The SEC’s first weekly football honors of the 2026 season landed squarely on LSU after the Tigers’ lopsided win, with three players from the program earning recognition.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and defensive end Jordan Ross took home Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Week honors, respectively. Leavitt shared his award with Ole Miss wide receiver Deuce Alexander.
Leavitt’s debut was loaded with production. He accounted for three total touchdowns - two on the ground and one through the air - while also leading the game in passing with 230 yards.
He tied for LSU’s rushing lead as well, adding 113 yards on the ground. Behind him, the Tigers piled up a school-record 38 first downs against Clemson, and the work up front was a major part of that success.
Seaton, the transfer from Colorado, made his own first impression in Baton Rouge. LSU put up 51 points in the season opener, and Seaton helped keep the offense moving without drawing a penalty or allowing a sack in his debut.
Ross delivered the kind of defensive spark that can swing a game in a hurry. The junior was involved in one of Saturday’s biggest moments when he picked off a pass in the first quarter and took it back 30 yards for a touchdown. He finished with four tackles, including a sack, and added a QB hurry in Blake Baker’s defense.
LSU was effective in every phase in Week 1, and the Tigers now have three SEC weekly awards to show for it.
In Other News...
LSUs Ex-Pro Fight Just Ran Into A Bigger Roster Problem
LSUs roster picture got a lot tighter this week after the Tigers added injured players Aidan Anding and Gabriel Reliford to the official list, bringing the program to the NCAA limit of 105. For a team already juggling roster management and outside scrutiny, the move matters because it leaves no immediate room to add former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, even as the program continues sorting through the broader mess.
The situation has also spilled well beyond the depth chart. The SEC has threatened penalties and even a vote to expel LSU over its efforts to bring in the ex-professionals, while legal action involving LSU officials and the conference is still moving forward. Lane Kiffin has publicly backed the idea of signing Wright and Harris, saying he believed both were deserving of fifth seasons, but for now the Tigers are stuck with a roster logjam and no clear answer on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A Roster Decision Fans Never Expected Under SEC Pressure
LSUs roster crunch got a lot more complicated after the Tigers added Gabriel Reliford and Aidan Anding to their 105-player roster, a move that quickly closed the door on two former NFL contract signees, DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris. The decision comes in the middle of a broader fight that has put the program in an uncomfortable spotlight, with the SEC taking a hard line on athletes who previously signed professional contracts and LSU pushing back on that interpretation.
The timing matters because this is not just a depth-chart issue, but a conference-level dispute that already escalated into an amended lawsuit threatening LSUs standing in the SEC. For now, the Tigers have chosen to move forward with two non-former professional players instead of opening those spots to Wright and Harris, leaving the bigger question unresolved as the legal and conference pressure continues to build. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces Mounting SEC Pressure In Fight That Could Force A Response
LSUs roster decision has turned into a broader SEC headache, with the conference now pressing the school over a move that brought former NFL players back into college football. Tony Clayton, who represents DaeQuan Wright and Zxavaian Harris, publicly took aim at commissioner Greg Sankey after LSU declined to roster his clients and instead added two injured players, a sequence that has only added fuel to an already tangled dispute.
The conference has threatened to expel LSU for violating bylaws that bar former professional players from returning to college, and the matter has spilled into federal court with the SEC, NCAA and LSU all caught in the legal crosscurrents. Lane Kiffin has denied orchestrating the players return, but he has backed them legally, leaving LSU in the middle of a fight that is no longer just about a depth chart and could end up forcing a response from the conference office. [Read more 🡒]