LSU is set up to be one of the most closely watched teams in college football in 2026, and Joel Klatt says the reason is simple: nobody really knows which direction this thing is about to go under Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin arrives in Baton Rouge with the expectation that he can drag the Tigers back toward the level of dominance they once enjoyed. LSU had a strong stretch through the 2000s and 2010s, but in recent years the program has drifted into the background in the SEC.
Brian Kelly helped pull LSU back to respectability after two rough seasons. Over four years, he delivered two 10-win campaigns and one nine-win season. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep the Tigers in the College Football Playoff conversation, and that ended his run.
Now the job belongs to Kiffin after his six-year stay at Ole Miss. He went 55-19 with the Rebels and guided them to the first College Football Playoff appearance in school history last year. Even with that success, he moved on to a new challenge once the regular season ended.
The 2026 outlook in Baton Rouge is all over the place. LSU brought in the top-ranked transfer portal class, but there’s still a major question hanging over the roster: how far can a team that went 7-6 last season and added 41 new players through the portal really go?
That uncertainty is exactly why Klatt called the Tigers the biggest wild card in the sport on “The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast.”
"Now, I get into the biggest wild card in the country," Klatt said. "Who is the biggest wild card in the country?
This team could go all the way up into the top three. This team could fall outside of the top 25.
I have no idea. I'm putting them at eight.
I think it's going to go well, but guys, we don't know. LSU.
We're just on the Lane Kiffin express, everyone."
Klatt’s ranking reflects the tug-of-war around LSU right now. The ceiling is obvious enough: if the new pieces fit fast, the Tigers have the talent to jump straight into SEC contention and maybe even climb into the national title picture.
But the floor is just as visible. If the roster doesn’t come together, another season hovering near .500 would raise immediate questions about whether the overhaul actually worked.
For now, Klatt is leaning into the upside and slotting LSU at No. 8 in his preseason ranking. Even so, his bigger point is that the Tigers come with more volatility than almost anyone else. That alone makes them one of the most compelling teams to track in 2026.
In Other News...
LSU Inherits A Quarterback Storyline Lane Kiffin No Longer Controls
Trinidad Chambliss arrived at Ole Miss as one of the more interesting quarterback additions in the SEC, a spring 2025 transfer from Division II Ferris State who quickly turned himself into a real storyline. His rise has already drawn plenty of attention, but not everyone around the league views it as simply a product of Lane Kiffins system. One anonymous SEC coach pointed to Chamblisss natural talent and playmaking ability as the bigger reason for his success, a reminder that the quarterback himself has done more than just benefit from the right play sheet.
That angle matters even more now that Kiffin has left Ole Miss for LSU, where the Rebels new offensive playcaller will be John David Baker. For LSU, the move created an unexpected subplot to keep an eye on, because Chambliss is no longer tied to the coach many people associated with his rise. The question hanging over the next chapter is whether his production travels with him when the architect of the old offense is gone and the new one takes over. [Read more 🡒]
LSU No. 25 Connects Rising Talent With A Tigers Legacy
LSUs No. 25 has become a small but interesting bridge between the present and the programs past, with two current Tigers carrying the number for very different reasons. Running back Rod Gainey Jr. is still early in his college career and sits behind the depth chart for now, while safety Aiden Hall arrives with plenty of buzz as a highly rated recruit from New Orleans, giving the number a mix of developmental promise and homegrown prestige.
The jersey also ties back to a name that still resonates around Baton Rouge: YA Tittle, who wore 25 during his LSU days from 1944 to 1947 before going on to a Hall of Fame NFL career. For a program that leans heavily on tradition, having a number shared by a backup back and a prized defender gives LSU another reminder of how its current roster keeps brushing up against the schools history. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces An Early Receiver Concern As Clemson Prep Intensifies
LSU moved into its sixth fall-camp practice with the first full-pads session Wednesday, a useful checkpoint as the Tigers keep sharpening things for the season opener against Clemson. The wide receiver group is already getting a close look, and junior Malik Elzy has been a steady target as LSU works through its early camp rhythm. Elsewhere, injured players Gabriel Reliford and Aidan Anding were seen on stationary bikes, while freshman Jaiden Braker has been adjusting to a new home on the defensive side of the ball after switching from linebacker to defensive end.
The more immediate concern is at receiver, where Winston Watkins Jr. was absent again for a second straight practice. LSU does not have much time to let any camp absence linger with Clemson looming, so every rep matters now, especially as the Tigers try to sort out who is ready to handle the load when the opener arrives. Watkins availability will be worth watching as camp intensity rises and the depth chart starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]