LSU’s bye week is about more than catching its breath. For Lane Kiffin and his staff, it’s also a checkpoint on roster building, portal planning and, yes, keeping the right players in purple and gold.
Kiffin said Sunday that the retention side of the conversation was a “really good” one when asked whether the off week could include work on holding onto key players for 2027. He didn’t dive into specifics, calling that part of the discussion “game plan-ish,” but he made clear the bigger picture matters.
“We do have a young team,” Kiffin said. “I think that when we put together things, just like we did two years ago at Ole Miss with that team, the best thing we can do is find guys with multiple years in the portal of eligibility so then you don't have to re-change your team every year.”
That approach fits the roster LSU has assembled. The Tigers have a sizable group that could still be around in 2027, especially with the NCAA’s 5-for-5 eligibility model giving current fourth-year seniors a chance at a fifth season.
Some departures feel close to certain. Seniors like edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and safety Ty Benefield are likely NFL-bound, while juniors such as tight end Trey’Dez Green and left tackle Jordan Seaton could be tempted by the draft.
But LSU also has a list of younger names it could build around, including running back Dilin Jones, receiver Jackson Harris and quarterback Sam Leavitt. On defense, cornerback DJ Pickett, edge rusher Jordan Ross and defensive tackle Deuce Geralds are part of that same picture.
Even if no one is putting pen to paper for 2027 this week, LSU is already doing the financial homework behind the scenes. General manager Billy Glasscock said on Kiffin’s radio show last week that programs have to think six months down the road, and the calendar keeps moving fast: the transfer portal opens Jan. 2, just over two months away.
“We obviously gotta spend a lot of time with what our current situation is, because our current situation dictates our future situation,” Glasscock said. “So we gotta make decisions based on how players are developing and how we're moving through the organization. And those are daily, but the vision is long-term.”
Glasscock also said the biggest goal is making sure LSU’s money is “on the field.” That means avoiding the trap of spending heavily on freshmen who won’t help right away. The Tigers want a blend of high school recruiting and transfer additions, but not if it leaves them financially stretched or stuck with a roster that’s too green.
“The one thing that the portal and the playoffs did do in college football is it really gives you no grace as a coaching staff and as a general manager,” Glasscock said, “which means nobody at this table wants to hear us say, ‘Hey, man, we're young, we're gonna be good in three years.’ ”
Kiffin likes where LSU stands for the long haul, especially because the roster includes only 15 seniors and 100 players listed as freshmen, sophomores or juniors. He pointed to Ole Miss as the template, where former transfers such as running back Kewan Lacy, receiver Deuce Alexander, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and tight end Caleb Odom have taken on major roles in their second seasons with the Rebels.
That, Kiffin said, is the model LSU should follow if it can keep players like Harris, Jones, Ross and the rest of that young core intact.
“There's a number of guys like that, that’s playing extremely well, that came to us in the portal that can play another year,” Kiffin said. “I just think that's the best way to build your program.”
In the short term, though, the Tigers still have a season to chase. LSU is trying to make good on a rumored $50 million investment in this year’s roster with a push toward a College Football Playoff berth.
The bye week should help on that front too. The most banged-up players get a chance to rest, and the staff gets time to self-scout, clean up weak spots and think through possible role changes. Some coaches might use the open date to hit the recruiting trail, but LSU won’t go overboard there.
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