Lane Kiffin’s first LSU team is being built fast, and almost entirely from the portal.
That’s the big takeaway from this early look at the Tigers, who enter 2026 with a new coach, a new offensive coordinator in Charlie Weis Jr., and five other assistants from Kiffin’s Ole Miss staff. LSU also brought in Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who coached Alabama’s linemen in Nick Saban’s final two teams in 2022 and 2023.
The roster churn is massive. LSU is listed with just three returning starters on offense, three on defense, and a punter. The departures are just as heavy, headlined by CB Mansoor Delane (1st round, Chiefs), leading tackler SAF AJ Haulcy (3rd round, Colts), WR Zavion Thomas (3rd round, Bears), TE Bauer Sharp (6th round, Buccaneers), WR Barion Brown (6th round, Saints), LB Harold Perkins (6th round, Falcons), QB Garrett Nussmeier (7th round, Chiefs), and 4-year starting kicker Damian Ramos (grad).
Other exits include OG DJ Chester, WR Aaron Anderson, SS Jardin Gilbert, backup QB MichaelVan Buren, DE Jack Pyburn, DL Walter Mathis, OT Ory Williams, OT Tyree Adams, and OT Carius Curne.
Still, there’s talent coming back. TE Trey’Dez Green is back after posting 433 yards and seven touchdowns. So are team captain LB Whit Weeks, SS Tamarcus Cooley, CB DJ Pickett, RB Harlem Berry, RB Caden Durham, C Braelin Moore, RT Weston Davis, CB PJ Woodland, LB Davhon Keys, LB West Weeks, and P Grant Chadwick, who averaged 45.7 yards per punt.
The transfer haul is where LSU really changed the look of this roster. The Tigers added QB Sam Leavitt from Arizona State, OL Jordan Seaton from Colorado, S Ty Benefield from Boise State, WR Jayce Brown from Kansas State, LB TJ Dottery from Ole Miss, RB Dilin Jones from Wisconsin, OG Aliou Bah, SAF Faheem Delane from Ohio State, DE Jordan Ross from Tennessee, DL Malik Blocton from Auburn, and possible starting DT Deuce Geralds, a freshman from Suwanee, Ga. Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright is also listed among the newcomers.
One especially notable addition is DL Princewill Umanmielen from Ole Miss, who was tagged as the “Top Key & Peele Transfer Name” after producing 9 sacks and 13 TFL. On the other end of the naming spectrum, DL Achilles Woods from South Alabama earned the “Bad Omen Name” label.
Kiffin also kept four coaches from Brian Kelly’s staff, including defensive coordinator Blake Baker, the safeties coach, the edge rushers coach, and the defensive backs coach. The note attached to that was blunt: Kiffin retained them mostly because Pete Golding and others told him to go pound sand.
The appeal here is obvious. LSU looks fresher, faster, and far less stale than it did late in the Brian Kelly era.
The defensive line, secondary, and linebacker groups should all be solid. The running back room is expected to be better than it was last season.
And Kiffin’s reputation for doing whatever it takes to win is part of the package too, along with a schedule that looks favorable.
But there are real questions. The offensive line is being rebuilt, and some of the options are shaky.
LSU lost its top three wide receivers. All four quarterbacks are new transfers.
Sam Leavitt’s fit is also a question after Jordyn Tyson was not there as his top target, and Leavitt had November foot surgery with limited spring work. Whit Weeks, meanwhile, is coming off a broken ankle from last September.
The broader concern is chemistry. LSU has pulled in a lot of talent through the portal and is still shopping, but hardly anyone on the two-deep was on the team last year.
That can mean unfamiliarity, especially with some players coming from NFL camps. The Tigers plugged holes in plenty of spots, but they also couldn’t keep a lot of their key offensive linemen.
The win total at FanDuel is set at 8.5, and DraftKings has Alabama as a 3.5-point underdog.
As for the schedule, the path is set up to help LSU. Texas A&M, Alabama, and Texas all have to travel to Death Valley, which only helps the Tigers’ chances.
The slate starts with Clemson at home on Sept. 5, followed by Louisiana Tech, a trip to Ole Miss, Texas A&M, McNeese, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Auburn, a bye, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
The projection here gives LSU wins over Clemson, Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, McNeese, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas, with losses at Ole Miss and at home to Texas.
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