The bye week gives LSU a clean pause, and it also offers a good window to sort through who has carried the load so far this season. With three straight Top-20 opponents waiting on the other side, the Tigers will need the break - but they also head into it with some real evidence that they can hang.
Using Pro Football Focus’s 0 to 100 grading system, the top names on LSU’s roster have been easy to spot.
Sam Leavitt sits at the top with a 91.0 grade, and his season has been every bit as unusual as it has been productive. He leads the conference with eight interceptions, yet he also tops the SEC with 2,173 passing yards and shares the league lead with 17 touchdown passes.
His 70.31% completion rate ranks third in the SEC. The turnover count has been costly at times, but Leavitt has also shown enough talent to keep LSU in any game.
Even better for the Tigers, he hasn’t been charged with an official turnover in either of the last two games.
On the defensive side, Tamarcus Cooley has been one of the most reliable pieces on the roster with an 87.2 grade. He may not get the same buzz as players like DJ Pickett or Ty Benefield, but he has put together a strong season.
Opposing quarterbacks have managed only a 30.5 NFL passer rating against him, with 12 completions allowed on 22 targets and two interceptions. He has moved all over the defense and has held up wherever LSU has asked him to line up.
Jordan Ross has been just as important. The edge defender owns an 86.0 grade and is tied with teammate Princewill Umanmielen for the SEC lead in pressures with 29.
The former five-star recruit did not live up to expectations in his first two years, though he never really had a great opportunity with the Tennessee Volunteers. This season, he has settled in as a major force for LSU and looks like a strong fit in Blake Baker’s defense.
The biggest rise on offense may belong to Jackson Harris, who checks in at 85.8. After Trey'Dez Green went down earlier in the year, Harris became much more than a complementary option.
The Hawai'i transfer was mostly quiet outside a couple of splash plays through the first three weeks, but since Week 4 he has averaged 6.2 catches, 103.4 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. He is LSU’s top wide receiver right now and has played like a true highlight-reel threat.
At his current pace, he should finish with more than 1,000 receiving yards.
A cluster of other Tigers have also landed above the 80.0 mark. TJ Dottery is at 85.6, Dominick McKinley at 85.1, Husan Longstreet at 82.9 in 32 snaps, Ryan Miret at 82.5 in 53 snaps, Tylen Singleton at 82.4 in 55 snaps, Harlem Berry at 81.7 in 68 snaps, DJ Pickett at 81.1, Deuce Geralds at 80.7 and Michael Turner Jr. at 80.4 in 68 snaps.
LSU gets the week to reset, but these grades show why there’s still confidence in what this team can do once the schedule turns brutal again.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has A Live R.J. Luis Roster Decision
R.J. Luis has suddenly become a live roster issue for LSU, turning what looked like a straightforward eligibility matter into a legal fight with real stakes for the Tigers. The former St. Johns standout signed two NBA contracts in 2025, and LSU coach Will Wade has already said the program will not roster him because of SEC rules that bar players with professional contracts from returning to college play.
Luis and his lawyers have taken the dispute to court, filing suit against the NCAA, LSU and the SEC. A judge has temporarily allowed him to play for now, but the case is far from settled, with a hearing set for Nov. 13, 2026, and LSU still waiting for a final answer on whether one of its most notable additions can actually suit up. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Is Starting To Look Like The SEC Team Nobody Wants
LSUs latest stretch has helped turn the Tigers into one of the most difficult matchups in the SEC, and even former Georgia defender and current analyst David Pollack has taken notice. What stands out most is how complete the group has looked: the offense has found a balanced identity, the passing game has been productive, and the run defense has been stout enough to keep opponents from dictating terms. With players like Jackson Harris and Trey'Dez Green adding to that formula, LSU has put together a profile that looks a lot more threatening than just another good conference team.
At 6-2, the Tigers have positioned themselves in the playoff conversation, but the next run of games will say plenty about whether that buzz is real. Alabama, Texas and Tennessee are all still ahead, and the path to the College Football Playoff is likely to be decided in that kind of company. For LSU, the question is no longer whether it has talent or balance, but whether it can keep that edge when the schedule turns against ranked opponents. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Hate What Happened To This Alabama Showdown
The SEC has locked in LSUs Nov. 7 game against Alabama for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC, a choice that immediately changed the feel of one of the leagues biggest rivalry weekends. It will be the first afternoon meeting between the programs in Baton Rouge since 2010, a notable shift for a series that so often feels bigger and louder under the lights.
There is also a longer-term sting for LSU fans beyond the start time. This will be the final annual meeting before the SECs revised scheduling rotation breaks up the rivalry, and the two teams will not meet again in Baton Rouge until at least 2030. For a fan base that prefers the atmosphere of a night game against Alabama, the afternoon slot only adds to the frustration around a matchup that already carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]