LSU’s fall camp opens Wednesday, and the biggest question around the program is no longer whether Lane Kiffin loaded the roster with enough talent. It’s whether all those new parts can start working together fast enough.
Spring practice showed enough to spark some optimism, but it also underscored how much of this offense is still being built on the fly. Quarterback Sam Leavitt didn’t get many reps with the new system until deep into the summer, and almost everyone catching passes around him is new to the building as well.
That makes this camp about more than polishing details. LSU has to create chemistry quickly, with a new quarterback, a revamped receiver room and a fresh scheme all trying to come together in a matter of weeks.
Leavitt has been cleared and is reportedly ahead of schedule physically, but the real issue hasn’t been his health. The surgery went well, and the rehab has moved along efficiently. The bigger challenge is getting him comfortable in the offense while also syncing him up with a group of receivers that is still learning the same language.
Kiffin added nine wide receivers through the transfer portal, so the pecking order in the passing game may not settle until camp is over. How well Leavitt develops timing with each of them will matter all month.
There is reason to believe the setup can work. Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. helped Ole Miss average 37 points per game and finish with the No. 2 offense nationally in 2025, even with a quarterback who didn’t arrive on campus until after spring practice.
LSU is betting Leavitt can produce something similar in this system.
The backfield gives the offense a different kind of stability. Harlem Berry comes into camp after a breakout freshman season, and he spent spring splitting first-team reps with Caden Durham and Dilin Jones.
That group had to carry some weight early in the spring while the offense worked through mistakes. The passing game eventually started to find its rhythm, but LSU needs that cohesion in the backfield to hold.
The competition there is not going away in August. LSU added transfer depth at running back, giving the room more experience and more options. That should allow Weis to lean on the ground game while the passing attack keeps building confidence and consistency.
The ceiling in Baton Rouge is obvious. LSU built this roster with purpose and landed three of the top four overall transfer portal prospects.
That kind of investment doesn’t happen unless the belief is that the team can win right away.
And that’s the pressure point here. LSU, its fans and its players all want results now, not after a long runway. Fall camp will show whether spring was the start of something real or just a brief glimpse of what might be possible.
If the offense starts rolling early the way it finished spring, LSU can chase just about anything it wants in 2026.
In Other News...
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 🡒]