LSU’s opener gave the Tigers something every team wants but rarely gets after Week 1: clarity.
A 51-10 win over Clemson on Saturday night didn’t just start LSU’s 2026 season. It also offered the first real look at how the offense is lining up, who’s earning trust, and where the rotations stand now that the games actually count. The depth chart isn’t fully settled, but the picture is a lot sharper than it was a week ago.
Some of the early buzz from fall camp held up immediately. Dilin Jones looks like the answer at running back after beating out names like five-star Harlem Berry, and Illinois transfer Malik Elzy was rewarded with a start at wide receiver after turning in a strong camp. Up front, LSU kept rolling with the same starting five offensive linemen it has used since spring ball.
At quarterback, there wasn’t much mystery about the top spot. Leavitt was already known as LSU’s QB1, but Week 1 made one thing official in practice: Landen Clark won the backup job.
The backfield rotation was fairly straightforward once the Tigers got rolling. Dilin Jones and Stacy Gage handled most of the work, while Caden Durham and Harlem Berry didn’t get into the mix until the game was well out of hand.
RB1 Dilin Jones
RB2 Stacy Gage
RB3 Caden Durham
RB4 Harlem Berry
At receiver, the alignment was a little more layered than the box score might suggest. Malik Elzy got the start, but he wasn’t LSU’s most heavily used outside target, so he lands behind Eugene Wilson on the depth chart. Winston Watkins worked as the primary slot receiver, with true freshman Corey Barber also getting snaps inside.
X Wide Receiver
1 Eugene Wilson
2 Malik Elzy
3 Tre Brown
Z Wide Receiver
1 Jayce Brown
2 Jackson Harris
3 Phillip Wright III
Slot Wide Receiver
1 Winston Watkins
2 Corey Barber
The offensive line rotation also gave a glimpse of the next wave behind the starters. Sean Thompkins Jr. looks like the swing tackle, taking reps at both left tackle and right tackle. JaQuan Sprinkle and Devin Harper were the top backup guards.
Left tackle
1 Jordan Seaton
2 Sean Thompkins Jr.
3 Brysten Martinez
Left guard
1 Bo Bordelon
2 Jaquan Sprinkle
Center
1 Braelin Moore
2 William Satterwhite
Right guard
1 Aliou Bah
2 Devin Harper
Right tackle
1 Weston Davis
2 Sean Thompkins Jr.
3 Darrin Strey
Tight end was simple at the top, with Trey’Dez Green leading the way and Zach Grace behind him.
TE1 Trey’Dez Green
TE2 Zach Grace
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LSUs Receiver Doubts Took A Hit After One Transfers Debut
Winston Watkins Jr. gave LSU exactly the kind of opening-night spark the Tigers were hoping to see from their transfer class, turning in a team-high seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in the 51-10 win over Clemson. The former Ole Miss receiver fit right into a lineup that had spent the offseason under plenty of scrutiny, and his debut was part of a broader statement from a group that was expected to help steady the offense right away.
Watkins pointed to the team's extensive preparation under coach Lane Kiffin and said he believed in the roster despite the uncertainty and off-field noise that followed LSU into the season. With other transfers also contributing and the Tigers rolling from the start, the question now is less about whether the newcomers can help and more about how much further this group can lift an offense that looked awfully comfortable in its first real test. [Read more 🡒]