LSU returns to Tiger Stadium on Saturday with a chance to keep its momentum rolling, and the matchup with McNeese brings a familiar set of names into focus.
The Tigers are 3-1 after shaking off a loss at Ole Miss with a 35-6 win over then-No. 23 Texas A&M.
McNeese comes in at 2-3 after edging East Texas A&M 27-24. It’s the first meeting between the two programs since 2021, and LSU will be leaning on several players who have already shaped the early part of its season.
Dilin Jones has become one of the most important pieces of LSU’s offense, especially when the Tigers are able to dictate terms on the ground. The redshirt sophomore transfer from Wisconsin opened the year with 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against Clemson, then followed that with 106 yards and a touchdown at Ole Miss. He kept making noise against Texas A&M, breaking loose for a 36-yard run on LSU’s opening scoring drive before finishing it himself from a yard out.
That kind of burst matters against a McNeese defense allowing 5.2 yards per rushing attempt, according to the Cowboys’ official statistics. If Jones keeps producing those explosive runs, LSU’s offense could spend plenty of the night on schedule.
Jackson Harris gave the passing game a different kind of punch against Texas A&M. The redshirt junior transfer from Hawaii caught four passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in LSU’s 35-6 win, with scoring grabs of 16 and 57 yards. The longer touchdown stretched LSU’s lead to 21-3 early in the third quarter.
Harris arrived in Baton Rouge after a huge 2025 season at Hawaii, where he was first-team All-Mountain West after hauling in 49 catches for 963 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also led the conference in receiving touchdowns and yards per reception. That sort of big-play profile gives LSU another way to attack a McNeese secondary that has allowed 7.11 yards per pass attempt through five games, according to its official statistics.
On the other side of the ball, Tamarcus Cooley has already delivered some of LSU’s biggest defensive moments. The redshirt junior safety had a sack of Marcel Reed for an 11-yard loss in the third quarter against Texas A&M, then later picked off Reed and returned LSU’s possession to the Aggies’ 19-yard line.
Cooley’s track record stretches beyond that game. He had 72 tackles and two interceptions in his first season at LSU in 2025, and before that he picked off two passes in the Military Bowl against East Carolina while at NC State.
McNeese has thrown for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns through five games, so there will be chances for the Cowboys to challenge LSU through the air. If Jake Strong settles in, Cooley could be one of the defenders asked to shut that down.
Davhon Keys is another linebacker whose role has grown, and Whit Weeks being out gives him an even bigger opportunity. Keys led LSU with 92 tackles in 2025 and enters 2026 with 123 career tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also has five career games with at least 10 tackles.
Against Texas A&M, Keys made one of the game’s key stops with a fourth-down tackle that helped LSU keep control. McNeese has averaged 189.4 rushing yards per game, and Strong added 469 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, so Keys’ ability to sort out plays and finish in space could be a real factor if the Cowboys try to move the ball on the ground or with the quarterback.
Princewill Umanmielen rounds out the list, and he may be the hardest matchup for McNeese to handle. The senior edge rusher came to LSU after a 2025 season at Ole Miss that included nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss, along with third-team All-SEC honors as the Rebels reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Umanmielen has already shown he can change a game from the edge, and that pressure could be especially valuable against McNeese. If he keeps winning his one-on-one battles, LSU’s front could make for a long night for the Cowboys.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has Real QB Intrigue Before McNeese
LSU heads into Saturday nights game against McNeese with more uncertainty at quarterback than anyone expected this week. The Tigers are set for a 6:45 p.m. kickoff in Death Valley, but the main storyline isnt the matchup itself so much as who Lane Kiffin will put behind center after Sam Leavitts recent left hamstring injury opened the door for questions about the depth chart.
Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet have both entered the conversation, and Kiffin still has not made a decision on the starter. McNeese brings its own established signal-caller in Devin Lippold, a third-year quarterback with a steady season to this point, but for LSU the intrigue is all about whether the Tigers can navigate the week cleanly enough to get the right answer before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Quarterback Situation Just Got More Interesting Before McNeese
McNeese will head into its matchup with LSU without third-year quarterback Devin Lippold, who is out with a right wrist injury and will be replaced by Jake Strong. On LSUs side, the quarterback picture is still taking shape as the Tigers prepare for the game, with Sam Leavitt expected to start while working back from a left hamstring injury.
The bigger question for LSU is how much the offense might need to lean on depth behind Leavitt if he is not fully ready to handle his usual workload. Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet are both candidates to see the field, which gives the Tigers a little more insurance but also leaves some uncertainty in a position group that will be closely watched once kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
LSU May Have Found A New Defensive Contributor Fans Should Watch
Jhase Thomas is starting to look like more than just a special teams piece for LSU. The defensive back saw his playing time rise against Texas A&M after spending most of his first season in that familiar off-to-the-side role, and his growth has been building quietly in the background as he settled into college football and worked his way toward a bigger defensive opportunity.
Thomas prepared for the expanded look by studying film and leaning on veteran teammates, while also drawing on the guidance of his father, former NFL defensive back Fred Thomas. For LSU, it is the kind of progression coaches like to see from a young recruit becoming a real contributor, and it gives the defense another name worth tracking as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]