Good morning, Tiger Fans,
The buzz around LSU baseball’s newest portal addition, former Oregon outfielder Angel Laya, is easy to understand. The roster looks better in the field and at the plate, but there’s still a spot that feels unfinished: pitching. Landing Gonzaga’s Landon Hood was a big move, and right-handers Kaden Smith of South Florida and Diego Velazquez of USC are both interesting adds, but LSU could still use another experienced starter - ideally a left-hander.
Michigan’s Shane Binham would have fit that description, but he came off the board yesterday when he committed to Vanderbilt. Jay Johnson is likely still working on other options, including several draft-eligible players who could still choose college over signing. For now, LSU waits with a roster that already looks much stronger defensively and offensively.
With football season getting closer, it’s time to keep moving through the players you shouldn’t sleep on.
DON’T SLEEP ON THESE TIGERS
Part 4
PK Scott Starzyk
Kickers don’t often make this kind of list, but Scott Starzyk absolutely belongs on it. The sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas, arrives at LSU after a strong true freshman season at Arkansas, where he was the SEC’s top freshman kicker. He made 14 of 18 field goals and was perfect on all 47 extra points, finishing as the Razorbacks’ leading scorer with 89 points.
He was flawless inside 40 yards, going 9-for-9, and also drilled two kicks from beyond 50 yards. One of them was a 53-yarder in his college debut, the longest by a freshman in Arkansas history.
Starzyk goes into fall camp as the clear favorite to win the job. If he brings anything close to that freshman production, LSU could have one of the SEC’s best kickers. Don’t sleep on the kicker.
S Faheem Delane
The Delane name already carries weight in Baton Rouge. Mansoor Delane was one of the best defensive backs in college football in 2025, earned unanimous All-American honors, and is headed to the NFL Draft as a projected first-round pick. Now his younger brother Faheem is in LSU’s secondary after transferring from Ohio State.
As a true freshman, Faheem played in 13 games for the Buckeyes and finished with 12 tackles. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound safety from Olney, Maryland, was a top-75 national recruit in 2025 and had LSU near the top of his list before choosing Ohio State. He left after the Buckeyes added two veteran safeties through the portal, opening the door for more playing time elsewhere.
Faheem has three years of eligibility left, so this is about more than just 2026. The safety room is crowded, but his size and recruiting pedigree give him a real chance to earn a rotational role this fall.
COUNTDOWN TO GAME DAY: 62 DAYS
With 62 days to go until LSU opens the Lane Kiffin era against Clemson on Sept. 5, it’s a good time to look back at one of the more lopsided numbers in the rivalry history with Tulane: 62-0.
LSU beat Tulane by that score three different times, and for older fans, those games still mean something. Tulane, along with Ole Miss, was once one of LSU’s biggest rivals, and those blowouts remain part of the program’s memory.
The first 62-0 win came in 1958, the same season LSU won its first national championship. The Tigers were only ahead 6-0 at halftime before pouring in 56 points after the break.
Tulane would take the same beating again in 1961 and 1965.
One of the more memorable details from the 1965 game came late, after LSU had already scored to make it 60-0. Coach Mac held up one finger, signaling for the extra point, even as the crowd and the team wanted to “go for two.”
But when quarterback Pat Screen and the Tigers broke the huddle, they were not in kicking formation. LSU instead drove the ball into the end zone for two points, finishing off the third 62-0 win over the Greenies in eight years.
In Other News...
LSU Just Won Another Recruiting Battle Fans Will Love
LSU added another notable piece to its 2027 recruiting board with a defensive back who gives the Tigers more length and flexibility in the secondary. Greedy James, a four-star prospect from Manvel, Texas, had been committed to Texas since December, but LSU has now pulled him into a class that already includes 15 pledges and sits No. 11 nationally in On3s rankings.
For LSU, the appeal goes beyond simply winning a head-to-head battle. James is expected to fit at either safety or cornerback, which gives the staff options as it keeps building out the class, and the Tigers are not done working the Texas pipeline yet. Another Texas-committed prospect remains on LSUs radar, a sign the staff is still pressing for more movement as the 2027 group takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Recruiting Momentum Suddenly Feels Fragile After One Huge Flip
LSUs recruiting push under Lane Kiffin has had the kind of jolt that can change the mood around a class in a hurry, with Greedy James flipping from Texas and giving the Tigers a fresh talking point. The staff is clearly not stopping there, either, as it keeps working a board that includes highly regarded safety Anding, along with Texas Tech commits Jalen Brewster and Anthony Sweeney, as LSU tries to turn one momentum swing into a broader run.
The challenge is that the same recruiting market that can lift a class can also make it feel slippery from one day to the next. LSU has also extended an offer to Mississippi State commit Julian McDonald, a 6-foot-1 cornerback who has drawn enough attention to be viewed as another possible flip, and the Tigers are trying to keep pressure on several fronts at once. For a program trying to build under a new coach, the next few decisions could say a lot about whether this surge is the start of something bigger or just a brief spike. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Are Still Waiting On Clarity In One Huge Recruitment
LSUs roster-building pace has kept picking up in different corners, with baseball adding another proven bat in former Oregon outfielder Angel Laya and football continuing to sort out its depth chart before fall camp. Laya arrives after drawing interest from multiple major programs, giving LSU another transfer portal piece to lean on as the baseball staff keeps shaping next years lineup.
On the football side, the attention is still on the offensive line, where Bo Bordelon and Aliou Bah are among the names expected to matter most when camp opens. Bordelon has been pushing toward a starting left guard role after years of limited snaps, while Bah brings a steadier track record and the kind of experience LSU wants up front as the Tigers try to settle the interior before the season gets serious. [Read more 🡒]