2028 4-star LB Kaiden Buchanan has eight schools atop his recruitment
· Yahoo Sports
Aberdeen (Miss.) Tupelo four-star linebacker Kaiden Buchanan is one of the top junior prospects in the state of Mississippi. He’s compiled over 20 Power Four offers, but he’s focused on just eight moving forward.
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On Friday afternoon, Buchanan told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that he’s now considering the following eight programs: Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, UCLA and USC.
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Buchanan is the No. 253 overall prospect and No. 23 LB in the 2028 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 8 junior in the Magnolia State.
The 6-foot, 215-pounder has made his latest cut after a strong start to his junior campaign at Tupelo. Only needing to play in just 12 quarters through four games, Buchanan has 26 tackles, including 6.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. He’s also forced a fumble and recovered another.
Tupelo has been dominant thus far. The Golden Wave is 4-0 and ranks as the No. 1 team in Mississippi, according to the Rivals Composite Rankings. They are averaging over 46 points per game and are allowing less than 13 points per game.
Mississippi State gets Buchanan on campus next
The recruitment of Buchanan will continue to move quickly through the fall as he takes visits and whittles his list down further. This weekend, he’s slated to return to Starkville as Mississippi State hosts Missouri in a major top-25 showdown.
“I’m loving what Mississippi State is doing this year,” Buchanan told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong ahead of the trip. “Their defense has definitely stepped up, and I really like Coach Arnett and Coach Brock. I’m excited for Mississippi State and what they’re building.”
Head coach Jeff Lebby and the rising in-state Bulldogs currently have the very slight edge on the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. Other programs will look to up their standing this fall, too. There’s a usual SEC flavor to Buchanan’s recruitment, but the West Coast inclusions of UCLA and USC are intriguing, too. He took a wave of summer visits and certain schools have made an impression.
“UCLA, USC and Kentucky have stood out the most so far,” Buchanan told Rivals’ Chad Simmons back in July. “They’ve made me and my family feel at home, and I really appreciate the culture and the relationships they’ve built with us.”