Controversy hit LSU the second Lane Kiffin walked through the door, and it still hasn’t really let up.
Kiffin left Ole Miss in the middle of a College Football Playoff push to take over the Rebels’ archrival, and plenty of people blasted the timing of the move. Others pushed back, arguing the real problem is the college football calendar itself and the way it creates situations like this in the first place.
That mess is still hanging around in late July, too. Ole Miss is trying to secure buyouts for defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper, both of whom signed NIL extensions with the Rebels before following Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
All of that makes LSU’s 2026 outlook one of the more fascinating storylines in the sport. A lot of people around college football think the Tigers will be better next season, but not enough to put them in the SEC title conversation in Kiffin’s first year.
Josh Pate landed in that same neighborhood. On a recent episode of "Bussin With the Boys" with Taylor Lewan and Will Compton, he called LSU a major wild card heading into 2026.
Part of the uncertainty comes from the kind of roster Kiffin has built before. Teams loaded through the transfer portal always raise the same question: how quickly does it all come together?
That concern has faded some after Indiana won a national championship with a roster full of portal additions, but the challenge still comes down to evaluation and fit. Kiffin didn’t reach Curt Cignetti’s level at Ole Miss, but he did put together four 10-win teams built heavily from portal talent.
"(With) any portal-heavy team, you're always going to ask 'How does this talent mesh together?'" Pate said.
"It feels like that's a little bit of an overused doubting point these days. It's going to work to some degree, I think."
Even when the talent is there, the early weeks can be clunky. Pate pointed to the idea that some teams need time to find their footing, and said LSU may not have that luxury.
"Is this the kind of team that needs a long runway to get up to speed? Because they don't really have it," Pate said.
"They play three losable games in their first four weeks. I count Clemson as a losable game (because) you have no idea what Week 1 could bring."
The other two games he flagged are at Ole Miss and at home against Texas A&M. That trip to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium figures to be a rough one after Kiffin’s exit at the end of November, and LSU will also be trying to bounce back against the Aggies in Death Valley after last season’s total meltdown.
In Other News...
Why The Delane Name Suddenly Matters Again At LSU
A familiar name is back in the LSU defensive backfield, and this time it belongs to a safety with a little college experience already under his belt. Faheem Delane arrived from Ohio State after appearing in 13 games as a backup last season, giving LSU another option in a room that already has established pieces and clear roles entering the year.
The family tie only adds to the intrigue, since Faheem is the younger brother of LSU All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane. For now, the expectation is that he opens the upcoming season behind Ty Benefield, but LSU has a way of turning depth-chart footnotes into meaningful contributors, especially in the secondary. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Just Caught A Huge Break With RJ Luis
A federal ruling out of Colorado could end up giving LSU a notable boost for next season, with Judge Charlotte Sweeney approving an injunction that allows college athletes from the Class of 2022 affected by the NCAAs 5-for-5 eligibility ruling to keep playing while the broader lawsuit moves forward. The decision is especially relevant for forward RJ Luis, who had been in line to lose eligibility under the challenge before this latest court action changed the picture.
For LSU, the timing matters. Luis is now expected to regain eligibility for the Tigers next season, though the NCAA still has to implement the ruling before it fully takes effect. For a program always watching roster flexibility closely, it is the kind of development that can quietly reshape offseason plans while the larger legal fight over eligibility continues. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Brown Is Giving LSU Fans A New Reason To Watch Camp
LSUs summer roster overhaul has been built around the transfer portal, with Lane Kiffin landing what has been billed as the nations highest-ranked portal class in an effort to push the Tigers from a seven-win team into the SEC title race. Princewill Umammielen, Jordan Ross and Malik Blocton headline that group, but as fall camp opens, there is another name drawing attention from people around the program: 2026 defensive tackle Lamar Brown.
Brown arrives with the kind of athleticism and upside that can make a camp worth following even before the pads come fully on, and the expectation is that he will compete for playing time sooner rather than later. Whether he becomes an immediate factor is still to be determined, but his presence adds another layer to a defense that is already trying to absorb a wave of new talent while sorting out how quickly all of it can translate on the field. [Read more 🡒]