Lane Kiffin walked into Baton Rouge with no shortage of pressure, and he’s not pretending otherwise. After LSU’s first day of fall camp, he made it clear the expectations around this team are exactly what he thought they would be.
“With that comes a lot of expectations to perform really well,” Kiffin said after the first day of fall camp. “I think the expectations are extremely high here, which is okay. I knew that coming in, that matches how I think.”
A big reason for the buzz is the way LSU rebuilt its roster through the transfer portal. Kiffin isn’t treating this group like a finished product, either. He sees what’s in front of him now as the foundation for something bigger.
“I know that as good as we are right now, this is just the beginning,” Kiffin said. “The season after will have a better roster, because if you think about it, we have more time.
I'm not asking for it. I'm saying if we got here and you had to sign a class in a week and then you had a portal class with half your coaches going back and forth from a place, versus now you've been here for a year and know your roster really, really well...
You're just going to be in a better position.”
Right now, the Tigers already have a portal haul that stands out as the best in the country. The headliners include five-star quarterback Sam Leavitt, left tackle Jordan Seaton, and defensive end Princewill Umanmielen.
That kind of talent gives LSU a real chance to hit the ground running, even if it takes a little time for everything to come together. The roster is loaded with experience, and on paper it has the kind of depth that can line up against anyone in the country.
Kiffin’s bigger picture is even more ambitious than what LSU is putting together for this season. He’s building with 2027 and beyond in mind, and he said in his first press conference of fall camp that the players are already buying into the culture.
At first glance, LSU can look like a collection of random stars. Kiffin says there’s a method behind it all, and the results won’t take long to show up. Plenty of people are skeptical about whether he can turn a program into a national championship contender this quickly, but LSU may not give those doubts much time to linger.
In Other News...
LSU Faces A Crucial 5-Star Battle On Two Recruiting Fronts
LSUs recruiting board has two five-star storylines moving at once, and both could matter when the next signing period comes around. Wide receiver Easton Royal, currently committed to Texas, has official visits lined up to LSU, Texas and Florida, giving the Tigers a real chance to make their case in person as his college choice takes shape during the season.
On the other side, LSU is also trying to keep tight end commit Ahmad Hudson from drifting in a crowded recruitment. Hudson has noted that Nebraska remains active in pursuing him, while LSUs contact has not been as steady, a dynamic that adds a little tension to a class the Tigers would like to keep intact. With basketball roster building taking up some attention in Baton Rouge, the margin for error on the recruiting trail feels especially slim. [Read more 🡒]
Former LSU Star Suddenly Enters A Troubling Saints Defensive Situation
The Saints have been active in trying to steady a defense that has been dealing with recent roster movement and injuries, and they turned to a familiar face with Louisiana ties in linebacker Deion Jones. A former LSU standout and once a Pro Bowler with the Falcons, Jones now lands in New Orleans after a career that has already taken him through every team in the NFC South.
For LSU fans, the path back to the division is a noteworthy one, especially with Jones still carrying the reputation he built in Baton Rouge before becoming one of the more recognizable defenders in the league. His arrival comes as the Saints sort through an unsettled stretch on defense, with the kind of depth concerns that can quickly change a teams plans in midseason. [Read more 🡒]