LSU’s new left guard isn’t really new at all. Bo Bordelon has been around long enough to know how hard it is to wait for your shot, and after four seasons of backing up, rotating and staying ready, the fifth-year senior is finally set to step into the starting lineup the old-fashioned way: by earning it.
Bordelon has been on the roster since redshirting as a freshman in 2022, and he has appeared in 39 games with just one start. The Raceland native came to Baton Rouge with a big recruiting profile - he was rated as high as a four-star tackle out of Newman High in New Orleans - but none of that turned into an automatic path to the top of the depth chart.
Not even the LSU family ties helped him skip the line. His father, Ben Bordelon, played offensive line for the Tigers from 1993-1996, earned All-Southeastern Conference second team honors as a senior and later became a major LSU donor who also served on the search committee that hired Lane Kiffin.
Bo Bordelon said he never looked at transferring and instead kept his focus on improving himself every day. When Kiffin and his staff arrived in the offseason, he asked for one thing: a clean start.
“I asked them point blank. I said, ‘Look, all I want is a blank slate and a fresh opportunity,’ a chance to really get re-evaluated and show them what I can do.
Let them not take whatever went on in the past with me, just kind of rebuild anew and have a blank slate. That’s all I really asked for,” Bordelon said after practice on Thursday.
The new staff gave him exactly that. Kiffin, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and the rest of the offensive coaches watched him move into the first-team rotation in the spring, and he has kept that starting spot through fall camp.
“They were very open to that,” Bordelon said of his proposition. “They loved it.
They were like, ‘Well, that’s what we’re going to give you,’ and they didn’t just give me the job. I had to go earn it.”
The move came from backup right tackle behind redshirt sophomore Weston Davis to left guard with the starters in the spring. Bordelon’s rise has been built on repetition, attention to detail and stubborn persistence rather than reputation.
Kiffin said that kind of reset can happen when a new staff walks into a program with fresh eyes.
“It’s really valuable when there is one where a guy really hasn’t played as much as they thought or liked, and we come in with new eyes and a new system and give an opportunity, and they rise to the top,” Kiffin said Thursday. “I really like the story. Obviously, hope he plays really well, and then we use that story for years to come.”
The praise hasn’t stopped with the coaches. Junior left tackle Jordan Seaton called Bordelon one of the hardest-working people he knows and said he fits perfectly on the offensive line. Fifth-year senior center Braelin Moore said he was proud of Bordelon’s fight and growth, while senior linebacker Whit Weeks went so far as to say Bordelon deserves LSU’s coveted No. 18 this season.
The No. 18 jersey is traditionally given to an LSU player who best represents leadership and the ability to push through adversity, including injury.
“It’s been a great experience to be around these guys, and they pushed me to get better, and I think we’re going to have a fun year,” Bordelon said. “It’ll be great playing with these dudes. Like, I can’t wait to get out there on the gridiron with them.”
He also sees the same edge in the coaching staff.
“The new staff is awesome,” he said. “I feel like everybody they brought in is highly motivated.
They want to be the best at whatever they do, whether it’s coaching, strength and conditioning, you can go all around the players as well. I feel like everybody they brought in are just really highly motivated guys who are looking to improve every day.”
Bordelon said he’s fortunate to have three strong voices guiding him up front. Offensive line coach Eric Wolford arrived in Baton Rouge after two seasons at Kentucky and has also coached at South Carolina, Alabama and with the San Francisco 49ers.
Run game specialist and offensive line assistant coach James Cregg followed Kiffin from Ole Miss and brings NFL experience with the 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders, along with a previous stint at LSU that included the Tigers’ 2019 national championship and the Jim Moore Award for college football’s best offensive front. Kiffin also brought in offensive line analyst Na’Shan Goddard, who previously coached the line at West Georgia, played at South Carolina and won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.
“They put a lot of faith in me, which I really appreciated. And they really went all in on me when I started playing well, trying to make me a better player,” Bordelon said.
“They coached me hard, which is expected, and that’s what I want. I don’t want to be babied or whatever.
I want to be pushed, so I think it was great just having a blank slate.”
That slate is no longer empty. Bordelon’s offseason has turned into a real opportunity, and he is expected to open the season as LSU’s starting left guard when No.
11 LSU faces No. 23 Clemson on Sept. 5 in Tiger Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
In Other News...
LSU Has An Unexpected Camp Name Fans Need To Watch
Practice has already started sorting out LSUs depth chart in ways recruiting services never could. Lane Kiffin said he is not paying much attention to rankings when he evaluates players, and that approach has put transfer running back Stacy Gage in focus after a strong run of recent practices. The message is pretty clear: what matters in camp is what happens on the field right now, not what a player was labeled coming out of high school.
That same day also brought a fresh wave of practice updates across the roster, with some players working through injuries and others getting back on the field. For LSU, those status changes matter because they can quickly reshape the competition at key spots, especially when a name like Gage is pushing his way into the conversation. The camp battle is still unfolding, but he has already become one of the more interesting players to watch. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Hit A Major Roadblock In The RJ Luis Case
LSUs long-running eligibility question around RJ Luis took another turn this week, with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey filing an affidavit in a Louisiana court backing NCAA rules that bar former professional athletes from returning to college sports. The filing puts the Tigers basketball situation squarely in the middle of a broader fight over how much flexibility the NCAA should allow for players who briefly test the pro waters and then try to come back.
Luis is seeking to play in the 2026-27 season after signing a two-way NBA contract and being waived before the season, and Sankeys argument cuts to the heart of the dispute. He says letting former professionals return would create unfairness for current student-athletes who never left college for a pro path, setting up a case that now feels less like a routine eligibility matter and more like a test of where the line gets drawn. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Has One Late Camp Concern Fans Cant Ignore Before Clemson
Late in fall camp, LSU is still getting a clear look at where the pieces fit, and the conversation out of Day 14 centered on a few players making noise in the right spots. Lane Kiffin said defensive tackle Dominick McKinley has put together a strong stretch, while running back Stacy Gage has started to emerge as another name worth watching. He also singled out quarterback Sam and defensive player Princewill for the work they have shown during practice as the Tigers keep sorting through the final weeks before the opener.
The bigger concern, though, is on the offensive line, where Kiffin pointed to the depth as an issue that still needs attention. For a team heading toward Clemson, that kind of uncertainty up front is hard to ignore, especially this late in camp when coaches usually want answers more than questions. LSU has made progress in several areas, but the line remains the spot fans will keep watching closely until the first real test arrives. [Read more 🡒]