If you're looking for a team that just hit the gas pedal on its College Football Playoff ambitions, look no further than LSU. The Tigers didn’t just reload this offseason - they revamped, retooled, and reasserted themselves as a program ready to crash the CFP party in 2026.
Let’s start with the headline: LSU brought in the No. 1-ranked transfer class in the country. That’s not just a nice offseason feather in the cap - it’s a seismic shift in roster construction, and it’s largely thanks to Lane Kiffin, who made waves by leaving a playoff-caliber Ole Miss squad to take the reins in Baton Rouge. And he wasted no time making his presence felt.
Kiffin pulled in three of the top six players available in the transfer portal - and they’re not just depth pieces. These are instant-impact guys, the kind of players who can tilt the field from Day 1.
At the top of that list is quarterback Sam Leavitt, who’s expected to take over as the Tigers’ new starter. He brings a combination of poise, arm talent, and mobility that fits perfectly in Kiffin’s aggressive offensive system.
Protecting Leavitt’s blind side will be Jordan Seaton, a plug-and-play offensive tackle with the kind of frame and footwork that screams “future first-round pick.” Getting a guy like Seaton out of the portal is a coup - he’s the type of lineman who can anchor an offense and neutralize elite edge rushers right away.
And speaking of edge rushers, LSU didn’t just stop at offense. The Tigers added Princewill Umanmielen, who’s coming off a breakout nine-sack season at Ole Miss.
He’s a game-wrecker off the edge with the kind of bend and burst that offensive coordinators lose sleep over. With Umanmielen in the fold, LSU’s defense gets a serious infusion of pass-rushing juice.
But Kiffin didn’t just live in the portal. LSU also locked down a strong high school recruiting class, finishing at No. 12 nationally - and the defensive line haul was elite.
The Tigers signed the top three defensive tackles in the 2026 class, starting with Lamar Brown, the No. 1 overall recruit in the country. Brown is a versatile, disruptive force who can play on either side of the line and dominate.
He’s a rare blend of size, athleticism, and technique, and he’s going to be tough to keep off the field as a freshman.
Joining him are Deuce Geralds, an explosive interior presence with a quick first step, and Richard Anderson, a 345-pound space-eater who can clog up the middle and command double teams. With that trio, LSU is building a foundation in the trenches that could define the defense for years to come.
Put it all together - a top-tier transfer class, a loaded defensive line group, and a head coach who knows how to maximize talent - and LSU is setting itself up to be a serious CFP contender. The Tigers have the pieces. Now it’s about putting them in place and letting Kiffin do what he does best: score points, win games, and make noise on the national stage.
Other teams drawing attention for their roster upgrades and potential CFP breakthroughs include Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, and UNLV. But LSU? They might just be leading the charge.