Lane Kiffin didn’t just leave Ole Miss for LSU - he hit the ground running, and he’s not slowing down for anyone. The Tigers’ new head coach is already shaking things up in Baton Rouge, and if you ask him, that’s exactly the point.
In the span of just a few weeks, Kiffin pulled off two of the biggest transfer portal wins in the country, landing quarterback Sam Leavitt from Arizona State and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton from Colorado. Both players had visited LSU but left campus without committing - and for most coaches, that’s where the story would end. Not for Lane.
Kiffin took a page out of the NFL free agency playbook. He didn’t wait for a call. He got on a private jet.
He met Leavitt at the Knoxville airport for nearly an hour - not even past security - to make his pitch in person. That same day, he flew to Atlanta to catch Seaton face-to-face after the tackle had left Baton Rouge.
The result? Two top-five transfer commits, according to On3’s industry rankings, both now headed to LSU.
Kiffin explained the method behind the madness on Wednesday: “I’m extremely competitive and I don’t really do well with no,” he said. “So that just makes me more competitive when someone says no.”
That mindset is more than just talk. Leavitt still visited Miami after his airport meeting with Kiffin.
The Hurricanes had a starting job open and were reportedly ready to bring NIL money to the table. But after the visit, Leavitt picked up the phone - and committed to LSU.
Most coaches wait. They delegate.
They let the process play out. Kiffin?
He hunts. He recruits like he’s calling plays - aggressive, unrelenting, and with a clear goal in mind.
That approach helped him land a 40-player transfer class, ranked No. 1 in the nation. It’s a group headlined by Leavitt, Seaton, and former Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen.
Now, let’s be clear - LSU didn’t hand Kiffin a $91 million deal over seven years just to win the offseason. This isn’t about headlines.
It’s about hardware. His contract is structured with bonuses for SEC titles and College Football Playoff runs.
The expectation in Baton Rouge isn’t just to compete - it’s to win, and win big.
Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss - especially mid-playoff push - didn’t sit well with everyone. Some have already labeled him a “supervillain” in the SEC. But for Kiffin, it’s all part of the job.
“Everything that I do is for the place where I coach at. For that school, for those players, and those fans,” he said.
At Ole Miss, Kiffin made a name for himself by doing more with less - 55 wins in Oxford, including three straight 10-win seasons. But LSU isn’t built on overachieving. This is a program that expects rings, not moral victories.
And now, Kiffin has the talent to match the expectations. The flights, the airport meetings, the relentless pursuit - they worked in the portal. The real question is whether that same edge can carry over to Saturdays in the fall.
Because in Baton Rouge, it’s not enough to win the offseason. You’ve got to win it all.