LSU is heading into fall camp with a ranking that says plenty about where the program stands before a single snap is played. The Tigers landed at No. 13 in the preseason coaches poll, putting them in a spot that suggests national respect, real talent and plenty still to prove.
That number matters even more because LSU is one of only three teams ranked that high that did not make the College Football Playoff last season. Texas and Notre Dame are the others, and both are sitting inside the top five. For LSU, the placement puts the Tigers right on the edge of the playoff conversation before the season even begins.
It also marks a notable shift from last year’s 7-6 finish, when the offense struggled to push the ball downfield. This time, the ranking reflects a roster that coaches clearly view as different from the one that stumbled through 2025. In the coaches’ poll, not the AP poll, LSU’s talent is being recognized by the people who will have to game-plan against it.
The No. 13 spot is familiar territory for LSU. Since 2013, the Tigers have been ranked No. 12 or No. 13 in the preseason coaches poll six times, including three straight years at No. 13 from 2013 through 2015. Those teams mostly failed to live up to the billing and didn’t reach a New Year’s Six bowl, which now sits inside the playoff structure.
A lot of those disappointments came back to the same issues: not enough production on the ground in big games and shaky quarterback play. LSU believes both problems have been addressed heading into the 2026 season, though that still has to show up once the games start.
The backfield will be one of the first places to watch. Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones broke out in the spring and is expected to share first-team reps with Harlem Berry and Caden Durham. That group, along with the rest of the running backs, figures to be one of the biggest storylines once camp gets rolling.
At quarterback, LSU brought in Sam Leavitt from Arizona State to help push the Tigers back toward a national title run. He arrives with playoff experience after helping lead the Sun Devils to the 2024 playoff following a Big 12 championship.
So LSU opens the season with the kind of ranking that keeps the spotlight bright. No. 13 is good enough to matter, close enough to the playoff line to stir the conversation, and just high enough to make the expectations unmistakable.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffins First LSU Practice Already Sent A Clear Message
Lane Kiffin wasted little time putting his stamp on LSUs first preseason practice, and the early read was encouraging. The Tigers opened camp with what was described as a healthy roster, a useful start for a new coach trying to establish rhythm and urgency without first fighting through a pile of injuries. It also gave the staff a cleaner look at a group that can spend August focused on football instead of rehab.
Sam Leavitt was part of that positive opening as he continued working back from foot surgery, while D.J. Pickett also had a small but telling change of his own. Pickett moved from No. 3 to No. 5, a nod to the kind of recruitment promise LSU made and kept along the way. For a first practice, those details matter because they hint at a program trying to balance momentum, trust and the little things that shape a camp. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fall Camp Is Starting To Reveal Which Young Tigers Matter
Fall camp has a way of sorting out the newcomers quickly, and LSU is already getting a better sense of which young players can force their way into the conversation. With a lot of new faces and coaches adjusting on both sides of the ball, the Tigers are still in the early stages of figuring out roles, but a few names are beginning to stand out. Freshman wide receiver Barber drew positive attention during summer practices, while cornerback PJ Woodland is being viewed as someone who could matter on defense right away.
On the other side of the ball, tight end Thomas is also trying to make his case as the depth chart takes shape. He is working to earn playing time while building chemistry with LSU quarterbacks, which is the kind of camp task that can end up mattering just as much as the flashier moments. For a team that is still blending a lot of new pieces, these early reps are starting to show which young Tigers can help sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs First Defensive Look Created A Camp Battle Fans Will Watch
The first defensive look of LSUs 2026 preseason camp already put a couple of familiar spots under the microscope, and it came on a day when the Tigers were sorting out who fits where in the early pecking order. Freshman Jhase Thomas worked with the first-team safeties alongside Ty Benefield, while head coach Lane Kiffin talked up the competition and rotation that always come with the opening stretch of camp.
The defensive line picture brought another wrinkle, with freshman Deuce Geralds getting first-unit reps at tackle as LSU kept mixing and matching bodies up front. For a team trying to settle on dependable pieces before the season starts, those early choices matter, and the next few practices should say plenty about whether the newcomers are simply getting a look or forcing their way into real roles. [Read more 🡒]