LSU’s trip to Auburn comes with a different kind of warning label now.
When the Tigers meet Saturday in the Battle of the Tigers, it will be the first time the two programs have faced each other since LSU beat Auburn 48-18 in Tiger Stadium on Oct. 14, 2023.
Back then, Auburn was not being viewed as a major problem on LSU’s schedule. That changed in a hurry.
Auburn entered Week 7 sitting alongside LSU in 11th place in the SEC after a 1-2 start, but the Tigers blew up the picture with a 27-24 win over Georgia. Auburn knocked off the SEC’s only remaining unbeaten team on a game-winning field goal after recovering a fumble in the final minute. With that result, the SEC Championship race opened wide, with four teams at one loss and eight teams at two losses.
Now tied with LSU at 2-2 in SEC play, Auburn has several players who can tilt the game. Three names stand out: linebacker Keyshawn Melendez, quarterback Jackson Brown and wide receiver Jaylen Singleton.
Melendez has been all over the field this season. He leads Auburn with 52 total tackles, including 35 solo stops, and he also tops the team in sacks with 4, quarterback hurries with 3 and pass break-ups with 5.
The sophomore has become a bigger factor this year after appearing in all 12 games and making one start in 2025. Against Georgia, he was everywhere, finishing with 9 tackles, a sack and an interception against Gunner Stockton, one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy.
Brown gives Auburn the kind of quarterback LSU has already seen cause problems. He is a threat as a runner and a passer, and Auburn has leaned on him heavily on the ground.
Brown leads the team with 459 rushing yards on 109 carries, nearly double the workload of Auburn’s starting running back, Jeremiah Cobb. Through the air, the fifth-year senior is averaging 200.8 passing yards per game.
In the Georgia win, he put up 150 passing yards and 115 rushing yards, both part of a season-high performance.
Singleton has made his mark after following Golesh to Auburn this season, just as Brown and Melendez did. The senior leads the team with 367 receiving yards and is averaging 11.5 yards per catch, which is 6 yards fewer than his average yards per reception a year ago at USF. He was quieter than usual against Georgia, but still finished with 45 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Those three will be central to Auburn’s chances against No. 18 LSU on Saturday.
In Other News...
LSU's SEC Fight Just Raised A New Problem For Will Wade
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has jumped into LSUs ongoing fight with the SEC, filing a motion that seeks to knock out the conferences federal lawsuit against LSU officials. Murrill dismissed the SECs latest claims as a Hail Mary, a sign that the case, which began with allegations aimed at LSU football officials over recruiting ex-pro athletes, has now widened into a much messier battle for the university.
The expansion into mens basketball only adds to the pressure around Will Wades program, especially with the SEC now pressing beyond the original football-related dispute. Wade has already said he plans to follow conference rules that bar athletes who previously signed professional contracts from being rostered, but the conferences broader approach means LSU is now dealing with a legal fight that could reach deeper into how it handles basketball recruiting, too. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Roster Picture Just Changed With One Big Eligibility Twist
LSUs roster picture got a lot clearer with a wave of eligibility updates that should help settle some of the uncertainty around the mens basketball rotation. Saliou Niang, Brice Dessert, Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent have all been ruled eligible to play, giving the Tigers a stronger sense of what their lineup and depth chart can look like as the season approaches. Niang brings the promise of an athletic upside that has already made him stand out as an NBA draft pick, while Dessert is expected to add help in the frontcourt.
Dent and Clark, who were teammates at UCLA, now look set to be part of LSUs backcourt mix, an encouraging development for a team trying to build continuity in the right places. Even so, not every update was as clean, and one players status came with a less positive note, leaving at least one part of the roster situation still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Should Keep An Eye On Bryce Underwood's Michigan Drama
Bryce Underwoods situation at Michigan has quickly become one of the more closely watched quarterback storylines in the country, and LSU fans have a natural reason to pay attention. The freshman has been benched, with Tommy Carr expected to take over as the starter in the upcoming game, which has only added to the uncertainty around Underwoods place in Ann Arbor and where his career might be headed next.
Underwood has not entered the transfer portal, but the chatter around his future is already building, and LSU is among the programs being mentioned as a possible landing spot if he chooses to move on. Miami, Texas Tech, Georgia and Kentucky are also in the mix, which means this could become a national recruiting and roster watch for the Tigers if the situation keeps trending in this direction. [Read more 🡒]