Lane Kiffin isn’t leaving his quarterback room to chance.
That much was clear when he added Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss even with Austin Simmons lined up as his starter, and then brought in Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet to LSU despite already having Sam Leavitt. To some, that might look like overkill. Kiffin sees it as insurance.
On The Brandon Walker College Football Show, Kiffin laid out the thinking behind that roster construction. He said he always makes room for more than one quarterback when he builds out a team, and he pointed to a painful example of what happens when a roster is too dependent on one guy.
“We always go pay a second quarterback,” Lane Kiffin said. “When Oklahoma was a really, really good team… they lose [Dillon Gabriel] and they lose 50-0 against Texas… we’ve got three really good ones on our roster here because of that.
You can’t just put everything into one quarterback. You really wasted your whole team… when that guy gets hurt.”
Gabriel’s injury before the 2022 Oklahoma-Texas game clearly stuck with Kiffin. After two strong seasons at UCF and a third that was shortened by injury, Gabriel arrived at Oklahoma in 2022 under Brent Venables. He missed one complete game and part of another that season, and the Sooners’ offense never looked right without him.
Oklahoma finished 3-4 over the rest of the year after Gabriel returned, and every one of those losses came by three points.
Kiffin hasn’t had to navigate that kind of quarterback disruption in 2026, and he’d clearly prefer to keep it that way. With Sam Leavitt playing at a high level lately, that depth planning suddenly looks less like paranoia and more like a philosophy.
LSU hosts Alabama in a potential College Football Playoff elimination game on Nov. 7.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has A Live R.J. Luis Roster Decision
R.J. Luis has suddenly become a live roster issue for LSU, turning what looked like a straightforward eligibility matter into a legal fight with real stakes for the Tigers. The former St. Johns standout signed two NBA contracts in 2025, and LSU coach Will Wade has already said the program will not roster him because of SEC rules that bar players with professional contracts from returning to college play.
Luis and his lawyers have taken the dispute to court, filing suit against the NCAA, LSU and the SEC. A judge has temporarily allowed him to play for now, but the case is far from settled, with a hearing set for Nov. 13, 2026, and LSU still waiting for a final answer on whether one of its most notable additions can actually suit up. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Starting To Look Like The SEC Team Nobody Wants
LSUs latest stretch has helped turn the Tigers into one of the most difficult matchups in the SEC, and even former Georgia defender and current analyst David Pollack has taken notice. What stands out most is how complete the group has looked: the offense has found a balanced identity, the passing game has been productive, and the run defense has been stout enough to keep opponents from dictating terms. With players like Jackson Harris and Trey'Dez Green adding to that formula, LSU has put together a profile that looks a lot more threatening than just another good conference team.
At 6-2, the Tigers have positioned themselves in the playoff conversation, but the next run of games will say plenty about whether that buzz is real. Alabama, Texas and Tennessee are all still ahead, and the path to the College Football Playoff is likely to be decided in that kind of company. For LSU, the question is no longer whether it has talent or balance, but whether it can keep that edge when the schedule turns against ranked opponents. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Hate What Happened To This Alabama Showdown
The SEC has locked in LSUs Nov. 7 game against Alabama for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC, a choice that immediately changed the feel of one of the leagues biggest rivalry weekends. It will be the first afternoon meeting between the programs in Baton Rouge since 2010, a notable shift for a series that so often feels bigger and louder under the lights.
There is also a longer-term sting for LSU fans beyond the start time. This will be the final annual meeting before the SECs revised scheduling rotation breaks up the rivalry, and the two teams will not meet again in Baton Rouge until at least 2030. For a fan base that prefers the atmosphere of a night game against Alabama, the afternoon slot only adds to the frustration around a matchup that already carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]