has been miserable so far this season, ranking 15th in the SEC with a measly 104.8 rushing yards per game through five games.
The Tigers currently have just three players on scholarship in their running backs room: Sophomore Caden Durham, junior Kaleb Jackson, and freshman Harlem Berry. Following the indefinite suspension of freshman running back JT Lindsey, LSU is trying to find more depth. Jack-of-all-trades Ju'Juan Johnson has seen some action in the running game, as well as WR Zavion Thomas. But nothing has worked.
LSU's 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 11th in the country according to 247Sports. The class doesn't feature any running backs, and barring any significant changes, it seems likely that Kelly will turn to the transfer portal for more RB depth this offseason. But missing out on Edwards hurts, as his skill set could have provided an immediate boost to LSU's running game next season.