SEC Media Days open Monday in Tampa, and for LSU, Thursday’s turn at the podium already feels like one of the week’s more intriguing stops. The Tigers are scheduled for the 8 a.m.
CT hour, with Lane Kiffin joined by players Whit Weeks, Trey’Dez Green and TJ Dottery. The questions waiting for them are the kind that tend to shape an offseason: where things stand with Sam Leavitt’s health, who has flashed in summer workouts, and what life looks like in the Lane Kiffin era of LSU football.
That’s the backdrop for a week that doubles as the unofficial start of the season. Media Days are being held in Florida for the first time, and over the next four days, the usual offseason noise gives way to the kind of answers only coaches and players can provide.
Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee go Monday. Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt follow Tuesday.
Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M take the stage Wednesday. LSU closes it out Thursday with Arkansas, Mississippi State and Texas.
It’s no accident that Ole Miss and LSU are parked on the final two days. Given the coaching situation, those programs have the kind of potential to produce the sort of bulletin board material that can swallow up the entire event. Keeping them for the end was a smart move.
With the season now 47 days away, it’s also the right time to start looking ahead at LSU’s 2026 schedule. This year’s slate is loaded in a way that’s hard to compare with recent Tigers seasons, and the back half is especially nasty.
Over the next few days, we’re counting down LSU’s five toughest regular-season games, starting with No. 5.
No. 5 is LSU at Tennessee on Nov. 21, and the challenge here comes from several directions at once. Tennessee went 8-5 last season and finished 4-4 in the SEC, but Josh Heupel attacked the defense this offseason, beginning with the addition of former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Knowles brought linebacker Amare Campbell with him, giving the Vols an immediate boost on that side of the ball. LSU already knows what Heupel can do to a defense, too - the 40-13 loss in Death Valley in 2022 still stands out.
Then there’s the setting. Lane Kiffin won’t be walking into a warm reception in Knoxville, and Neyland Stadium figures to remind him of that from the start.
And the timing only makes the trip tougher. LSU hosts Alabama in a game that always matters, then turns around to face Texas in what could be a matchup with the best team in the country.
By the time the Tigers get to Knoxville, the question will be simple: how much is left in the tank after those two physical games?
Today’s countdown to game day also lands on No. 47, and LSU has two Tigers wearing it. One is a familiar surname with no game tape yet. The other is a transfer with real production behind him.
Redshirt freshman tight end JD LaFleur carries a name longtime LSU fans know well. His father, David LaFleur, was one of the best tight ends in school history, earning two All-SEC selections and Walter Camp All-American honors in 1996 before the Dallas Cowboys took him No. 22 overall in the 1997 NFL Draft.
JD is a 6-foot-6, 254-pound product of Sulphur High School who is entering his second season at LSU and wearing the same No. 47 his father wore in Baton Rouge. With Trey’Dez Green drawing so much attention, there’s room for another tight end to emerge, though Malachi Thomas sits ahead of LaFleur on the depth chart.
The other No. 47 is junior defensive tackle Malik Blocton, who arrives from Auburn after two seasons there. He played in 24 games and made eight starts in 2025, finishing with 34 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
The Pike Road, Alabama native was one of the top-10 defensive linemen in the transfer portal and picked LSU over Alabama, Ole Miss, Clemson and Texas A&M. With LSU’s defensive tackle room heavy on promising freshmen, Blocton’s experience makes him an important piece.
No. 47 also brings to mind Hokie Gajan, one of the most beloved figures in LSU and New Orleans Saints history. The fullback played for the Tigers from 1977-80 before the Saints drafted him in the 10th round.
He spent seven seasons in New Orleans, where his toughness and blue-collar style made him a fan favorite. After his playing career, he became a popular color commentator on Saints broadcasts.
Gajan died in 2016 after a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer.
A couple of other notes round out the day. LSU tight end commit Ahmad Hudson, the No. 1 tight end in the 2027 class and a Ruston native, made noise at the Peach Jam basketball tournament over the weekend.
He averaged 21.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, led the event in rebounding, and on Friday posted 30 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, four assists and two blocks. Jeff Goodman called him someone who “could play hoop for anyone in the country.”
That’s the kind of two-sport athlete Lane Kiffin and Will Wade are hoping to land in December, assuming Nebraska doesn’t complicate things before signing day.
And former Tiger Sam Burns finished third at the British Open after entering the final round in the lead. A two-over 72 on Sunday wasn’t the finish he wanted, but he still walked away with $1,181,000.
In Other News...
Ex-LSU Coordinator Joe Sloan Is Suddenly Drawing Serious SEC Buzz
Joe Sloans path back into the SEC has come quickly. After being promoted to LSU offensive coordinator in 2024 and helping guide a passing attack that ranked near the top of the league, Sloan is now set to run Kentuckys offense for first-year head coach Will Stein, who hired him to call plays and shape the Wildcats attack. Stein has been open about valuing Sloans communication and recruiting chops, and that combination has already started to resonate in Lexington.
The move also carries a little extra edge for LSU fans because Sloans next big stage comes against his old program on October 10. Kentucky believes it has added a coach who can connect with players and make an immediate imprint, and portal quarterback Kenny Minchey has already pointed to Sloan as one of the main reasons he landed with the Wildcats. For Sloan, though, the real test will be whether that buzz turns into production against the very team that moved on from him after last season's offensive slump. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Just Took Another Painful Recruiting Hit In The Secondary
The secondary recruiting board took another hit in the 2027 cycle when four-star safety Adryan Cole of Douglasville, Ga., came off the board. One of the more coveted defensive backs in the country, Cole is ranked among the top safeties in the Rivals 300 and had LSU, Florida and Ole Miss in the mix before making his choice.
For LSU, the miss is part of a broader race that is still very much in motion, even if the Tigers have already added some help in the defensive backfield. Georgias class keeps piling up blue-chip talent, and Cole becomes its lone defensive back commitment so far, a reminder that the early recruiting map can shift quickly as the cycle moves deeper. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Finally Gets A Louisiana Rivalry Back Fans Never Wanted Gone
A familiar in-state matchup is finally back on the calendar, with LSU and Tulane set to meet again in 2030 after a 21-year break. The game will be played at Tiger Stadium, bringing one of Louisiana footballs oldest rivalries back into the spotlight after a long absence.
The series has been heavily tilted LSUs way over the years, with the Tigers leading 69-22-7 and riding an 18-game winning streak. The last time these teams met was in 2009, when LSU rolled to a 42-0 win, but the return of the rivalry still adds a little extra juice to the future schedule. [Read more 🡒]