BOOM! LSU got the kind of August jolt that changes the mood around a program when left-handed pitcher Logan Schmidt announced he is indeed headed to Baton Rouge.
Schmidt was the highest-ranked name in LSU’s 2026 recruiting class, and for a while there, his arrival looked far from certain. He had committed back in August of last year, but the odds of him actually making it to campus seemed slim once the Cleveland Guardians took him in the second round.
In the end, LSU came out on top, and that only adds to what has already been a huge offseason for Jay Johnson’s team. The Tigers have landed seven Top-100 signees who could have turned pro, and they also got back veteran shortstop Steven Milam, who is described as the best shortstop in college baseball.
Schmidt gives LSU a 6-foot-4 southpaw with polished mechanics, a fastball that gets up to 97 mph, and a slider and changeup to go with it. That’s premium stuff, the kind that usually doesn’t end up in college baseball. He could push for a starting job alongside William Schmidt, Casan Evans, Cooper Moore and Landon Hood, or he could become the sort of multi-inning bullpen weapon Jay Johnson likes to keep in reserve.
There was also a practical reason Schmidt’s decision mattered so much. When the Guardians couldn’t meet what he was asking, he briefly considered the JUCO route so he could reenter the draft next year rather than playing in college and waiting until 2029 to be draft-eligible again. Instead, he chose LSU and bet on developing under Johnson and pitching coach Nate Yeskie.
With Schmidt now in the fold, LSU’s roster sits at 40 players.
On the football side, there’s a countdown ticking toward the first game of the Lane Kiffin era, and it’s now exactly five weeks away. Before getting back to the usual position-by-position look at fall camp, there was a bit of offseason activity worth noting.
Reports and social media posts - including a couple from LSU receiver Winnie Watson - said a group of LSU players flew on Gordon McKernan’s plane to Dallas to work out at the Throw It Deep QB Academy. The group included Sam Leavitt, quarterback Landen Clark, Watson, tight end Trey’Dez Green, and receivers Jayce Brown, Jackson Harris, Tre Wilson, Malik Elzy and Malachi Thomas. The players left Thursday and are set to return today.
There was also a significant ruling from a judge on Friday that granted high school athletes from the class of 2022 an additional season of eligibility if they have exhausted four years of eligibility entering the 2026-2027 season. It could have implications for LSU, especially on the basketball side where Will Wade’s roster remains uncertain. NCAA lawyers have already said they will appeal the decision.
Back to football and the offensive line, where a few spots still look very much up for grabs.
Jordan Seaton is locked in at left tackle, and Braelin Moore is the returning center. Maryland transfer Aliou Bah also appears to have a starting guard job in hand. That leaves two of the biggest questions in the room: can Bo Bordelon keep his grip on a starting guard spot, and can Weston Davis hold off challengers at right tackle?
Bordelon ended spring with the first unit at left guard, which was a surprise to a lot of people and a welcome one for the fan base. Devin Harper transferred in from Ole Miss, and that gives the battle a little more juice heading into fall.
Bordelon, a versatile legacy lineman, has played in 42 games. Harper appeared in six games as a freshman for the Rebels last season.
Davis is the other name to watch. Last season was a rough one, and he never really matched the expectations that come with a 5-star label. Still, there was enough fight in the spring to keep hope alive, and he’s going to have to prove it again when camp gets going.
As for the countdown to kickoff, LSU sits 34 days away from its season opener against Clemson, and that number brings back a memorable piece of Tigers history.
In 1988, LSU rolled past Tennessee 34-9 in Knoxville, a game chosen here because the Tigers’ trip to Knoxville this season already feels like a heavyweight test. Tennessee has a revamped defense, and the fan base there has plenty of venom for Lane Kiffin. But even beyond this year’s storyline, Knoxville has never been an easy place for LSU.
Back in 1988, Tennessee finished 5-6 and LSU had never won there before, entering the game with an 0-15-3 mark in Knoxville and a 2-15-3 series deficit overall. That changed behind a Tiger defense led by current athletic director Verge Ausberry, along with Ron Sancho and Eric Hill.
LSU held Tennessee to 199 yards, Tommy Hodson threw three touchdown passes, the running game churned out 257 yards, and the offense finished with 503 total yards. The Tigers never trailed and were up 17-0 at halftime.
LSU dropped its next game against Florida, but finished by winning its final five SEC games to claim a share of the conference title.
Since that 1988 breakthrough, LSU has gone 8-5 in its last 13 games against Tennessee. The Tigers still trail the all-time series 10-20-3, but they’ve won in Knoxville four times now, also doing it in 2006, 2011 and 2017. The last meeting came in 2022, when Tennessee beat LSU 40-13 in Baton Rouge.
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LSU Is Chasing A Transfer Prize It May Need Quickly
LSU is in the market for more firepower next season, and former Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall has emerged as a name to watch. Hall has already made the rounds in college basketball, and after being named to the All-SEC third team last year, he is looking to return to the college game as LSU evaluates transfer options that could make an immediate difference.
What makes Hall especially intriguing for the Tigers is the possibility that he could have another year of eligibility, which would add to his appeal as a proven scorer and rebounder. His camp is sorting through that path while LSU monitors the fit, giving the Tigers a potential boost at a time when frontcourt help could matter quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Devin Harper Gives LSU Another Big Offensive Line Question
LSUs August practices already carried their share of offensive line uncertainty, and Devin Harpers arrival only adds another layer to the mix. The sophomore lineman has gone through a winding path, first committing to LSU, then backing off that pledge and spending his freshman season at Ole Miss before following Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
Harper played in six games for Ole Miss in 2025 and now shows up at LSU as the No. 2 left guard heading into camp, with the kind of versatility that can make him useful in more than one spot. For a group still trying to sort out its best combinations, he is both a potential answer and another reminder that nothing up front is settled yet. [Read more 🡒]
Deuce Geralds Is Giving LSU Fans Real Reason To Watch Him Early
A true freshman defensive tackle already has a real chance to matter for LSU heading into August practices, and Deuce Geralds arrives with the kind of resume that makes that more than just summer hype. The Collins Hill High School product from Suwanee, Georgia, was a highly ranked recruit and one of the nations top defensive tackle prospects, which is why his early placement near the top of the Tigers depth chart is drawing attention before the pads even come on.
Geralds also brings a football background that fits the SEC stage well, coming from a family with college experience and arriving after a high school career that showed he could impact the game on both sides of the line. For LSU, the intrigue is not just that hes a talented newcomer, but that he may be ready to push into a meaningful role almost immediately, giving fans something to track closely as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]