Lane Kiffin isn’t treating Alabama like just another SEC test. Ahead of LSU’s matchup with the Crimson Tide, the Ole Miss head coach said Alabama has been the toughest defensive opponent the Tigers have seen all season.
LSU has already worked through a demanding slate, facing three ranked teams in Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Tigers also played then-unranked Kentucky, which has since climbed to No. 6 in the AP Top 25. Even with that résumé, Kiffin said Alabama will be the most difficult challenge yet.
That starts with a defense giving up just 21.2 points per game, a mark that ranks 44th nationally and sits behind No. 16 LSU.
Safety Bray Hubbard is one of the anchors on that side of the ball. The AP named him a third-team All-American for the 2025 season, and he chose to pass on the chance to turn pro and return for a fourth season with the Tide. Through eight games, Hubbard has 42 total tackles, including 19 solo stops.
Linebacker Caleb Woodson has been just as important in the 2026 season. He has piled up 63 total tackles in eight games, with a team-high 29 solo tackles.
Alabama also gets production from linebacker Luke Metz and defensive lineman Devon Thompkins. Metz is second on the team with five quarterback hurries and has added 57 total tackles, including 20 solo tackles. Thompkins, listed at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, has 31 total tackles, with 13 solo tackles.
Kiffin also made it clear that Alabama’s offense demands attention too.
"Our offense against their defense, I think they’ve got really good defensive linemen, and they’re really smart players," Kiffin said. "This defense doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and they play really well together. They’re coached really well."
The Crimson Tide are averaging 38.2 points per game, which ranks 12th in the nation behind No. 9 LSU.
Kiffin pointed to quarterback Keelon Russell as a major problem for opposing defenses, even with top wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams dealing with injury. Coleman-Williams had surgery on Oct. 17 to repair a small tear in his meniscus and is currently listed as questionable. He is likely to play, though his role could be limited.
"They’ve got really great players on offense. Really explosive, great speed at receiver.
The quarterback has played awesome this year and is a problem because he can run the ball, take off and scramble, and he’s an elite thrower. Really accurate."
"I think Ryan obviously adds an explosion to them, but I think they’re really good regardless," Kiffin said. "They ran into two great defenses and didn’t have great numbers those days. But these guys are really good, really well coached, with really good schemes that have produced a lot of plays and a lot of big games over the years on offense."
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