LSU is making a push to bring Dave Aranda back to Baton Rouge, and the move would add a familiar defensive mind to the program at a key point in the season.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Tigers are working to add Aranda in an analyst-type role, and he is currently in Baton Rouge. Zenitz reported that Aranda appears interested in the position.
Aranda already knows LSU well. He served as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator from 2016-19, and in 2019 he helped anchor one of the best college football teams of all time. That LSU team drew most of its headlines because of Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase on offense, but Aranda’s defense played a major supporting role in the run.
That success helped launch Aranda into the Baylor job in 2020. After the shortened COVID season, he guided the Bears to a 12-2 record in 2021, won the Big 12 Championship and beat No.
8 Ole Miss 21-7 in the Sugar Bowl. The stretch that followed was far less stable, though, as Aranda finished above .500 only once in the next four years before being fired in the middle of the 2026 campaign.
The timing comes as LSU has found its footing entering its Week 9 bye. The Tigers beat Mississippi State and Auburn by a combined 69-17, looking much closer to the team that opened the season by throttling Clemson.
With momentum building, LSU is trying to position itself for a College Football Playoff and championship run. The Tigers’ next test is Alabama on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Whit Weeks Gives LSU Fans Real Hope Entering Alabama Week
The latest SEC injury report offered LSU a small but meaningful bit of optimism heading into Alabama week, with linebacker Whit Weeks moving to doubtful. It is not a clean bill of health, but it does suggest progress for a defense that will need every available piece when the Tigers line up for one of the leagues biggest games.
The report also painted the broader picture for both sides, with several players from LSU and Alabama listed as out, doubtful or questionable. For LSU, Weeks status is the one to watch, because even an uncertain return would matter in a matchup where depth, communication and physicality tend to decide as much as talent does. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Eyes Familiar Coaching Addition With Alabama Stakes Rising
LSU is moving toward a familiar addition on the coaching side, with former Baylor head coach Dave Aranda reportedly set to join Lane Kiffins staff as an analyst. Aranda is no stranger to Baton Rouge, having previously served as LSUs defensive coordinator from 2016 to 2019, and his return would bring an experienced defensive voice back into the building at a time when the Tigers are looking to sharpen every edge.
Aranda was fired by Baylor earlier this season, and he is already in Baton Rouge as LSU works to finalize the hire. For a program that knows what he brought the last time around, the appeal is obvious, even if the exact role is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Injury Crisis Is About To Test Its Depth Against Alabama
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Several other Tigers are still carrying questionable or out statuses into the next stretch, and the strain is showing up where depth matters most, at linebacker and along the defensive line. For a team heading into one of its toughest tests, the injury situation has turned into more than a weekly inconvenience. It is becoming a real measure of whether LSU can stay competitive while leaning on players who have had to be ready sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]