If you’re looking for more fuel to throw on the budding Ole Miss–LSU rivalry, Braylon Calais just handed you one.
The four‑star athlete from Cecilia has been one of the most heavily trafficked prospects in Louisiana this winter.
Coaches from all over have come through his high school, but the two programs circling each other the closest (again) are Ole Miss and LSU. It’s becoming a familiar pattern: a blue‑chip Louisiana athlete, a reshuffled coaching staff on both sides, and two SEC rivals trying to plant their flag first.
Calais has already lined up three official visits: Ole Miss on May 29, Houston on June 4, and LSU on June 19.
“I’ve been up there for the Arkansas game, but never really got to experience the campus yet, so I’m excited to see that,” Calais said about Ole Miss to Rivals. “They really started to push hard and I’m pretty excited to see how I’ll fit into everything.”
Houston has made things interesting lately, but the real storyline here is the same one it’s been for months. LSU was the early leader during Calais’ junior season, and he was back in Baton Rouge in January for junior day. That’s usually the kind of momentum the Tigers don’t lose.
“I’m liking what I’m hearing so far with the staff changing and the expectations, but only time can tell,” Calais said about LSU. “Bringing LSU back to what it’s supposed to be on and off the field. I feel like the fit would be a good fit, especially with the offense they run.”
But this cycle hasn’t been typical.
Coaching changes in Baton Rouge opened the door a bit, and Pete Golding’s arrival in Oxford has kept it open. The new Ole Miss staff has made Calais a priority, pushing for another visit this spring and making sure LSU doesn’t get to run away with an in‑state recruitment by default.
This is the kind of battle that says as much about the rivalry as it does about the player.
LSU wants to keep a versatile, top‑five athlete home.
Ole Miss wants to prove it can walk into Louisiana and win these head‑to‑head fights, especially with a staff that’s already shown it’s not afraid to recruit the state aggressively.
Calais is still sorting through everything, and there’s a long way to go. But the visit schedule tells you plenty. Ole Miss gets the first shot. LSU gets the last. And in between, both programs will spend the spring trying to convince a two‑way playmaker that their vision and not their rival’s is the one worth betting on.
Another prospect, another Louisiana battleground, another Ole Miss-LSU storyline. The rivalry doesn’t take an offseason.
