5-Star Blaine Bradford Limits His Future to 5 College Football Programs Amid Strong Family Ties to SEC Giant

It’s the off-season, yet programs across the CFB sphere are still warring- albeit indirectly. The battle has transpired from the gridiron over to the recruitment front. The troops aren’t wearing pads or are athletic freaks inflicting physical pain, but it’s just as feisty. The no.1 safety in the class of ‘26, Blaine Bradford, finds himself in the midst of one such proverbial battle. Except he’s got his own bloodline affiliated to one of the armies to add a fascinating caveat.

Blaine Bradford is one of the hottest commodities around. The safety position has seen some strong talent over recent seasons, with Caleb Downs being the flag-bearer. As the sport moves towards a more pass-first style, a strong secondary is requisite. Naturally, Bradford has the intrigue of essentially every blueblood or adjacent program in the country. However, he’s got special ties to the LSU Tigers for a multitude of reasons.

Bradford is a Baton Rouge native out of Catholic High. He’s probably grown up seeing the likes of Derek Stingley Jr. dominate the secondary for the Tigers. Dreaming he can don that purple and gold himself. Add to this another wrinkle to push him towards Death Valley. His brother, Jacob Bradford, is already poised to be on campus. Jacob is a 4-star from the 2025 class who plays cornerback. Forming a tandem with his brother is an enticing proposition, but Blaine Bradford is keeping his options open. In fact, he may well be pulling towards a different school across the country. On3’s recruitment expert Steve Wiltfong passed his discernment on affairs.

Speaking on the On3 YouTube channel, Wiltfong said, “Blaine Bradford is going to be a tough pull out of Baton Rouge. LSU is trending on the On3 RPM, but Oregon, Notre Dame, Ohio State [and] Alabama. Those are four programs that he’s certainly spending a lot of time on, and considering.” That collection of schools tells you just how coveted Bradford is. However, that initial bit about him being a tough pull is surely backed by what Bradford himself said about LSU.

“I am super interested in [LSU],” Blaine Bradford said last year. “They are the hometown team. They have a program that is built up. That 2025 class coming in is great too and LSU has real potential. I have been there so many times and they are so consistent. The staff wants what is best for their players and their legacy is strong.”

You may be wondering which aspect of this recruitment is a battle. It all seems lopsided in one team’s favor. However, Blaine Bradford visited a certain program over the weekend. His comments to Steve Wiltfong while on campus suggest a change of heart may be on the board. 

No.1 safety Blaine Bradford being lured by no.1 team in the 2024 regular season

The Oregon Ducks’ hype train befittingly saw green all year as the only unbeaten team in the regular season. However, it halted at a scarlet-red stoplight in the CFP. A blowout loss to Ohio State flattened hopes of a prosperous 2024, but onwards and upwards. In an attempt to breach this glass ceiling that has so far limited him and the program from breaking through into the top echelon of bluebloods, Dan Lanning is angling for sustained success. His quest to keep the Ducks quacking has brought him to Blaine Bradford, who was in Eugene a couple of days ago. 

Steve Wiltfong said, “I talked to [Bradford] on the phone Saturday night, as he was at dinner in Oregon.” Talk about breaking news. Only Wiltfong can leverage this sort of intel! He proceeded to say, “[Bradford] was like, ‘If you were here with me right now, you’d see why this place is so successful. They have everything in place. They have a great head coach running them. Great assistant coaches who could be head coaches anywhere else in the country. Great players, great people.’”  

He added, “He talked about the plan and just how they put people in a position to be successful, that they have the facilities and the environment to get the best out of you. That they’re very honest.” To say Lanning and Co. made the visit count would be an understatement. “Oregon definitely fits me as a player,” said Bradford post-visit. 

Oregon has conjured a top 5 recruiting class for 2025. Which, meshed with existing personnel, should bode well for them to continue this skywards trajectory they set on in their first season in the B1G. There’s an even smoother transition into ‘26, where they’ve got the best class in the country. Eugene is seeing more 5-stars than downtown LA. But you know the thing about greed. It’s bottomless. Dan Lanning has shown he’s willing to go above and beyond. He is yearning for Blaine Bradford too, and he may well get his wish. However, Brian Kelly has more in his arsenal this time around. If National Signing Day 2024 is anything to go by, Lanning could well have the last laugh. Ask no.1 cornerback Na’eem Offord and Auburn.