Preseason buzz around LSU keeps getting louder, and Tuesday brought another round of proof that the expectations are real.
Tight end Trey’Dez Green, safety Ty Benefield and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton all landed on the preseason Associated Press All-America team, giving Lane Kiffin’s first LSU roster three national honors before the season even starts.
Green was the biggest headline of the group. The 6-foot-7 former basketball player was named the first-team preseason All-America tight end as he heads into his junior year with a spotlight that only keeps getting brighter.
His sophomore season had its ups and downs, but the production still showed up: 33 catches, 433 yards and seven touchdowns. Kiffin’s offense is expected to put the ball in his hands more often.
Seaton earned second-team recognition after being a second-team All-Big 12 pick at Colorado as a sophomore. Now the 6-foot-5, 307-pound junior is set to protect Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt’s blindside this season. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projected Seaton as a top 10 NFL draft pick this week.
Benefield, a senior transfer from Boise State, also checked in on the second team. He is viewed as a top five safety prospect in this year’s draft class.
LSU was one of seven SEC schools with more than one preseason All-America selection. Nationally, only five teams had more than LSU’s three honorees, and those programs all landed four: defending national champion Indiana, Big Ten favorite Oregon, Ole Miss, and SEC schools Georgia and Texas.
Ole Miss featured quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy, defensive tackle Will Echols and kicker Lucas Carneiro.
Georgia’s group included offensive lineman Drew Bobo, linebacker Raylen Wilson, and defensive backs KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV.
Texas was represented by edge rusher Colin Simmons, offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, receiver Cam Coleman and linebacker Rasheem Biles.
The preseason AP poll, released Monday, had No. 3 Georgia, No.
5 Texas and No. 9 Ole Miss all inside the top 10.
LSU opened at No. 11.
Kiffin brushed off the early rankings and the preseason attention around his team.
“Now more than ever, it really shouldn't mean anything,” he said of LSU’s No. 11 ranking. "We don't know as coaches … because we barely know our own team, how we'll play.”
He also kept the message simple when talking about the pressure on his players.
“They gotta control what they can control, which is perform really well and not worry about outside noise that comes with it.”
In Other News...
LSU Has An Unexpected Camp Name Fans Need To Watch
Practice has already started sorting out LSUs depth chart in ways recruiting services never could. Lane Kiffin said he is not paying much attention to rankings when he evaluates players, and that approach has put transfer running back Stacy Gage in focus after a strong run of recent practices. The message is pretty clear: what matters in camp is what happens on the field right now, not what a player was labeled coming out of high school.
That same day also brought a fresh wave of practice updates across the roster, with some players working through injuries and others getting back on the field. For LSU, those status changes matter because they can quickly reshape the competition at key spots, especially when a name like Gage is pushing his way into the conversation. The camp battle is still unfolding, but he has already become one of the more interesting players to watch. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Hit A Major Roadblock In The RJ Luis Case
LSUs long-running eligibility question around RJ Luis took another turn this week, with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey filing an affidavit in a Louisiana court backing NCAA rules that bar former professional athletes from returning to college sports. The filing puts the Tigers basketball situation squarely in the middle of a broader fight over how much flexibility the NCAA should allow for players who briefly test the pro waters and then try to come back.
Luis is seeking to play in the 2026-27 season after signing a two-way NBA contract and being waived before the season, and Sankeys argument cuts to the heart of the dispute. He says letting former professionals return would create unfairness for current student-athletes who never left college for a pro path, setting up a case that now feels less like a routine eligibility matter and more like a test of where the line gets drawn. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Has One Late Camp Concern Fans Cant Ignore Before Clemson
Late in fall camp, LSU is still getting a clear look at where the pieces fit, and the conversation out of Day 14 centered on a few players making noise in the right spots. Lane Kiffin said defensive tackle Dominick McKinley has put together a strong stretch, while running back Stacy Gage has started to emerge as another name worth watching. He also singled out quarterback Sam and defensive player Princewill for the work they have shown during practice as the Tigers keep sorting through the final weeks before the opener.
The bigger concern, though, is on the offensive line, where Kiffin pointed to the depth as an issue that still needs attention. For a team heading toward Clemson, that kind of uncertainty up front is hard to ignore, especially this late in camp when coaches usually want answers more than questions. LSU has made progress in several areas, but the line remains the spot fans will keep watching closely until the first real test arrives. [Read more 🡒]