In Bayou, followers are great, but the rings matter more. And Justin Jefferson just made that clear.

The NFL star just blind-ranked 5 LSU icons, and the results were shocking to many. Because the Bayou Barbie topped LSU’s highest-paid athlete.

In an interview with Brad Parker on February 6, Jefferson ranked himself alongside Joe Burrow, Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Livvy Dunne. Despite being the top female NIL earner in the U.S, Dunne fell short of Reese.

“Definitely and icon, but I don’t know what’s coming next, so I’m gonna put her at four”, Jefferson said before ranking Dunne. And when it was Reese’s turn, his reply was, “She’s another icon. Just off of her influence, Imma say three.”

Now, let’s look at the numbers. Dunne’s combined social media followers nearly exceed 13M as of early January. She led the Tigers to their first-ever NCAA women's gymnastics national title in 2024 in her 5 years of tenure.

Reese’s social media influence might fall short of Dunne's. But she has the NCAA single-season double-double and other SEC records under her belt. Reese also led the Tigers to their first NCAA women’s basketball championship in her two-season tenure.

And while the college days remain glorious, there is more about Reese in 2026.

The “Rose Dust” Launch Event in Sydney

Reese is expanding her brand beyond WNBA, Unrivaled and Netflix. And this time, it was WNBL. She reached Sydney for a Reebok AR1 Rose Dust launch event as part of her ongoing promotional tour for her signature shoe line.

This event also announced that Reebok will be the Official Footwear Partner for the WNBL27 season. The visit was concluded by Reese posing for photos with WNBL CEO Jennie Sager and Brand Collective CEO David Thomas.

While both Dunne and Reese have been dominating presences for LSU, the Bayou Barbie is doing a lot more than that. And as her brand keeps on growing, it’s only natural to call her a bigger icon.

So, do you agree with Jefferson’s ranking? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu