LSU heads into its matchup with Texas A&M trying to hold together a roster that has already taken several hard hits.
The most damaging blow came against Ole Miss, where safety Dashawn Spears went down after a teammate rolled up on his leg and tore his ACL. Later in that same game, tight end Trey’Dez Green was helped off as well, and Kiffin said Green should miss only a few games with a knee injury. LSU had already lost defensive starters Gabe Reliford and Aidan Anding before the season even began.
That kind of attrition leaves real stress on a depth chart that wasn’t built for this much turbulence. “The depth is an issue,” Kiffin said at his Monday press conference. “I was way more concerned [than just with Saturday’s loss] about these two significant players … Dashawn and Trey’Dez are extremely unique, and unique in what we use them to do.”
Spears’ absence matters because of how LSU uses him. Though listed as a safety, he usually functions at the star spot, where he can cover ground, support the run and bring pressure as a blitzer.
Sophomore CJ Jimcoily is next up there, but he doesn’t bring the same speed or experience. Against Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Jimcoily was caught with several bad reads that opened the door for chunk plays.
When Spears left in the second quarter, Ty Benefield had to absorb some of those star duties, and he responded with a 20-yard sack on Chambliss while also holding up well against the run.
Now LSU gets another mobile quarterback in Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed, and Reed is a familiar problem for the Tigers. That puts Blake Baker in a tough spot in his first game without Spears, with the defense needing to find a way to contain Reed.
The issues don’t stop on defense. LSU’s offense was already searching for answers in the pass game, and now it will be without one of its key pieces for at least a few weeks. Green’s injury means more snaps for Oregon transfer Zach Grace and Pittsburgh transfer Malachi Thomas at tight end.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt missed Grace wide open at the goal line on third down during LSU’s final drive against Ole Miss, a snap that came right before the game-sealing interception. The timing between Leavitt, Grace, Thomas and the rest of the receiving group has to sharpen quickly.
“Zach’s done a really good job, really improved. Knows his stuff really well, good blocker,” Kiffin said.
“[With] Malachi, it’s been a little up and down, like he would tell you, or if you watched the film. We need him to be more consistent.”
There are still more injury questions hanging over the secondary. Ja’Keem Jackson, LSU’s third cornerback who comes on in dime packages, was questionable as of Thursday night’s SEC availability report. Starting safety Tamarcus Cooley was listed as questionable on Wednesday before being removed from Thursday’s report.
Kiffin has said repeatedly that one reason his 2025 Ole Miss team reached the College Football Playoff semifinals was that it stayed healthy all year. LSU, in his first season, is finding out how much that matters. If the Tigers are going to outdo that team, the injuries need to break their way soon, and the backups have to deliver.
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Joe Burrow helped steady that conversation in an interview, making clear he believes Kiffin can succeed long term at LSU. For a fan base that is already eager to see signs of progress, that kind of endorsement carries weight, even if the on-field results are still catching up to the expectations. [Read more 🡒]
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LSU heads into a top-25 SEC matchup with Texas A&M still searching for its first conference win, and the timing could hardly be more important for a secondary that needs a steadier night. The Tigers are already dealing with season-ending losses to tight end Trey'Dez Green and safety Dashawn Spears, but they did get some encouraging injury news this week as cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson was upgraded to questionable and safety Tamarcus Cooley was listed as active.
That matters because Texas A&M brings a receiving corps that can stress the back end, and LSU's secondary is coming off a performance that left room for plenty of correction. The Tigers do not need a perfect health report to make this one interesting, but getting bodies back into the mix at least gives them a better chance to match up with a passing game that could put real pressure on the defense right away. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Reignited A Loaded LSU Mount Rushmore Debate
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It is the kind of conversation that can go on for hours in Baton Rouge because each pick comes with its own case and its own crowd of supporters. Burrows choices also say plenty about how he sees the programs identity, rewarding not just championships and accolades but the players who helped define LSUs national profile. And as always with a Mount Rushmore discussion, the real intrigue is in who gets left out. [Read more 🡒]