Alexandria High (La.) four-star running back JT Lindsey revealed a commitment to the LSU Tigers on April 13 with Brian Kelly and Co. locking down his services.
Lindsey, the No. 2 rated running back in Louisiana and a Top 10 back in America, received an offer from the Tigers and wasted no time in pledging to the program.
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It was clear the intentions of position coach Frank Wilson. LSU had already had a commitment from the No. 1 running back in America, Harlem Berry, but taking two backs was the goal the entire time.
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Now, after a dominant senior campaign, Lindsey has the entire country after blossoming into a Top 10 running back in the 2025 Recruiting Class and skyrocketing to the No. 2 back in Louisiana.
Lindsey bypassed Texas commit James Simon after becoming the No. 2 ranked running back in the Bayou State.
Now, LSU is loaded for the future at the position with both Berry and Lindsey on board.
After the news of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood backing off of his LSU commitment last week, it left the program in a “vulnerable” spot with programs pursuing LSU’s other pledges.
That included Lindsey who quickly received phone calls from other top schools.
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Lindsey confirmed last week to LSU Tigers On SI that he will not be taking any visits elsewhere and will be signing with LSU on Dec. 4 during the Early Signing Period.
Now, it’s official. He’s put pen to paper with the LSU Tigers on Wednesday.
#LSU has officially signed the No. 1 + No. 2 running backs in Louisiana.
Harlem Berry: No. 1 JT Lindsey: No. 2
The one-two punch of the future has put pen to paper and will make their way to Baton Rouge.
It’s a massive get for the program with Lindsey barely scratching the surface. A player many believe plays above his ranking, he’s dominated the prep scene in Louisiana.
Lindsey has accumulated 1,950 yards this season with 27 total touchdowns. Now, he’s cruising through the Louisiana playoffs with a state championship on his mind.
Lindsey joins Harlem Berry as the pair of coveted running backs to sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.
The paperwork is in. LSU has officially signed the No. 1 running back in America with Metairie (La.) St. Martin’s Episcopal five-star putting pen to paper on Wednesday morning.
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Berry, the No. 1 player in Louisiana, will make his way to Baton Rouge as the highest ranked running back since Leonard Fournette 10 years ago.
It’s a monumental day for Brian Kelly and Co. with the program winning out for the Bayou State star.
The paperwork is in. #LSU has officially signed the No. 1 RB in America: Harlem Berry.
The Louisiana native has put pen to paper with the Tigers during the Early Signing Period.
Frank Wilson gets his guy with Berry set to make his way to Baton Rouge.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder took Louisiana by storm during his prep career and will now look to carry the momentum over to Baton Rouge.
“We’re real excited,” Berry’s father told On3 Sports. “We can’t wait to make this thing official. The LSU staff has made this whole experience unforgettable for our family. Harlem is ready to show up and show out.”
Berry verbally committed to position coach Frank Wilson and Co. on Jan. 3 with the Louisiana native remaining locked in with the Tigers ever since.
He’s stayed loyal to his pledge, visited Baton Rouge routinely and how now made things official after putting pen to paper.
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On3 Sports’ Take: “Harlem Berry is the most electric running back in the 2025 cycle, with the ability to be a game-changer in the passing game. He possesses elite burst and effortless movement skills. He transfers his outstanding top end speed onto the field in a functional way and is a threat to take it to the house on any touch. For a young back, he displays outstanding vision, reads blocks and bursts through the line to the second level. The game moves slow for him at the prep level. He has the ability to run through contact and shows balance that belies his size. During the summer prior to his senior season, he showcased advanced pass catching skills and could legitimately line up at receiver. — Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout
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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.
RUSTON, La. (KNOE) – Louisiana Tech University’s College of Education and Human Sciences announced it has established a new Center for Literacy and Learning designed to expand evidence-based reading support for children and professional development for educators across North Louisiana.
The university’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership said the launch of the Center for Literacy and Learning at Louisiana Tech, also known as L3, will provide diagnostic assessments, tutoring and workshop opportunities, combining academic research with hands-on clinical practice.
“As literacy rates and reading achievement continue to present challenges across Louisiana and the nation, the Center for Literacy and Learning is rooted in supporting evidence-based instruction, applied research, and community partnerships,” said Dr. Dustin Whitlock, interim department head of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership.
Officials said planning for the center began more than a decade ago as faculty sought to expand literacy services for local schools and the surrounding community, but the effort faced delays due to space and funding challenges.
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University leaders said momentum increased after faculty partnered with the Louisiana Department of Education and literacy experts nationwide to create a professional learning course for Louisiana K-3 educators. The course, “The Science and Art of Teaching Reading,” focuses on structured literacy practices aligned with Science of Reading research. Louisiana Tech said funding connected to the course and the state education department helped make the center possible.
Megan Hunt, a teacher at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, was selected to lead the center. Whitlock said Hunt brings a strong background in foundational literacy instruction and is working toward becoming a certified UFLI coach.
“Mrs. Hunt’s skill and expertise allow her to support both students and educators through high-quality literacy instruction and professional learning,” Whitlock said.
Hunt said the center is aimed at building long-term support for literacy instruction through collaboration with districts, families and community partners.
“Literacy affects all aspects of life and is ultimately how people access opportunity and how communities grow stronger,” Hunt said. “When children become proficient readers, it represents more than just academic progress; it changes the trajectory of their lives.”
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Local school leaders also praised the partnership. Michelle Thrower, K-2 facilitator for Lincoln Parish Schools, said professional development and resources connected to Louisiana Tech have supported literacy growth in the district.
“Our collaboration with Louisiana Tech has been a cornerstone of our success in elevating literacy proficiency across Lincoln Parish Schools,” Thrower said, citing DIBELS growth tied to the UFLI Foundations curriculum in K-2.
Louisiana Tech said the center will operate through three main components:
The Literacy Clinic
The Literacy Institute
The Literacy Resource Center.
The center is expected to provide individualized assessments, targeted intervention services, literacy workshops and educator professional development.
Officials said the components will be developed in phases over the next few years.
For more information, Louisiana Tech said the public can contact Dr. Dustin Whitlock at whitlock@latech.edu.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday that Louisiana was one of the few states chosen for a $134 million rare earth element initiative in a move that would give the U.S. more independence from China, Reuters reports.
ElementUSA has been awarded about $67 million for a rare earth refining facility projected to cost $850 million in St. John the Baptist Parish to ramp up its production of core material for military vehicles, naval ships and aircrafts.
Louisiana’s rare earth element initiatives are aimed at relocating the critical American minerals supply chain for electric vehicles, renewable energy and national defense. The minerals include bauxite residue, which is a waste product from aluminium production. The plant is expected to produce roughly 150-1,000 metric tons of rare earths annually.
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Oklahoma was also chosen to receive grant money for a refining facility in Tulsa.
A Department of Homeland Security watchdog report revealed that staff members at an ICE detention center in Louisiana used a prohibited chokehold to “gain control” of a person being held there and stabbed another in the hand with a pen when an officer could not close the door to a housing unit.
The newly released findings about Winn Correctional Center in central Louisiana follow the DHS inspector general’s review of video of the use-of-force incidents as part of an unannounced facility inspection. The report, which was published on the DHS website, also noted that the officer who stabbed the detainee with a pen was disciplined.
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Staff members failed to maintain safe and sanitary conditions, the report says, noting leaking vents and ceilings with insulation falling through. Staff members used napkins and Styrofoam containers to collect the water from the leaks, according to the report.
Scrutiny of conditions inside ICE detention centers that house more than 60,000 detainees has been growing.
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Earlier Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended his agency’s detention standards on Capitol Hill amid complaints about ICE’s Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. That center has been the site of frequent protests.
Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., accused Mullin of leaving detainees without food or medical care.
Mullin rejected the claims. “You can say all you want, but don’t accuse me of something that’s not accurate,” he said.
The inspector general made nine recommendations, ranging from environmental health and safety standards to proper handling of use-of-force incidents and maintaining food service standards.
ICE is working to address all of the issues, including by providing additional staff training, a spokesperson for the agency said.
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“These minor infractions included failing to provide detainees exercise equipment, record keeping errors and leaking vents. Another infraction included providing a shared computer for legal research that would allow other detainees to see other detainees’ case information,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for DHS said the report shows that the facility complies with detention standards.
“ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” the spokesperson said.
Winn Correctional is one of the largest ICE detention centers in the country, housing more than 1,500 men. It opened in 1990, and ICE took it over from the state in 2019.
The report was produced after an unannounced inspection by the DHS inspector general, whose office recently got an infusion of $20 million and plans to boost its inspections from four to six per year to potentially as many as 40 to 60.
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ICE lists 70% of the 1,500 detainees at Winn as having “No ICE threat level,” meaning they do not have violent criminal histories.
Winn is an hour north of Alexandria, which is one of four hubs for ICE deportation flights around the country.
